Tag Archives: student blogs

Understanding Japanese Business Etiquette

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This past Friday, I inadvertently observed a key tenet of Japanese business etiquette – and violated another – as I skidded into Michiko Yamashima’s presentation on Japanese Business Etiquette almost twenty minutes late.  I had sprinted over to the Career Services office after an exam ran long, and slid into a back row, bending forward and inclining my head to duck into a seat. I had performed, in essence, a hurried form of the Japanese indication of respect and sincerity, the お辞儀, or formal bow.  I neglected, however, to appear in full Western business attire, dark suit and conservative shoes included.

These gestures – formal bowing, and the observance of appropriate attire—are but two of several important Japanese business customs to be observed in corporate situations. Why are these gestures necessary? And why should we Princetonians familiarize ourselves with their importance? Just as Americans expect foreigners to greet us with a firm handshake and jovial grin, so too do Japanese businessmen and women anticipate compliance with a few basic customs as a show of mutual respect.

In a business setting, junior employees should take their seats closest to the door, and take care to avoid the most comfortable chairs. Women take a relatively subservient role, and customarily serve alcoholic beverages and other drinks to their male counterparts. Resumes intended for use in Japan should include the applicant’s age and passport-sized photo.  If nothing else, however, the following three aspects of Japanese business etiquette should be observed:

  1. Bowing is more than a neck exercise.  Western-style handshakes span the spectrum from wet fish to bone-crusher; bowing, too, requires practice and precision. There are three levels of bows, Yamashima explained: the least pronounced an informal greeting, the mid-level appropriate for business meetings, and the third, deepest bow reserved for apologies. When bowing to an associate, keep it slow and measured, and make sure to maintain eye contact at the beginning and end of the gesture.
  2. Business card presentation is a form of art. In Japan, business cards, like credit cards, are treated as extensions of people themselves. Business cards are typically exchanged between all parties present at a meeting, and are presented and received with two hands. The recipient is expected to briefly inspect the business card, indicate admiration with a brief nod, and provide their own in return. Travelers to Japan should arrive fully stocked with business cards – it is not uncommon to hand out 100 cards in a single week!
  3. Dress for success – conservative, subdued success.  Western business attire is commonplace in most Japanese cities, and both men and women should dress in dark suits with dark ties, socks, pantyhose, and shoes, as appropriate.

Yamashima’s message, while most useful for those anticipating a career in Japan, is applicable to all students seeking future employment: do your research, and pay attention to the customs of your workplace.

What Kind of Law Will You Practice?

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Tuesday night, Career Services hosted “What Kind of Law Will You Practice?” a panel featuring seven Princeton alumni with legal degrees. Around thirty undergraduates attended, and the alumni shared their experiences in law school and beyond.

The majority of the event was given over to the alumni to describe their career trajectories and offer advice. Among the panel, there were several unconventional paths to law school, including Chris Colvin ’88, who was an MAE major at Princeton and Jason Eaddy ’98, who worked in computer science before obtaining a law degree through night school.  “It took my parents a good five, six years to understand what I do for a living,” Eaddy said, who now consults with lawyers on technology-related cases.

The panel also included two alumni who work in criminal law. Facing a question from the audience about the possibility of becoming jaded as a public defender, Arthur Hopkirk ’81 and Isabel McGinty *82 offered words of encouragement. Both agreed that working as a public defender was a very tough field. “There’s no let-up…in criminal law, it is people’s lives,” McGinty said. Hopkirk said it can be difficult to find fulfillment in public defense if you want to win cases, since even the best lose 80 – 90% of their cases. Instead, “you have to really take internal satisfaction,” Hopkirk said.

Two panelists who talked about the reality of debt incurred over law school were Christina Keddie ’03 and Ani Mason ’00. Keddie was drawn to law school as “the extended Robbie George experience.” She now works as a labor and employment lawyer, saying that nonprofit work may not pay enough to effectively manage the debt. In contrast, Mason was able to obtain scholarships because she was interested in human rights.

