Comm 202 tutorial 5

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COMM 202:
Career Fundamentals
T33 & T34 with Jason Mah

Agenda
1. TA Feedback
2. Cover Letter
Peer Review
3. Networking
4. Action Items

Course Timeline
Where are we and what’s coming up?
Week 9 (today) Week 10 Week 11
• Tutorial: Cover Letter
and Networking
• What’s due: Submit
Cover Letter Draft to
Turnitin before
tutorial
• Tutorial: Info Interviews
• What’s due: Resume &
Cover Letter
Assignment due on
Mar 12th at 11:59pm on
Turnitin and COOL
• Networking Event on
Mar 13th 6-8pm in CPA
Hall
• Lecture: Interview Prep
• What’s due:
• Have your
interview date and
time confirmed
• Networking
reflection due
March 21st @
11:59pm on
Turnitin

START
CONTINUE
STOP
Let’s talk about feedback!

Cover Letter Formatting
• Left aligned (NOT justified)
• No indents on paragraphs
• Bullet points vs. paragraphs
• 2-3 relevant skills
• Consistent font size (minimum size 10)
• Appropriate font
• Margin sizes
• Spacing between paragraphs
• White space
• One page
**Headers of cover letter and resume must match, it’s all about
branding**
October 29, 2017
McKinsey & Company
650 W Georgia St, Vancouver
Dear Hiring Committee,
“This represents a new type of red for my family and my country. You need to keep doing what you are doing”, a Colombian
coffee farmer known in the countryside as La Bomba said as he poured bright red coffee cherries into my cupped hands.
Moments like these are testimonies to the impact management consulting can have on companies and communities. This
understanding has cemented my desire to build my career in consulting. This year, I had the privilege of working with
Monique Wong and Samantha Walsh on a project that delivered a similar impact for women in Metro Vancouver through a
pro-bono consulting project. During my work with Monique and Samantha, I learned about how McKinsey & Company
(McKinsey) supports them to grow as consultants and as people, creating impact every day. It is for these reasons that I am
confident McKinsey is the perfect place for me to grow and add value upon graduation.
While devising a profitability strategy for the coffee farmer, he explained to me that there are two key ingredients to a great
cup of coffee: expertise and hard work. Notably he mentioned that expertise is an amalgamation of different people with
different strengths. I think success in consulting is based on similar principles. During my internship with HSBC’s M&A division
this summer, I honed my technical skills and stood out from the other interns by my work ethic. Structuring the joint venture
for a Silicon Valley biopharmaceutical company on a cross-functional team taught me how to work on a team of diverse
cultural and professional backgrounds and how to be efficient and effective under pressure. To me, McKinsey is synonymous
with excellence and the firm’s two key asks of me as an analyst will be that of being inquisitive and dedicated to my projects
and my team.
One key thing that I found striking about the coffee farmer is the unwavering ownership he took over his coffee shrubs.
Taking ownership of my work both abroad and at PwC in Vancouver meant that my team could count on me to deliver quality
output and that I learned from the work I was held accountable for. Starting my career with McKinsey excites me because I
am confident that my colleagues will empower me to make an impact early in my career and provide me with a unique
breadth of opportunities to learn and grow. My experience as a competitive athlete for Canada taught me that taking
ownership is not an individual endeavor. Working on a project team at McKinsey represents winning as a team and
supporting each other to become more effective consultants with every lesson learned.
I am confident that my work experience in strategy and finance, along with my passion for solving complex problems and
working in diverse teams establish a good foundation for me to thrive and actively add value in the role as a Business Analyst
Intern with McKinsey. I look forward to the opportunity to further discuss my candidacy for this position.
Sincerely,
Jason Mah
+1 (604) 908-9187 | jasonyjmah@gmail.com
8231 Leonard Pl. Richmond, BC
www.linkedin.com/in/jasonyjmah

Addressing the Cover Letter
Date
Contact Name (if known)
Title
Company Name
Address 1
City, Province Postal Code
Re: Position Title (and reference number if given)
Dear [First name Last name],
or Dear Hiring Manager/Committee, or Dear Mr./Ms./Mx. Last
Name,
[Opening Paragraph]
*Make sure you tailor your cover letters!*

Examples
Unknown Person Specific Person
(assume known marital status)

Signing Off the Right Way
Sincerely, / Regards, / Best,
(Written signature if you want)
Your name
BCom Candidate 20XX
Sauder School of Business
Enclosed or Attached*: Resume
* Enclosed: physical copy
* Attached: electronic copy
Example

Let’s Look at the Opening
- How is the hook?
- Interest/passion for the position?
- Skills/experience matching the job posting?
- Is primary or secondary research integrated
- Name drop? (when applicable)
- Branding: CAN-WANT-FIT
I walked along a dusty cobblestone street in a rural Colombian village on a foggy summer
morning alongside my team with Professor Jeff Kroeker leading the way. Under my groggy
breath, I repeated the part of the lesson I was to deliver that morning in Spanish over and over.
It was in moments like these that I find teaching and sharing knowledge invigorating and
exciting. […..] Seeing the wave of clarity wash over the face of the students as we explained
concepts was an unforgettable experience which I continue to engage in back within Sauder’s
four walls.

