Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
Emily Ma is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Emily Ma and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Brazen careerist
Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow
Email
Print
Last week, a group of PRSSA students from Ohio University came to Chicago to tour various large agencies, including Edelman. This came on the heels of the announcement that Edelman had been named agency of the year, and one student asked what we thought it was that made Edelman stand out.
My favorite answer (and forgive me for not remembering who said it) was simple: we check our egos at the door. The successful professional is the person who is not afraid to ask for help where help is needed—the person who can run with ideas from colleague rather than getting hung up on his or her own ideas—the person who can work across age groups and levels to find the best possible solution to any problem (for example, we have a reverse mentorship program called "ROTNEM" that pairs young techie/digital types with those who want to learn more about digital).
So how does this compare to group projects in college?
Unlike group projects, which tend to have one stand-out leader and at least one slacker, work in an agency (in my experience at Edelman, anyway) is much more balanced across team members—if you don’t pull your weight, or if you can’t work collaboratively with the rest of the group, you’re not likely to last long in an agency setting.
Finally, many college students tend to be a bit selfish about their time. Where I’ve found my colleagues to be very collaborative and open to sharing new learnings, news or trends, college students are often more focused on their own grades—and why shouldn’t they be? The grading system is typically set up on an individual basis.
Is there any way to make the college group project experience more similar to the real working world? I think it’s difficult to duplicate in an educational setting where the stakes are lower—which is why internship experience is so important.
Photo Source: jisc_infonet under Creative Commons
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
- Continuing Education: Extending Learning Beyond Your Campus Years
- Why You Might Be Better Off Without a Job After College
- The Anti-Stalker’s Guide for Converting Online Contact into Real World Collaboration
- How To Find a Writing Partner Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals and Make More Money
- A New Kind of Business Mover and Shaker
Comments
03.12.09
Soft skills are something that colleges need to start focusing on more as they educate the emerging workforce. There has traditionally been a disconnect btwn the corporate and academic world, and I think universities are starting to recognize this more, but they just don't have the ability to shift their own way of teaching. Maybe with so many boomers out of work there will be more 'guest professors' who can start to help give guidance on ways to instill these skills in college project work. You are 110% correct when you say internships are key.
03.12.09
Many of my classes the past couple quarters have focused a lot on group work and you're right in some aspects, but not in others. The times that it worked best was when we had the most wide range of solutions to the project. In other words, in situations when the teacher would babysit us and tell us step by step what to do, then it gives incentive for people to slack off because they know someone will just take care of the required work. But when the answer is vague and no one knows what the solution is, then the team needs to get together and collaborate in order to come out with the correct answer. This second option is also what is usually seen in a work environment, which is why work teams usually end up coming out better and more productive, but not always.
03.12.09
Nice post, and I'll agree to you to a certain extent. Having both internship and college group work experience, there is certainly a difference. Howver, if you are able to team up with competent, motivated students who realize the success of the group directly correlates to the success of the individual, the disconnect isn't that large. Also, in my experience, I enjoy college group work better because there is no official "leader". Having everyone express their ideas and make a group decision is very effective, even if it takes longer. I actually enjoy it better than the work place. On the flip side, if you don't have a good group it's disaterous.
03.12.09
It's true that there are always exceptions - there are certainly groups in college that run perfectly. In general though, the higher stakes and different circumstances at work tend to draw out better teamwork.
11.23.10
It's true that there are always exceptions - there are certainly groups in college that run perfectly. In general though, the higher stakes and different circumstances at work tend to draw out better teamwork. Baby Name Meanings
01.14.11
Another example of how networking can achieve some better than average results when professionals join forces. Great idea.
Regards,
Alec
Shelfsave Shelving
01.14.11
I would suggest that passions and goals need to line up for a team to work properly, in both college and the "real world." In college, most teams have little more than the teacher's say so holding them together. Members have very different passions and goals. People who work at agencies like Edelman do so because that is a goal. You can't get into the big agencies unless that's where you want to be and you bring passion to the table. This means that work groups at Edelman would have much more in common than the average college group. This foundation isn't build on whether the group is "real world" or "school group," though. I'm getting a masters in digital marketing and we do a lot of group work, but unlike my undergrad group work, my classmates now all have the same general goal and passions as I do: new media and communications. My teamwork now is much better than it was in undergrad.
01.23.11
I imagine that these students took away some great learning and hopefully apply this attitude when conducting school based project work. This is the key to successful work place relations and also ensures all involved are accountable and measured on their performance.
Regards,
Kathy
Printer Cartridges
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
|
 |
|
|