Mason also said networking through the Alumni Careers Network was instrumental in building her career. At any point in her career, she was trying to develop relationships with people in the field. Colvin, who founded two networking companies, supported this view. “Network now, and network for your entire careers,” Colvin said.

Though the panel distributed a lot of information on the difficulties of law school and a legal career, Zachary Goldstein ’05 was optimistic for the attendees’ future: “You go to Princeton. It’s up to you.”

For those looking for more information about law school, Lyon Zabsky is Career Services’ pre-law advisor. She was present at the event and can answer more detailed questions about law school applications.

Career Services’ Facebook Offers Glimpse into History!

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Just like everyone else in the world, Career Services had to switch to the new Facebook timeline format last week. Career Services’ unveiled and introduced their new Facebook timeline with this status update:

Welcome! We hope you like our new Timeline format! An overview of the history and evolution of Career Services at Princeton University is available on our timeline. A career function was established in 1912 and the office has undergone many transformations over the past 100 years! (Yes, that’s right Career Services celebrates its 100th Anniversary this year!!) We are adding the last two decades worth of history over the next few days to bring us to present-day Career Services. “History aficionados” out there should enjoy this wealth of historical information!

Career Services has had many transformations over the years and the historical information in the timeline includes photos as well as news articles from each period. In order to see our Facebook page, first click here. (Don’t forget to “like” the page so you can receive updates on events, news articles, and expert career advice.) On the right hand side of the page, one should see a timeline. The timeline dates from “now” all the way back to when Career Services was “founded”. If you click on the “founded” link, you will be taken to a page that gives details about the center’s founding as well as shows you a picture of Career Services’ first director, George MacFarlane Galt, graduate of the Class of 1890! In 1912, Career Services was called the “Self Help Bureau” and was designed to assist students with financial needs to find work during the academic year, summers, and post graduation.  

As you browse through the various decades, it is so interesting to see the different name changes, events, and happenings of Career Services throughout the past century. For example, I was able to read a clip from a 1935 newspaper article in the Daily Princetonian entitled, “What Employers Looked For in Graduates in 1935.” Who knew that articles like this were being written in 1935? (I didn’t!) Another milestone that caught my interest was a 1976 Daily Princetonian article titled “Career Services Reduces Seniors’ Anxiety” that discussed how students who came to Career Services were less anxious about the challenges of the job market and economy because they were developing a plan.  This is so similar to students of today!

I really like this new feature of the Career Services Facebook page. I hope other students take the time to browse through the history of Career Services to understand how the center has changed in many aspects, but remained the same in one, which is to help students find their way in the career development process!

Break into Vault!

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Shhh…this resource is so good, you might not want to give it away. Of course, your efforts would be in vain, since this exclusive website is free for all Princeton students, faculty, and staff. Nevertheless, there’s a certain element of mystery as you traverse Vault, the Gringotts of job and internship search engines. So when I stumbled on Vault at the bottom of Career Services’ website, I was intrigued. I clicked on the link, set up a password, and found myself in one of the job search’s best-kept secrets.

Here are some of the perks:

The Guides: Vault’s website contains an eye-watering 80+ career guides on industries, employers, international opportunities, interviews/resumes, and other career topics. I thought I’d never find information on careers in music writing, my rather narrow field of choice. Did they ever have what I was looking for! From the creative side to the business side, possible interview questions, the inside scoop (will I really be fetching coffee?), pay rates, and job descriptions in the field. Also, check out Vault’s Guide to Top Internships, co-written by senior education editor and Princeton alumna Carolyn Wise.

The Search Engines: You can search by company, industry, profession, or filtering through job or internship databases. I decided to search professions and typed in “lawyer.” Vault came back with a list of “uppers” and “downers” as well as personality “matches” and “misses.”  Among the uppers were “high salaries” and “Large-firm perks such as firm retreats and free meals.” Sounds pretty nice. The downers told the other side: “long hours, high stress level, and high level of dissatisfaction.” Hmm…maybe I’ll keep looking.

