REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Course Title
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Collaboration Overview
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Engagement Format: Capstone
Small Team Consulting Project - Students work in consulting teams of 3-5 directly with faculty and client liaisons on developing real solutions to real-world challenges.
Timeline & Next Steps
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June 1, 2022
Collaboration request published. Industry Partners may express interest in participating.
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June 1, 2022
Educators will begin interviewing interested Industry Partners to discuss project ideas.
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June 1, 2022
Final date for Industry Partners to express interest in participating.
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June 1, 2022
Educators and Industry Partners finalize project charters, legal documents, and background materials.
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June 10, 2022
OFFICIAL PROJECT LAUNCH: We’ll find a time on this day to web conference you into our class to kickoff the project.
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June 15, 2022
OFFICIAL PROJECT END: We’ll find a time on this day to web conference you into our class to close the project.
Project Inspiration
Project templates by topic that might inspire you…
Account Management
Process Overview / Mapping
Software Suite Recommendations
Process Optimization
Account Management
We've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage users to mix-and-match components from various departments for the best cross functional project experience. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and student learning objectives.
Account Management Current State and Benchmarking Assessment
- How is the account management or client success team structured? Are they split by geographies, verticals or other characteristics?
- How many accounts are the account managers responsible for?
- What level of service and interaction is required or expected in this industry?
- How does the company's model compare with their key competitors?
Improve Current Account Management Process
- What process does the company use to interact with their current customers?
- Survey the account managers and create a flow chart of their of what their recurring responsibilities look like.
- Based on the flow chart, are there any processes that are redundant or inefficient? Anything that can be automated?
- How can they more effectively keep their customers satisfied?
Optimizing the Account Manager Role
- What are main responsibilities of Account Managers at the host company?
- How are Account Managers incentivized? Some examples are: renewals, up-sells, customer satisfaction, net promoter scores, and new business. Are these effective or should the host company consider adding other metrics and/or removing metrics that don’t result in optimal outcomes?
- How can you best align incentives with internal operations to maximize success?
Cross Functional Synergies Assessment
- What are some potential opportunities where the host company can align processes between account management and other functional departments in the company? (E.g., sales, marketing, product, and operations)
- Create a hypothetical case where it would be beneficial for the Account Managers to have a cross-functional team with other departments within the organization.
- What would it look like? (Map it out)
- How would the process be different?
- Who would need to be involved?
- How would you measure success as a team?
Achieving Work Life Balance
Develop perspectives on and strategies for living a balanced life.
Achieving Work Life Balance
Pre-Meeting Assignment
Read the Mindful Habits article Feeling Overwhelmed? Use The 6 Areas of Focus To Get Back On Track https://vereggen.com/six-areas-of-focus/ For each of the 6 areas, jot down your responses to the following questions. Remember, there are no wrong answers, including “I don’t know”.- Why is this area important to me?
- What do I want to accomplish in this area?
- Brainstorm: what one action can I take that will improve my situation in this area?
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- What does “living a balanced life mean to you? What does an ideal work life balance look and feel like for you? Has that changed over time?
- What would be some indicators that there is a lack of balance? How would that look and feel?
- How have changes to the way we work brought new opportunities and challenges to balancing the various domains and roles of our lives?
- What activities do you like doing, and give you a sense of peace, fulfillment, joy, and other “feel-good” feelings? Which ones are important for you to maintain in your life at this point?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
- Option 1: Using the “wheel of life” model introduced in the article by Mindful Habits, map out the areas of your life following the steps outlined in the Mindful Habits article The Wheel of Life: A Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment Tool https://vereggen.com/wheel-of-life/
- Option 2: Learn about mind-mapping as a technique for organizing aspects of your life. Search Google Images to find examples of how others have used mind mapping to visualize and analyze work life balance. Use your creative and analytical skills to begin drafting your personal work life balance mind map.
Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- What techniques or tools do you find helpful for prioritizing responsibilities and tasks? For managing your time?
- What are some key ways that the people, organizations, and communities in your life help you to achieve balance?
- How do you boost your resilience at work? What self-awareness habits do you employ?
- What boundaries or limits do you set to help you maintain balance? Have you ever declined a task or project in order to leave time for other activities or relationships?
- How do you transition from work to home? Are there certain routines or family or friendship rituals that you’ve adopted that work for you, for instance?
- Are there any daily routines you try to keep that promote self-care?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Showcase your understanding about your work life balance by adding insights, relationships, and details to your work/life balance Wheel of Life or mind-map! Be sure to include actions you can take to improve your situation! Once finalized, upload in PDF or JPEG to share with your mentor.Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- Mindful Habits article The Wheel of Life: A Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment Tool: https://vereggen.com/wheel-of-life/
- Mindful Habits article Feeling Overwhelmed? Use The 6 Areas of Focus To Get Back On Track: https://vereggen.com/six-areas-of-focus/
- Lifehack How to Use a Mind Map to Organize Your Life: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-use-mind-map-organize-your-life.html
- A sample mind map for showing the related work in general projects: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-sample-mind-map-for-showing-the-related-work-in-general-projects_fig1_268864501
Corporate Social Responsibility
Strategy Development
Requirements Planning
Evaluation and Recommendations
Corporate Social Responsibility
We've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage users to mix-and-match components from various departments for the best cross functional project experience. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and student learning objectives.
