LinkedIn experts are part of Skidmore’s network
Skidmore students got an inside look at the professional networking platform LinkedIn
in two distinct ways this semester – by hearing from one of its top executives during
the 40th annual Harder Lecture and by visiting its New York City headquarters over
winter break.
Skidmore's Career Development Center arranged the January visit to the LinkedIn and Google offices in Manhattan, where
students were able to network and learn about company culture, opportunities, and
expectations. Then, in March, the Management and Business Department’s Harder Lecture brought Greg Willis, vice president of global sales for LinkedIn
Marketing Solutions, to campus to share key lessons he’s learned at LinkedIn as well
as with Procter & Gamble, Hewlett Packard, PepsiCo, Infosys, and Samsung. F. William
Harder Chair of Business Administration Matt Lucas's connections with LinkedIn made both events possible.
This holistic approach to educating students and preparing them for professional opportunities
is uniquely Skidmore, with its expansive alumni network, extensive career services,
and relevant courses.
Keeping up with a changing world
Greg Willis, vice president of global sales for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, delivered the 40th annual Harder Lecture, "Are You In," on March 20 in Gannett Auditorium.
Willis, an expert in global market development, marketing, technology, corporate governance,
and sales, delivered his lecture “Are You In” on March 20 in Gannett Auditorium, telling
students that success boils down to three c’s: competence – the skills you build;
confidence – knowing who you are and who you are not; and courage – the ability to
make decisions based on what’s right for you.
Skidmore’s hand and mind tradition teaches students to think critically while offering
them practical skills to tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time.
“The world keeps changing, and your skills must evolve with it,” Willis said, citing
statistics about the growing prevalence of AI in workplaces and an increased emphasis
on skills-based hiring.
The more you learn, the better equipped you will be for the road ahead. Continue to challenge yourself. Continue to be curious."Greg Willisvice president of global sales for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
He also emphasized the value of being present and introspective.
“I want to stress how important it is to be in the moment,” Willis said. “Be purposeful
in your decisions. Ask yourself, ‘Why am I here?’ It helps you make intentional choices.
It keeps you from drifting. It helps you attract maximum value from each experience
that you’re in. It helps you find motivation to get you through those difficult times.”
Preparing for perpetual learning
Samantha (Sam) Fassak ’14, senior insights program manager at LinkedIn, speaks to a group of Skidmore students about her career journey during a winter break visit to LinkedIn headquarters in NYC.
At the LinkedIn offices in January, Samantha (Sam) Fassak ’14, senior insights program
manager, and four of her colleagues discussed their career trajectories and work environments,
sharing their advice to current students throughout.
“LinkedIn is very focused on skills, both in the products we develop and in how we
think about our career journeys internally,” said Fassak. “I’ve been on the Insights
team for six years and I’ve learned more every single year, with every new role I’ve
come into.” The Insights team does data reporting, working hand-in-hand with the Sales
and Customer Success teams.
Skidmore’s liberal arts education really helped to prepare her, she says, because
she was able to explore so many disciplines and develop skills for continued learning.
Learning how to learn is such a valuable thing to cultivate."Samantha (Sam) Fassak ’14senior insights program manager at LinkedIn
“Even if you come to a job with a super robust background and you hit every single
mark on that job requisition, you’re still going to have a huge learning curve. So
having the confidence that you know how to learn is important.”
After graduating from Skidmore, the psychology major with a business minor became an associate for Sibson Consulting, where she
learned to build analytical models. There, she developed an interest in project management,
which took her to a role at Ernst and Young. After a few years, she longed for hands-on
analytical work again but in a more robust way, which led her to LinkedIn.
“I don’t think any of us have had a very fixed 10-year plan that we followed meticulously
because it’s almost impossible to do that,” Fassak said of herself and her colleagues.
“There are unexpected things that come up and it’s just hard to know what direction
your interests will evolve in once you’re in different experiences. So once you’re
in an experience, take the time to reflect about what is it that you really like about
it and how you can develop that out further.”
Students were able to ask questions about career preparation and what it's like to work at LinkedIn during a January visit to the company's NYC headquarters.
Fassak says she learned a lot by taking advantage of the resources offered by Skidmore’s Career Development Center, including job shadowing through its extensive Skidmore College network and resumé coaching.
She also participated in Skidmore clubs and organizations, such as Peer Health Education. “Any experiences you can get will develop skills,” she told the visiting students. “You can get leadership experience and go deeper on your domain expertise.
“I think it is extremely important to cultivate and make time for interests that have
nothing to do with your profession but just bring you alive inside. That will give
you sustained energy, even if you pick a really ambitious career field.”
To truly prosper in your career, Willis says, you have to embrace your unique identity
as your greatest strength.
“You have to identify and leverage your unique perspectives. Your background, your
faith, your family – whatever makes you you. That adds value to every conversation,
every decision, every strategy, every move that you make. Don’t minimize your story.”