Blog and Career Advice: From their Career Advice page to their blogs, Vault has information from every step of the way: the job search, on the job, career advancement, etc. The videos and blogs offer a nice, accessible alternative for students. Since signing up for Vault’s emails I now welcome the arrival of my weekly email with articles on topics like unpaid internships (very useful), cover letter mistakes (very useful), and office romance (not at all useful for me, but very interesting nonetheless!). I also read an article warning against using the exclamation point! …there I go again.

Other Inside Scoop: Do you want to what it’s like to work for a specific employer? Have you ever wondered how much you’ll make with your prospective job/company? Shhh…this is the secret part. Vault has a section all about Salaries and Reviews. I won’t tell you the reviews and rates that I looked up—check it out for yourself!

Pinterest for Career Advice and Inspiration!

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Fashion, food, art, books—and now career inspiration. For all the Pinterest fanatics out there, Career Services has started a Pinterest of its own with 8 different boards. Get the latest career info from interview tips and career advice to events and inspiration like this pin: “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.” These words of wisdom from Steve Jobs are enough to get me through a hard week…maybe even through midterms week.

Another one of my favorite boards is “Social Media & YOU!” which has cool infographics about how to create a professional online presence, how to use social media in your job search, and how recruiters use social media to find information about candidates.

Following Career Services on Pinterest is a great option if you:

  • Want to be notified about the latest eventsAre looking for inspiration to re-pin to your friends
  • Want interesting, visual tips about how to make a solid impression in the interview or at the job fair
  • Are interested in what your peers are doing to jump-start their careers
  • Want to browse visuals about the latest on social media and recruiting

Check it out at http://pinterest.com/princetoncareer/.

Learning About Business Etiquette in Japan

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On Friday, Michiko Yamashima gave a presentation on Japanese business etiquette. Around thirty people attended, with many of those being students who planned on working in Japan.

Yamashima began her presentation with an overview of Japanese demographics and government. She then moved on to cultural norms, such as the Japanese emphasis on courtesy and respect.

Bowing was a major topic of discussion, and Yamashima brought up the fact that bows are often seen as a sign of subordination by the United States. To Japan, said Yamashima, a “bow is a gesture…showing respect and sincerity.” There are three levels of bows, with the deepest being for apologies and the least pronounced being a casual gesture. All bows are from the waist; nodding, Yamashima said, “is not a bow; this is neck exercise.” Other etiquette for bows includes the speed (slow is preferable to fast) and eye contact (at the beginning and end but not during a bow).

Yamashima covered other elements of Japanese business etiquette as well, such as the proper attire (dark suits with white shirts, and white socks are too casual) and the handling of business cards, which should be given and received with two hands. Respect for business cards is very important. “The business card is the person himself,” Yamashima said.

Most elements of Japanese business etiquette emphasize humility and respect. A junior employee should seat himself near the door of a tatami room and in the least comfortable position in a car. A junior employee should also use humble expressions when describing himself and his company, but may use honorific expressions when describing his superior or his client.

Miscellaneous items covered were Japanese resumes (should include age, business picture and dates in the Japanese era), compulsive retirement in Japan, and rules for serving alcohol (females should serve males, and junior employees should serve seniors before seniors serve them).

This is Career Services’ third year hosting the Japanese business etiquette seminar, and even for those not considering jobs in Japan, it proved a fascinating topic.

Women’s History Month – Alumni Advice for STEM Majors

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Three Princeton alumnae gathered Wednesday at Career Services Wisdom for Women in STEM Majors. Akira Bell Johnson ’95, Cheryl Rowe-Rendleman ’81 and Joanna Nice ’06 have all had substantial careers in the sciences since leaving Princeton, and they offered advice and perspectives on being a woman in the sciences.

One of the most repeated pieces of advice was to find a mentor. All the women spoke about being humbled during their undergraduate years, and Johnson put it succinctly when she said, “It doesn’t pay to try to figure something out for a long time.” In any situation, it’s important to recognize when you need help, because that produces better results. “It’s okay to ask questions,” said Nice. “Part of your job is to ask questions.”