Define Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy
- Does the company currently engage in CSR?
- How well does the company’s CSR Strategy intertwine with the company’s core competencies, offerings, and business mission?
- Is the CSR strategy being effectively communicated throughout the marketing, HR, and PR departments?
- Does management seem to be aware of the overall CSR strategy?
Team Buy-in Assessment and Engagement Strategy
- How well does the average team member know about the company’s CSR initiatives? To what extent are they involved in the company’s CSR strategy?
- How can this be improved?
- What metrics are used to measure success? What alternative metrics should be included to enhance the feedback loop strategy on CSR?
External Partners Assessment
- Who is the company helping with regards to their CSR strategy? Who are the end user beneficiaries of the host company’s CSR initiatives?
- What third party partners are involved in helping reach this group?
- Are there others out there that could also be helpful?
- How mission-aligned are these third parties with your CSR goals and overall company mission?
- How can you profile and evaluate the relationships built through CSR initiatives? How does this set the tone for future endeavors? Are there key criteria for evaluating third parties with regards to CSR initiatives?
CSR Impact Assessment
- How does the company currently measure reach, impact, and value of CSR initiatives?
- Is the company fully capturing this value? If not, how can they improve the overall process of measuring impact and results?
- How should the company report and communicate their impact both internally and externally?
Cover Letter Review
Get guidance and targeted feedback on writing cover letters for positions you are applying for based on industry standards.
Cover Letter Review
Pre-Meeting Assignment
- Upload your current resume and (if available) draft cover letter
- Be prepared to discuss with your mentor: Who is the target audience of your cover letter? What industry/industries are in your focus? What occupations/positions/job roles are you planning to apply for?
- Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- What are your goals for reviewing your cover letter?
- Are you currently entering the job search or are there other opportunities you are seeking?
- What should the cover letter include? What are recruiters in the industry looking for in a cover letter?
- Should the cover letter address any “red flags” evident in the resume? If so, how?
- How can the cover letter highlight aspects about your skills, qualities and experience that are not already featured in your resume?
- What about a cover letter makes a candidate stand out and move to the next stage of the hiring process? What factors or qualities about cover letters make moving on less likely?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Submit a brief including: (1) links to 2-3 job listings or other opportunities that reflect your interests and goals; and (2) A first draft cover letter to 1 of the prospective employers from the job listings you’ve gathered.Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- What is the overall impression conveyed in the draft cover letter? What qualifications, experiences, and qualities are evident and highlighted?
- To what extent do these align with the opportunities you are seeking?
- Are there any flaws or inaccuracies that should be corrected?
- What are some suggestions for refining/elevating the quality of your cover letter?
- How would this letter look similar or different when targeting another job listing?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Final draft cover letters for two job listings. Be sure to include the link to the job listings if different from your first deliverable.Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- Check out the resources on cover letter writing available SUNY Potsdam Career Center https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/career-services/resources
- Harvard Business Review offers resources and guidance for Business Writing; if you are unable to access full articles online, check your college library online databases or talk with a librarian. https://hbr.org/topic/business-writing?ab=articlepage-topic
- Indeed offers examples and advice in How To Write An Entry Level Cover Letter https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-an-entry-level-cover-letter-with-examples
- Search Indeed's Library of Resumes and Cover Letters https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters
- Get expert advice and excellent resources for writing effective cover letters at CareerOneStop https://www.careeronestop.org/JobSearch/Resumes/cover-letters.aspx
Crushing Job Interviews
Learn and practice strategies for successful job interviews.
Crushing Job Interviews
Pre-Meeting Assignment
Select 2 job postings or job descriptions of interest to you that include a detailed description of the roles and required skills for the position.- What more can you learn about the position and the company from the company’s website and other online sources?
- What are some ways that your values, skills and interests match up?
- What sorts of challenges might arise? What obstacles may you have to navigate in the position?
- Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- What are some ways that your values, skills and interests match up with the job descriptions you’ve gathered?
- What are some good strategies for responding to the question, “tell me about yourself” during an interview?
- What’s the most surprising, difficult, or challenging situation you’ve experienced during a job interview? How did you handle it?
- What are your top 5 Do’s and Don’ts for job interviewing?
- How do you handle nervousness when interviewing for a job?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Browse/review interviewing resources/guidance provided through your college’s Career Center. Read the Indeed article on How to Use the STAR Interview Response Technique.- Review the list of behavioral questions provided. While the phrasing of these questions may vary from interview to interview, the general intent of the question typically remains the same so it can be helpful to prepare your answers with that in mind.
- Write down the various situations you’ve handled in your professional history that would display the sorts of strengths you’ll need to succeed in the role and that address some of the most common behavioral interview questions. Prepare each example using the STAR framework.
- Practice talking through your answers out loud to make sure each story is as concise and coherent as possible. This will also help you feel more confident and natural when delivering the answers in an interview.
