Do You Have A Second?

Choose a specialty

A good piece of advice I received in my first job - the sooner you develop a specialty, the more valuable you'll appear to employers.  This was coming from a former McKinsey principal, who had deep industry expertise - in the public utilities industry.

As a young person in my first job, I thought it was advice to rationalize working in a boring industry (my naive viewpoint).  Looking back, it's advice that I give quite frequently.  Your specialty can be industry or function, but the sooner you start building it, the better.

Use a C-A-R to sell yourself

When I was interviewing with P&G during b-school, a hiring manager laid out a great model for communicating.  When talking about past experiences, use the acronym CAR:  context, action, and results.  It's a simple and powerful way to get your story heard.

For more information on the P&G recruiting process, see this online interview with Bill Reina, Director, U.S. Recruiting, Training & Development.