The women also emphasized the importance of a support system while balancing work and family. A few grad students asked the panel members, all of whom had children, how they approached the work-home question. Rowe-Rendleman had her first child while in graduate school, and said, “He sat on my lap while I was writing my dissertation.” Though the women it said it’s impossible to be perfect, Johnson said that having a “network of support around your family” helps immensely.

For those not thinking that far into the future, the panel also shared their perspectives on what to do in college. “It’s never too early to start interning,” said Johnson. Even non-science pursuits can be valuable, added Nice. Nice did crew while at Princeton and said she learned about “hard work and discipline and tenacity and teamwork” from her teammates. As far as picking a major, the women agreed that it’s important to do something you’re passionate about that allows you to shine.

For their final words, the panel encouraged taking risks. And “if the guys are talking, talk louder,” said Rowe-Rendleman, later clarifying, “Or, talk differently.”

The Magic of Movies Meets the Reality of Hard Work: Careers in Film and Television

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Students wanting to learn about careers in media received some tough love at Career Services’ Careers in Film and Television event. The panel featured three Princeton alumni, who spoke about the trajectory of their careers and then took the time to answer questions and offer advice to the students gathered.

Katherine Carpenter ’79 was the first to address the group. A documentary filmmaker, Carpenter showed a clip of “Bones of Turkana,” the National Geographic special she co-produced. She then spoke about her work with the Discovery Channel, which she joined in its early days. “It was just really fun to work in the early days of cable where everyone was just making it up as they [went] along,” Carpenter said. Fun seemed to be the driving force of Carpenter’s career; she had gotten involved in media after noticing that press teams on the campaign trail always had a good time, and from those beginnings she became an award-winning producer with an Emmy to her credit. (Not bad for a comparative literature major who didn’t give television a second thought in college!) Though she always followed what she thought would be enjoyable, Carpenter had some words of wisdom for the crowd: “Write the scripts, change the toilet paper, you need to be willing to do everything.” Her experience had been that skills in writing and Excel were especially useful in the field.

In contrast to Carpenter, Sandy Kenyon ’78 started looking at media careers when he was sixteen years old. While at Princeton, he joined a fellow student’s radio program, “Focus on You,” and became so involved that schoolwork was an extracurricular in comparison. Kenyon said the industry prizes endurance and offered his personal opinion and this analogy: a finance firm, Kenyon said, will put you through four days of excruciating interviews before giving you a hefty paycheck, but the film industry will put you through five to seven years of 80-hour weeks before paying you a pittance. A career in film and television, said Kenyon, is for people who “love it deep enough and wide enough and long enough.” Kenyon also warned about the possibility of burning out or becoming unmarketable after ten years, though he said he’s been lucky. Early experience doing film reviews in his career led him to his current job, doing concise movie reviews for ABC that air in New York City’s taxicabs.

A more recent graduate, Josephine Decker ’03 was able to talk about film and television as it relates to her job as an independent film producer. Like Carpenter and Kenyon, Decker said that hard work and initiative was key. After working as a production assistant, she has moved onto other projects where she has more creative control. However, these projects require a wider knowledge of filmmaking and handling items such as publicity. When asked if she would recommend film school, Decker responded that what’s important is choosing a path that will address a filmmaker’s specific strengths and weaknesses.

In all, the panelists agreed that following one’s passions would yield a difficult but rewarding path. Film and television careers may not be for everyone, but for those that don’t mind hard work, they are attainable.

For more information about careers in the arts, visit Abbey Racelis, career counselor for arts, nonprofit and public sector (and moderator for this panel). And if you want to improve your social media literacy (a valuable skill according to the panel), make sure to RSVP to “Do You Pass the Social Media Recruitment Test?” on April 16.

Spring Break Career Inspiration

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Spring break—a time to relax, put away the winter coat, and catch some rays. But how about catching some inspiration while you’re at it? Thirty-four Princeton students will be spending their Spring Break by visiting Princeton alumni hosts in the workplace as part of the Princeternship program http://bit.ly/Princeternshipbrochure. Late Friday afternoon while most were packing up to get away for break, I decided to hit campus to see what others were doing next week. Hear from three other students who went above and beyond to make the most of their spring breaks.