- Be prepared to talk through these situations with your mentor at your next meeting.
Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
Suggested mock interview questions:- Describe a time when you were under a lot of pressure at work or school. How did you react?
- Talk about a time when you set and achieved a specific highly challenging goal.
- Can you describe a time you worked with a team to complete a project?
- Share an example of a time you had to make a difficult decision. What did you do?
- What are some suggestions for improving my executive presence?
- How could I have communicated my idea more clearly?
- Does my communication style support the message I intended to deliver?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Write a thank you email letter to your mentor that details your thoughts on the following:- What you value/appreciate about and learned from the mentoring experience.
- Your next steps for preparing for job interviews.
- Two strategies you plan to adopt to hone your interviewing skills.
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- Check out the resources on interviewing available SUNY Potsdam Career Center https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/career-services/resources
- Indeed: How to Prepare for an Interview https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview
- Indeed article on How to Use the STAR Interview Response Technique https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-to-use-the-star-interview-response-technique
- Top Resume What is Your Body Language Saying About You https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/what-is-your-body-language-saying-about-you-during-an-interview
- Indeed Thank you Letter to Mentor https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/thank-you-letter-to-mentor
Customer Service
New Business Opportunity Assessment
New Product/Service Development
Customer Discovery/Interviewing
Customer Service
For your reference, we've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage educators to mix-and-match components from various departments so that the projects are cross functional in nature. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and course teaching objectives.
Industry Customer Service Benchmarking Assessment
- Call the customer service line or inquire via email. Document your experience. How does this compare with competitors?
- What does the company do that makes their customer service more effective than competitors? What could be improved?
- How important is good customer service in this vertical or industry? How does it affect the lifetime value of the customer?
- How does the business model affect the level of service required? Is there any automation that can be incorporated into the process to increase efficiencies?
Customer Service Diagnosis Challenge
- How does the customer service team troubleshoot issues? How effective are their current processes?
- What is the most time-consuming part of the troubleshooting process? Is there anyway this can be automated?
- What process improvements would you recommend? Pay close attention to communication tools, knowledge base resources, and follow-up procedures.
Customer Service Process Improvements
- How long does it take for the issues and cases to navigate through the internal organization before arriving at a resolution?
- How can the process be optimized? Is information being circulated effectively internally?
- Should the company consider circulating certain materials externally as well? If so, how? Can we reduce redundancy by leveraging existing resources and cases?
Customer Feedback Driven Process Improvement Recommendations
- How does the company collect feedback from customers?
- Can you identify consistent feedback from customers related to the company’s product or service?
- What is the customer feedback process? How do the customers feel about the feedback process?
- Does the company use technology or social media to collect customer feedback?
- How can we better incorporate and address customer concerns before it escalates?
Customer Service Process & Technology Assessment
- What technology is the company leveraging to administer the customer service process?
- How does the company feel about the customer service process? Interview key team members inside and outside that part of the organization.
- What other technologies could possibly improve the process? What is the cost of implementing new tools?
- Would you recommend implementing new tools and procedures?
Data Management
Data Scrubbing & Reorganization
Data Synthesis & Visualization
KPI Design Visualization
Data Management
We've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage users to mix-and-match components from various departments for the best cross functional project experience. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and student learning objectives.
Company Data Collection Inventory and Mapping
- What is the product and business model?
- How is the business organized from an organizational perspective?
- What main systems does the company use to organize and execute?
- What data is produced by the system as a result?
- What strategic goals does the data help address?
- What would flow chart of all the systems look like? What are the key data inputs and outputs within each system? How do they all connect to one another?
Create New Metrics (and KPIs) Using Company Data
- How can data from multiple sources be analyzed, organized, or visualized to provide more insight to internal and/or external users?
- Are there other potential use cases for the company’s data?
- What other data points would be useful to capture in order improve the quality and/or relevance of insights?
- What metrics would be best to use in order to showcase potential benefits and use cases?
Build a Sample Dashboard
- What company data is available? How reliable is that data?
- How can data from multiple sources be analyzed, organized, or visualized to provide more insight to internal and/or external users?
- Can you organize these key pieces of data into a preliminary dashboard?
- What procedure is required to keep the dashboard up-to-date? Are there any tools that could help with this process?
Exploring Majors & Careers
Gain knowledge on majors and careers that align with your passions, strengths, and values and make a plan for gaining hands-on experience in a field of interest.
Exploring Majors & Careers
Pre-Meeting Assignment
Visit and browse your college’s Career Center website and/or in-person to learn how they help students (just like you!) explore majors and careers.- What kind of information and resources are available through your college’s Career Center to learn more about majors and careers?
- Who on your campus can answer your questions about careers and how they relate to academic majors? Internships?
- Where’s a great place to start exploring majors and careers?
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- What are you passionate about? What makes you enthusiastic?
- Thinking about your student or professional roles, what skills and activities do you enjoy the most, and why?
- What factors are important to you when considering a career path at this point in your life? Has that changed over time?
- Brainstorm: What kind of information would be helpful to better understand this major/career and if it’s a path you want to pursue?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Narrow your focus to one or two majors/careers.- Browse, search, and review online resources to gather facts and information about a major, field, and/or occupation of your interest. Resources are provided. What kind of information is available? Which information is relevant and important for you to know?