Skills Matching (Body Paragraphs)
- Skills to match the position?
- STARL format?
- Are there examples – specific & concise?
- Transferrable skills?
- Do results show strengths or success?
Think about the link:
Why should the employer care
EXAMPLE

Closing- Making a good impression
EXAMPLE
-Are skills reiterated?
-Is sincere interest expressed?
-Graciously thanks employer for consideration
-Call to action (aka request for a meeting)
-Tie back to hook/intro, wrap it up in a nice bow

What Counts as an Error?
Spelling & Grammar
Inconsistency
Incorrect order of
Information
Improper FormattingIncorrect Information
Missing Information
Not including job
posting in submission
(counts as 2 errors)
First 2 errors = 5% deducted for each
3+ errors = 40% deducted from assignment

Networking Can Happen Anywhere
Chance
meetings

Facilitated events

Via direct
request

Why Do We Network?
• Get your foot in the door (faster)
• Gain insight about a company, industry, or career path
• Practice your interview and networking skills
• Find a potential mentor
• Show them who you are beyond your resume and cover letter

Researching Delegates
1. Check out the delegate info on the course blog
2. Look at the LinkedIn profiles of delegates you’d
like to speak to
• Note any interesting topics
• Hone in on similar experiences or shared
groups
• Think about questions to ask
3. During the event, be interested and self aware!

What Does it Mean to be ‘Self-Aware’
• Having conscious knowledge of one’s own character and feelings
• Treat the delegates the way you would want to be treated
• Put yourself in the shoes of a delegate – how would you feel if a student came
up to you holding your LinkedIn profile picture?

Dress Code
For the COMM 202 Networking Event,
dress in business casual
This means less formal than business formal, but still
professional!

Business Casual Dress Code
• Professional dresses or skirts, dress pants, chinos, or khakis
(but no jeans or athletic pants for example)
• Sweaters, blouses, collared shirts with or without ties
• Patterns and colours are acceptable as business casual (no
hoodies, T-shirts, tank tops, tops with slogans)
• Clothing should be crisp and not wrinkled
• Footwear should still be professional for an office setting
such as loafers, dress shoes or booths, heels, or flats (no flip
flops or running shoes)

Possible Conversation Topics
“Lurking around the food station is a really good trick. People will ask you
what things are, and you can offer advice on what’s tasty.”
Compliment them
Talk about food
“People love talking about themselves and people love compliments. Be
genuine though!”
Smile
“Just stand on your own and soak in the environment and smile at
people. You will be a beacon of light for the other people who don’t
know who to talk to.”
Open up the circle
“You might be getting bored with the first 2 people so make sure you
make room for other people to join the circle party!”

Ending a Conversation
Thank them for their
time
Ask to connect after
the event
Be polite & gracious
Leave with a
handshake

Following Up
After great conversations, send a personalized email or LinkedIn
request (or maybe an informational interview request?)
Hi Rachel,
It was so great to get the chance to speak with you at last night’s networking event. I was really inspired by
what you said about “building your personal brand”, and I am looking forward to putting your advice into
practice.
I would love to continue our conversation about your experience at KPMG. I understand that you are very
busy, but it would be great to meet for about 20 minutes. Would you be available to meet on Monday or
Tuesday next week? Coffee is on me!
Thank you,
Sally
EXAMPLE

Networking Reflection
• Your paper needs to include:
• Your goals in attending the event
• What is your purpose in going? What do you want to know about Sauder?
• Define SMART goals beforehand – How will you define the success of your
evening?
• How did you prepare for the event (research potential delegates)
• What was it about these people that motivated you wanting to talk to
them?
• A brief summary of who you spoke with and what you learned in the
conversations
• A reflection on the lessons you have learned about the networking process
• Next steps you will take to continue building a relationship with your new
contact (if you plan to)
Due
March 21st @
11:59PM on
Turnitin

Action Items
1. Sign up for office hours
2. Resume and Cover Letter due March
12th @ 11:59pm on Turnitin and COOL
3. Cover Letter & Resume Toolkit on
MyBcom site + checklist on blog
4. Networking Event : March 13th 6-8pm
in CPA Hall
5. Networking Reflection due March 21st
@ 11:59pm on Turnitin
6. Tutorial Next Week!

Comm 202 tutorial 5

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