What stands most in the way of college graduates and their first jobs? One business leader says it’s how well personal attitudes and beliefs will mesh with a company’s.
Jon Stigliano, CEO of Strategic Solutions Group, came to Baylor to inspire students who are either searching for a job, or are about to start the hunt.
Strategic Solutions Group is a development firm headquartered in Waco that seeks to help businesses improve.
On Wednesday, Baylor Career Services hosted “Stand Out in Your First Job”, an event centered on preparing students to be successful in their first job.
“My own personal mission is to be a catalyst for positive growth in the lives of everyone I meet,” Stigliano said. “That’s what drives me and this event is an opportunity to be able to do that.”
Stigliano focused on attitude, motivation and self-analysis for a large portion of the one-hour event.
Robinson senior Grant Corley is looking for a job and came to the event because he was looking to learn something crucial that he didn’t already know.
“I didn’t realize how important motivation is,” Corley said. “I never thought about how employers and other employees would perceive my attitude.”
From the start of his presentation, Stigliano had students set individual goals for what they wanted to get out of the evening and then had a handful of them share those goals with the rest of the group.
“It’s not my responsibility for you to get something out of this,” Stigliano said. “It’s my job to hold your attention and inform you, but ultimately that’s your responsibility.”
Stigliano advised students to listen, educate themselves and discover what they didn’t know.
“The greatest thing I learned is that someone can’t motivate another person,” Austin senior Maddie Moody said. “They have to motivate themselves.”
Stigliano also had advice about the two most important things students should know when looking for a job. The most important thing is to be yourself and do not attempt to be someone you’re not. Second, according to Stigliano, is to find an organization whose beliefs and values match yours, because that’s the standard you’re going to be held to. If you don’t believe in what the organization stands for, it’s going to be tough to work for them.
When discussing formulas for success, Stigliano advised that students strive for progression, not perfection.
“The beautiful thing about success is that it is the one thing that is 100 percent in your control, but that is also the scariest thing,” Stigliano said.
Stigliano pointed out that oftentimes people can get so focused on the destination, that they lose sight of the journey. He said that students really should focus more on the journey than the destination.
For students without a definitive career choice, Stigliano said the first step of their journey toward a successful future is finding their passion.
“Figure out what you really like to do – don’t worry about the money and what people say – do what you love to do,” Stigliano said.
Stigliano’s ultimate goal for the evening paid off as students shared how their expectations were exceeded in regards to how helpful the evening was and how knowledgeable Stigliano is.
“The number one thing I hope students will take away from this event is how to be conscious and not unconscious,” Stigliano said. “Most people go through life unconsciously, reacting to situations instead of being conscious in what they do toward something.”