- Create a “Profile” of the major, field, and/or occupation in written format, highlighting the type of information you have gathered your key findings from the exercise. Use the Career Profiling Worksheet and any formats (diagram or chart, list, narrative, etc.) you find helpful to communicate the information.
Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- Reflecting on the profile, how does this information relate to your own interests, passions, values?
- What questions remain about this or other majors or careers?
- What kinds of hands-on, real-world experience would you like to gain more insight into the career or field?
- Are there opportunities for levering or building social connections to learn more?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Write a thank you email letter to your mentor that details your thoughts on the following:- What you value/appreciate about and learned from the mentoring experience.
- Your ideas for next steps to learn more, including through real-world experience.
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- US News & World Report 10 Things to Know About Selecting a College Major https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/slideshows/10-things-to-know-about-selecting-a-college-major
- Princeton Review Guide to Choosing College Majors
- https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/choosing-college-majors
- https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/fastest-declining-occupations.htm
- The College Post, How to Choose Your College Major: A Complete Guide
- https://thecollegepost.com/choose-college-major/
- OneStop Explore Careers https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/explore-careers.aspx
- OneStop Occupation Profile https://www.careeronestop.org/GetMyFuture/Toolkit/Occupation-Profile.aspx
- SUNY Potsdam Career Information and Resources https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/career-services/explore-your-path/career-information-and-resources
- Browse O*Net Career Clusters https://www.onetonline.org/find/career
- Check out these resources available SUNY Potsdam Career Center:
- Interest Assessment https://www.careeronestop.org/GetMyFuture/Toolkit/interest-assessment.aspx
- Work Values Matcher https://www.careeronestop.org/GetMyFuture/ExploreCareers/what-are-your-work-values.aspx
- Indeed Thank you Letter to Mentor https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/thank-you-letter-to-mentor
Goal Setting
Hone your goal setting skills and create a roadmap to achieving your goals!
Goal Setting
Pre-Meeting Assignment
The difference between a goal and a dream is the written word. -Gene Donohue Think about where you see yourself in 1-5 years. Record your responses and be ready to share and discuss these with your mentor.- What does success look like for you? What kind of work are you doing? What is the career you have?
- What about areas other than career, such as health, family, education, spirituality, and social life?
- What kind of resources and information would be helpful to you in formulating your long-term goals?
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- Where would you like to be in one year? In five years?
- What would be the perfect role for you? Imagine you are in that role. It’s 3 pm on a Thursday. What are you doing? Why would you like it so much?
- Why are these goals important to you? How do they align with your values, interests, and passions?
- Has your definition of success changed over the years?
- What framework or tools do you use for long-range visioning and planning around your personal and professional goals?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Review the Indeed article SMART Goals: Definitions and Examples to learn more about the SMART goals framework and its use for formulating and setting goals. Use the SMART framework to formulate, define, and prepare a written draft of 1 professional goal and 1 personal goal (outside of profession/career). Recognize this is a first draft, and make note of any criteria that need clarification or further development in the following meeting. Make sure you address the following questions for each goal:- Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish? What outcome(s) or change are you wanting to make happen?
- Measurable: How can you track your progress? What kind of inputs and/or outputs will you use to measure progress?
- Achievable: Can you achieve the desired outcome with your current resources (time, skills, etc.)? If not, what resources are needed?
- Relevant: How does this goal align with your values and ambitions? Why is this goal important to you?
- Time-bound: By what point in time will you accomplish this goal? Can you identify a specific date or month, for instance?
Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- How was your experience with the goal-setting exercise using the SMART framework? Are there criteria you would like to further develop or refine?
- What strengths and experiences will help you achieve your goals? What are some potential sources of support?
- What are some potential obstacles?
- What are the action steps you need to take this year to make progress and focus your efforts? What about in the next 2-5 years?
- How will you monitor and assess your progress to stay on track or make adjustments if needed?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Document your SMART Goals and create an Action Plan using the SMART Goals Action Plan Worksheet (1 goal per worksheet) and share your plans with your mentor.Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- SMART Goals: Definitions and Examples https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/smart-goals
- Setting Goals to Improve Your Career https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/setting-goals-to-improve-your-career
- Mindtools offers a range of resources and guidance on goal setting. Free access up to 3 articles: https://www.mindtools.com/
Growth Strategy
Business Opportunity Research
Prospecting New Relationships
Designing & Scaling Processes
Growth Strategy
For your reference, we've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage educators to mix-and-match components from various departments so that the projects are cross functional in nature. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and course teaching objectives.
Growth Plan and KPI Performance Assessment
- How has the business evolved over time? How does the team feel about the past, present, and future of the business?
- What key metrics does the company use to run the business and make key strategic decisions? How are these calculated? What does the company envision for the future for each metric? Does that seem to align with management expectations?
- What are some key concerns and areas of focus that the host company should consider when preparing for the future of the business?
Industry Benchmarking Assessment
- Who are the biggest competitors and how do they stack up against the company's model? Do a SWOT assessment.
