We asked W. P. Carey Alumni: What is one piece of advice you would offer to a current W. P. Carey student on how to best prepare for the future world of work?
Here are 5 pieces of advice they shared:
- Control What You Can & Make the Best of the Rest
- Follow Your Passion
- Keep an Adaptable Perspective
- Be Prepared, Be Confident, Be Yourself
- Be Open-Minded
Control What You Can & Make the Best of the Rest
It’s OK, and inevitable, to have feelings of uncertainty when selecting a career path. Simply reflect on how you ended up at W. P. Carey in the first place. When making your decision, there was no blueprint, you just likely confided in a close friend or relative, encountered an encouraging teacher, or maybe you came across a good book or movie that lit a spark. From there, you took those lemons and made lemonade.
The same is true when choosing a career. You can, and should, put yourself in the best situation possible, but the variables outside of your control are often more impactful. An inspiring boss, a co-worker who later becomes a dear friend, or an industry spike/dip in your chosen field, are all impossible to predict. While positioning yourself properly is vital, it’s arguably more important to acknowledge that much will be out of your control and your ability to adapt and take advantage of the cards that you’re dealt is the true challenge… and fun part!
Theo Fleishman, BS Finance and International Business, Nearwater Capital
Follow Your Passion
As you embark on this next journey, follow your passion. You will spend most of your adult life working. As you get older, you realize it is important to love what you do. Take the time while you are younger to explore new opportunities, take chances, and from that find what truly inspires you. When you find your True North—work is no longer work and your ability to make a lasting impact is exponential.
Amaya Bree, BS Management ‘92 and MBA ‘17, Northstar Aerospace
Keep an Adaptable Perspective
The one piece of advice that I would give current W. P. Carey students for how to best prepare for the future world of work, is to be adaptable. There is a lot of uncertainty and complexities in the world today and being able to consider alternative perspectives will enable confidence and empower strategic problem solving that is required.
Sheri Zavaleta, BS Supply Chain Management ‘22, Raytheon Technologies
Be Prepared, Be Confident, Be Yourself
The past two and a half years have presented countless challenges that have dramatically changed the way many businesses operate, but the fundamentals for you as a person and how you can grow and succeed in your career have not. For example, trusting your instincts is still important. Having self-awareness and a strong moral compass will serve you well throughout your life and your career. Also, you’ll find that the greatest achievements are born from great risks.
Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone is one of the best things you can do for your personal or career development. Once you open yourself up to “I’ll try anything” the world becomes your oyster. And finally, in any work situation, whether it is a large or small project, remember to be prepared, be confident and be yourself.
Lynn Torrel, MS Business Administration ‘10, Flex
Be Open-Minded
The world is changing rapidly—COVID sent us all remote, global logistics challenges are unwinding or at least driving a rethink of “offshoring”, technology is rapidly advancing and can now replace humans at *some* tasks – all this change and a lot is still thriving. The job you get may not be the job you are asked to do; at a very minimum the way you do the job will evolve—willingness to move forward, take risks, and be comfortable with some unknowns are some ingredients of a high-value employee/employer relationship.
Giovanni Spitale, MBA ‘07, Davis Standard
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