- Do any companies present interesting opportunities for partnerships? What about potential mergers and acquisitions?
- Who are the key thought leaders and media outlets in the space? What are they publishing and how do they interact with companies like yours?
- Design a comprehensive industry overview report. Pay close attention to the key players, their growth trajectory, and the major regions where they find the most success.
Customer Retention & Growth
- How well does the company address customer needs from a product and service perspective? Do their customers seem happy with their purchase?
- What’s the general customer perception of the company’s brand?
- How large are the largest accounts compared to the smaller accounts? What makes the difference between these two contract-types?
- What percentage of accounts can scale to becoming 50-200% larger? Does the company seem positioned to scale?
Establish Company Goals & Projections
- Analyze the company’s growth plan. What areas of the business seem most opportunistic and/or concerning? Consider their growth plan and existing traction.
- How does the company today compare to the company months and/or years ago?
- What does the company want to look like in the future?
- What are the KPIs and how well well do they tie to your assessment of company performance in strategic areas?
- How do you think the KPIs will change as the business scales?
Industry Insights
Develop your skills and increase your knowledge about an industry of your interest.
Industry Insights
Pre-Meeting Assignment
Using the Industry Profiling Worksheet, complete Part 1: The Basics by conducting preliminary research and jotting down your notes on an industry of interest to you. Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- What do you think are the biggest challenges facing this industry today?
- What are your insights on globalization and the future of this industry?
- Are there certain career paths in this industry you anticipate growing, opening up, or shrinking in the near future?
- Who are the influencers - experts, industry leaders, and companies - that you follow?
- Which digital resources, such as online magazines, listservs, blogs, are on your reading list? How do you use these resources to keep up with developments in the industry?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Revisit the Industry Profiling Worksheet to complete Part 2: Digging Deeper.Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- What decision netted you the most success in your career?
- What’s the most unexpected obstacle you’ve had to face?
- What habits have you developed that help you be successful in this industry?
- What advice would you give someone entering this industry in the next ____ years? What advice would you give for becoming a leader in this industry?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Write a thank you email letter to your mentor that details your thoughts on the following:- What you value/appreciate about and learned from the mentoring experience.
- How what you have learned is useful for making decisions about your career path.
- Your next steps (e.g. concrete action steps you plan to take to learn more about the industry or related careers, build needed skills, etc.).
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- Gather information on industry trends from Career One Stop https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/Learn/research-industries.aspx
- Bain.com offers insights on a range of industries https://www.bain.com/insights/industry-insights/
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- Bloomberg Business Week Markets https://www.bloomberg.com/markets
- Check out the resources available SUNY Potsdam Career Center https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/career-services/resources
Industry-Related Tools & Techniques
Gain insight into the tools/techniques used by professionals in a field of interest.
Industry-Related Tools & Techniques
Pre-Meeting Assignment
Keep a 2-day journal of the tools and technologies you use in your various roles as a student and on the job (if currently employed). How do they help you manage and perform your work? How do they help you communicate and collaborate with others? Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- What technologies do you use in your everyday work roles? How do they help you do your work?
- What’s a good methodology or tool for managing team-based work projects and commitments?
- What are your preferred methods or techniques for evaluating the pros and cons of a strategy or course of action?
- How do you learn to use new tools and technologies? What are some tips for getting comfortable using new tools?
- What tools and techniques are emerging? What are the “must haves” in the toolkits of those entering the field?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Learn about mind-mapping as a technique for organizing complex information and their relationships. Search Google Images to find examples of how others have used mind mapping to visualize and analyze information. Use your creative and analytical skills to begin drafting a mind-map or other type of graphic displaying what you have learned about the types of tools and techniques in use or emerging in your field.Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- What does your mind map reveal about the tools and technologies in the industry?
- What questions do you have based upon the mind map you’ve created?
- What kinds of hands-on, real-world experiences (internships, field observations) would likely provide good opportunities to learn more about these tools/techniques?
- What one or two techniques or tools would you like to gain proficiency, and why?
- What are some suggested next steps for doing so?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Showcase what you have learned by adding levels, relationships, and details to your mind-map! Once finalized, upload in PDF or JPEG to share with your mentor.Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
Example Resources on Industry-specific Tools & Techniques- Top 25 Lean Tools & Techniques [for Manufacturing] https://www.leanproduction.com/top-25-lean-tools/
- Positive Psychology 13 Social Work Methods & Interventions for Helping Others https://positivepsychology.com/social-work-methods/
- Indeed Guide To Understanding Marketing Tools https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/marketing-tools
- MindMapping: What is a Mind Map? https://www.mindmapping.com/mind-map
- Piktochart https://piktochart.com/
- MS Office https://templates.office.com/en-us/posters
- Canva https://www.canva.com/pricing/
International Affairs
Expansion Planning
Cultural Assessment
Strategic Entry
International Affairs
We've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage users to mix-and-match components from various departments for the best cross functional project experience. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and student learning objectives.
Global Expansion Planning
- What is the company’s product and business model? Does the company have competitors internationally? How do their products and services stack up against international competitors?
- What regions/countries/cities around the world seem ripe for expansion. Why? What metrics can you use to justify this?
- What regions seem the most strategic? Why? How would you suggest entering? What resources and/or changes to the business model would be required?
- What cultural or governmental norms might have an effect on the proposed plan? How can you mitigate negative risk factors?.
- What is the company’s business model and product?
- Why do they plan to expand into a new specific region?
- What is the language, education, religion, values, customs, socio-economic, and geo-political make-up of the new target region?
- What is the company’s plan to mitigate risks when entering the new market?
- Would you recommend that they move forward? Why or why not? If so, how would you measure success?
- What is the company’s business model and product?
- What competitors does the company have in the country and/or region?
- How have similar companies entered the market?
- What risks exist domestically and regionally from a political perspective? How might that relate to the user adoption and market potential?
- How risky is the opportunity? What is the potential upstate? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
Job Role Insights
Deepen your understanding roles that are of interest to you, from general responsibilities to working conditions and opportunities for professional growth.
Job Role Insights
Pre-Meeting Assignment
Using the Career Profiling Worksheet, complete Part 1: The Basics by conducting preliminary research and jotting down your notes on a career of interest to you. Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- What big questions, issues, work environments, and job duties excite you?
- What inspired/s you to enter into this line of work?
- What surprised you about this line of work that you didn’t anticipate?
- How would you define success in this role?
- What attitudes do you need to have to be successful in this line of work?
- What are the skills and/or information in this line of work that you can only learn by doing?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Revisit the Career Profiling Worksheet to complete Part 2: Digging Deeper.Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- How do your needs, skills, and strengths fit with this career?
- Where do you see this role in 5 years? How do you think it will have changed? What skills do you think will be most valued or sought after?
- Was there ever a role you applied for and landed, but weren't 100% qualified to do? How did you proceed?
- What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Write a thank you email letter to your mentor that details your thoughts on the following:- What you value/appreciate about and learned from the mentoring experience.
- How what you have learned is useful for making decisions about your career path.
- Your next steps (e.g. concrete action steps you plan to take to learn more about the career, build needed skills, etc.).
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm
- Career One Stop Career Profiles https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/Learn/career-profiles.aspx
- Indeed offers advice for using job search tools to learn about job roles at https://blog.linkedin.com/2019/february/discover-quick-helpful-insights-on-your-job-search
- Check out the resources available SUNY Potsdam Career Center https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/career-services/resources
Legal, Regulatory, Compliance
Impending Regulation Assessment
Legal Documents & Legal Structure Audit
Prospecting Legal Firms
Legal, Regulatory, Compliance
We've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage users to mix-and-match components from various departments for the best cross functional project experience. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and student learning objectives.
Legal & Regulatory Assessment
- What laws and regulations impact the company? (Consider: Industry, product, customer, suppliers on state/local/federal level)
- How confident is the company’s management when it comes to navigating these laws, regulations and future changes?
- Is the company compliant? What process is used to check on compliance? Can the process be mapped or organized more efficiently?
- What sources can be used to keep these regulatory maps organized and up-to-date in the future?
Impact of Future Regulations on the Business
- What laws are on the horizon that would impact the company?
- What is the likelihood that these regulations will be enacted?
- How will they impact the company? What can the company do proactively to manage these changes in regulatory expectations?
Influence on Impending Regulations (Lobbying)
- Does the company try to impact regulation? If not, should they be?
- What key regulations are the most pressing to consider lobbying? What events, conferences, and key stakeholders are involved in passing regulations?
- How costly and/or potentially impactful would lobbying be for the company?
Marketing
Branding Strategy/Redesign
Social Media Optimization
User/Customer Acquisition Strategy Development & Testing
Marketing
We've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage users to mix-and-match components from various departments for the best cross functional project experience. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and student learning objectives.
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Industry Marketing Benchmarking Analysis
- What is the company's target demographic, product, and business model?
- What is the customer’s problem and how the company's product or service is solving that problem?
- How would you compare the company's products with the rest of the providers in the industry? Pay close attention to how other companies are marketing their products and positioning the brands.
- How would you compare the company’s marketing performance to competitors?
- What improvements would you recommend based on your assessment?
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Marketing Strategy Impact Analysis- Examine the company's past marketing strategies. What worked? What did not? How would you showcase progress over time?
- Compile data into a visualization to track trends of successful and less successful strategies.
- Compare the company's marketing tactics with competitors to showcase what works effectively - or not effectively - with certain customer demographics
- What other marketing strategies could be used to benefit the company?
- What technologies could be involved in different marketing strategies? How can you use them most effectively? How would you measure success?
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Marketing Strategy Development
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- What are the company's past marketing strategies? What worked? What did not? How would you showcase progress over time?
- What is the customer’s perception of the company’s brand, product, and services?
- Propose 2-3 digital, experiential, or social, marketing strategies for the company to consider. Assess cost, reach, mediums, and any other components needed for a full understanding of this investment.
- Select one campaign and develop a road-map that will prepare the company to launch your campaign. Keep in mind timing, required resources (budget, people, etc.), projected results, and how you would measure ROI.
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Customer Brand Perception Analysis
- Does the company assess their brand perception at all? If so, what do you find interesting about the process or findings?
- Conduct structured customer interviews to gain a better understanding of their customers’ preferences, purchasing habits, and decision-making processes. Consider: Demographics, Discovery Channels, and their Product Aptitude
- Suggest a new effective process to collect more customer data on brand perception and customer experience.
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Marketing Mix Assessment & Recommendations
- Consider a 360 marketing approach when deciding the appropriate channels to utilize. What is the current marketing mix for the company? Analyze where the company spends the most and where the company performs bests.
- Propose an alternative marketing mix for the company that you think will work best for the product, industry, and customer type. Where should the company allocate resources to generate better performance? Consider paid advertising, social, display, content, guerrilla , experiential, affiliate, partnerships, etc.
- What are the costs and benefits of using your strategy? What are the key risks and costs? Compare these risks with potential reach and benefit.
Maximizing the College Experience
Get connected to college networks and resources for making the most of your learning and living experiences.
Maximizing the College Experience
Pre-Meeting Assignment
Jot down your thoughts in response to the following questions:- What does it mean to “make the most of your college experience”? What would a student who is “making the most” of it actually do?
- Imagine you are an “outsider” to the college seeking to learn about the institution and opportunities for students to make the most of their college experience. What would you want to know? Where would you look to find out? Who or what would you consult?
- What are 1-2 goals you have for this mentoring experience?
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- What does it mean to “make the most of your college experience”? What would a student do who is “making the most” of it?
- How did you develop connections with your professors outside of the classroom?
- What do you consider to be the most useful/valuable yet often overlooked or underutilized resource(s) for students at this school?
- What types of student activities are available that can be helpful for developing your personal and professional interests and skills?
- How do you learn about opportunities to get involved at this college? What channels do you use?
- Are there interests you have and would like to pursue?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Conduct a “scavenger hunt” using digital and other resources to gain a fuller understanding of the resources and networks that the college offers to support you and your success. Don’t forget to include extracurricular activities, student-organized groups and events, and activities and resources associated with your academic program! Create a table using Excel, MS Word, Google Docs or Google Sheets in which you list these resources and networks and jot down notes about how they support students and their experience and success. List as many as you can!Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- Given the range of options to get involved, what meets your interests and needs? How do you decide which ones to pursue?
- How did/does your needs and interest evolve as a college student over the course of your academic career?
- How did/do you juggle academics, extracurricular and sports, friends, family, and a job?
- Did/do you take advantage of opportunities to get involved in the broader community, such as through volunteerism, participation in local events or organizations, or work? How does this enhance the college experience?
- What are your suggestions for “making the most” of the college experience? What are your recommended next steps?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Write a thank you email letter to your mentor that details your thoughts on the following:- What you value/appreciate about and learned from the mentoring experience.
- 2-3 ways you intend to increase engagement by building social connections and accessing resources to enhance your college experience.
- Your concrete next steps.
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- Check out the resources available SUNY Potsdam Career Center https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/career-services/resources
- SUNY Potsdam Academic Calendar https://www.potsdam.edu/academics/academic-calendar
- SUNY Potsdam Academic Resources https://www.potsdam.edu/academics/resources
- SUNY Potsdam Lougheed Center for Applied Learning https://www.potsdam.edu/academics/appliedlearning
- SUNY Potsdam Campus Life: Get Involved https://getinvolved.potsdam.edu/organization/campuslife
- SUNY Potsdam Health & Wellness https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/wellness
- SUNY Potsdam Student Support https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/support
- SUNY Potsdam Student Success Center https://www.potsdam.edu/academics/resources/student-success-center
- SUNY Potsdam Veteran Support Services https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/support/veteran-support-services
- LinkedIn How to Maximize Your College Experience https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-maximize-your-college-experience-steven-sutherland/
- Psychology Today 11 Ways to Get the Most Out of the College Experience https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-in-mind/201406/11-ways-get-the-most-out-the-college-experience
Mergers & Acquisitions
Prospecting Acquirer Targets
Establishing & Validating Valuations
Researching Potential Acquisitions
Mergers & Acquisitions
For your reference, we've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage educators to mix-and-match components from various departments so that the projects are cross functional in nature. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and course teaching objectives.
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Industry M&A Temperature Check
- What makes the company unique compared to competitors in their industry?
- Review existing data and current plans. Analyze the opportunities that the company is considering through strategic company interviews with key stakeholders.
- Hypothesize potential synergies with other players in the market. Is this market ripe for consolidation? How are you making that assessment?
- What benefits would these mergers and/or acquisitions present for the company?
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Competitor (or Target List) Analysis
- Who are main competitors in the market?
- What unique offerings does each competitor have? How does the company product, service, and brand compare to these companies?
- Do any of these competitors see reasonable to acquire? Do any of them seem ripe to acquire you?
- Create a detailed profile of each competitor in the industry with a buy/sell assessment.
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Merger or Acquisition Simulation
- Select a company and walk through the procedure of exploring a merger or acquisition. What are the costs, benefits, and likelihood of success with this potential transaction?
- Would this potential merger or acquisition be beneficial to your host company if it were successful? Why or why not?
- What key strategies would you use to initiate OR implement that merger or acquisition?
Negotiating Salary & Benefits
Develop strategies and skills for self-advocating and negotiating compensation in hiring and promotion.
Negotiating Salary & Benefits
Pre-Meeting Assignment
Read this article by Career Builder https://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-10-27-More-Than-Half-of-Workers-Do-Not-Negotiate-Job-Offers-According-to-New-CareerBuilder-Survey Imagine you have received a job offer for the position of your dreams. What’s included in the job offer? What kind of salary, benefits, and perks are you looking for? Need versus want? Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.Meeting One - Conversation Starters
- How do you evaluate a job offer? How do you determine if it’s equitable and in line with what you bring to the table?
- What kind of information should be included in a job offer?
- What questions are useful for gaining a complete understanding of the compensation structure, including factors like opportunities for professional development and growth?
- In addition to salary, what factors are often negotiable?
- What is the first step in accepting a job offer?
Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Locate 1 or 2 job postings for a job role/position of interest to you that includes information on salary and benefits. Research the company to learn more about the benefits, perks for employees, company culture, etc.- What questions remain about the position and expectations for performing this role in the organization?
- What questions do you have about the compensation structure, including opportunities for growth?
Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
- Reflecting upon the job posting information you’ve gathered, how does this line up with your skills, interests, and needs?
- What questions do you have about the compensation structure, including opportunities for growth?
- What are some suggestions for becoming a more assertive negotiator?
- Can we role-play asking for a higher salary or additional benefits?
Final Deliverable (Due at least 48-hours before next meeting):
Write a thank you email letter to your mentor that details your thoughts on the following:- What you value/appreciate about and learned from the mentoring experience.
- Strategies or tactics you feel competent to use in order to self-advocate and negotiate in the hiring process.
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
- What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
- What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
- What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Helpful Resources
- Types of Compensation Plans and How to Evaluate Them https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/pay-salary/compensation-type
- Salary Negotiation Scripts for Any Job https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/salary-negotiation-scripts-for-any-job/
- Pushing for Equal Pay: Everything You Need to Know https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/pushing-for-equal-pay-everything-you-need-to-know/
- How to Negotiate Your Salary https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/how-to-negotiate-your-salary/
- Money Under 30 Best Salary Information Websites
- https://www.moneyunder30.com/best-salary-information-websites
- Glassdoor Salary Calculator https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/know-your-worth.htm
- Salary Expert https://www.salaryexpert.com/
- Gitlab Compensation Calculator https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/total-rewards/compensation/compensation-calculator/
Operations
Process Design Review
Scalability Assessment
Inter-Departmental Efficiency Assessment
Operations
We've included some sample project ideas below. We encourage users to mix-and-match components from various departments for the best cross functional project experience. In all cases, we customize the projects based on company goals and student learning objectives.
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Analyze and Suggest Improvements for Internal Communication and Tools
- Investigate current ways the company’s team is communicating internally. How active is the company from a communication standpoint? What suite of tools are they using? How well are these tools integrated with one another? Consider: calendar, chat, email, and project management at the very minimum.
- Does the team seem to be using all of the same tools and doing so effectively? How do these tools compare to similar tools on the market? How do these tools affect productivity and employee satisfaction? Note: This assignment requires interviews and surveys of significant internal stakeholders at the company.
- Is there a cheat sheet when it comes to communication and project management at the company? If so, review the manual and provide recommendations on updates based on what you’ve learned from the company personnel. If not, produce a rough draft of the manual or cheat sheet and review it with your project managers.
- Provide the company with a proposal including the analysis of the status quo of communication in the company and thoroughly examine recommendations for future improvement.
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Automation Assessment & Recommendations
- What suite of tools is the company currently using? How well are these tools integrated with one another?
- How can the company be better automating certain processes to improve productivity?
- Find 2-3 areas that could use automation.
- Select one area of potential automation to focus on. Build automation or suggest step-by-step process of how automation can accomplish the desired business objective. How would this automation save money and/or time for the business?
Cross Functional Departmental Cooperation Assessment & Recommendations
- What are the different functional areas?
- How do they interact with each other?
- What improvements could you recommend to improve internal interdepartmental communication? Think standing meetings, internal newsletters, new checklists, and other mechanisms that might help improve cross functional department collaborations.
Academic Mentors
Academic Program Details
| School | University of California Riverside |
| Course | vbfbfb |
| Graduate / Undergraduate |
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| Students Enrolled | dfbdfbf |
| Student Time Commitment | 4-7 Hours |
| Class Meeting Day & Time* | fbdfbf |
*Note: Company, faculty, and students will finalize meeting and communication schedule after collaboration is finalized
Collaboration Requirements
| Requested Industries | Non-Profit |
| Requested Company Size |
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| Duration | 0.7 Week (06/10/2022 - 06/15/2022) |
| Location |
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| Company Time Commitment | 2 Hours per week of mentoring, answering key questions, and providing access to helpful resources |
| Project Count | 1 |