Session 1_Career Exploration and the Job Search Strategy_15.02.2023.pdf

1. Career Exploration and the Job Search Strategy
Introduction to the North Star Hypothesis
Career Development Center

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IESE Business School A Way to Learn. A Mark to Make. A World to Change.
Who Am I?
Carlos Amela
Associate Director
Employer Engagement & Student Advising

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Overview of sessions
Session 1 _ Career Exploration and the Job Search Strategy l 15 February,
2023
2023
Session 2 _ Building an Impactful CV l 22 February, 2023
Session 3 _ Networking as a Skill l 1 March, 2023
Session 4 _ Interview Frameworks l 8 March, 2023
Session 5 _ Competency - Based Interview Questions l 15 March 2023

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Objectives – North Star Hypothesis
North Star
Understand what a North Star is and is not, and its
importance in the job search; develop yours
Determining your target Sector, Function, and
Location
Objectives
Key
Topics
I know where I stand as a candidate (including
constraints), and I am clear on what my target is
Outcome

5. 01
02
03
North Star Hypothesis
Arriving at a North Star
The Career Sectors
04 The Job Search Process
05 Your Action Plan

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The Sectors
At IESE, we group sectors into 4 major ones
FinTech
Banking
Private Equity
Energy
Consumer
Goods
HealthCare
Finance
Diversified
Industries
Digital
Business Advisory
Strategy
BigTech
SMEs
Start-up
Consulting
Technology
Sectors
Retail
Heavy

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“The business of giving expert advice to
other professionals.”
What is Consulting?
Consulting means very different things to different people!
Advantages Disadvantages

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Strategy
Consulting
Implementation
Consulting
Boutique/Specialist
Consulting
• High-level strategy projects
• Look for generalists – to
begin with, at least
• Use data to shape a business
problem
• McKinsey, Bain, BCG,
Kearney, EY- P, Strategy&…
• “Strategy through execution”
• Look for generalists &
specialists
• Longer-term projects,
implementation plans
• PwC, EY, Deloitte, KPMG,
Accenture…
• Smaller and fragmented firms
• Specialized: Marketing,
Healthcare, etc.
• Many projects for fewer
clients
• Often requires networking
The Three Main Types of Consulting
Not all consultancies have the same focus. They vary in size, scope of projects, and specializations.

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Typical Organizational Structure
Consultancies are typically “flatter” in structure – built in a pyramid.
Business
Analyst
Consultant
Project
Manager
Principal
Partner
• Time spent in each level varies enormously for each individual and firm (typically 2-3 years)
• You will likely enter as Business Analysts, regardless of past work experience
• Up or out culture, with average tenure of 2-3 years per position
Entry
Level

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Finance is everywhere
Any daily transaction
/ payment
Investing your
money in the stock
market
Asking for a Loan /
Mortgage

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Finance as an Industry
Lending and
Capital raising
Advising Investing Hedging
Investment
Banks
Commercial
Banks
Other
Retail Banking
Wealth Management
Private Banking Risk
Corporate Banking
Credit Risk
Equity Capital Markets
Debt Capital Markets
Asset Management Derivatives
FX
Sales & Trading
Equity Research
Investment Banking
Where do
I fit?
Insurance
Regulation
M&A restructuring
Hedge Funds
Private Equity
Venture Capital
Pension Funds
Search Funds
Insurance
RE Investment
Corporate Finance
Fintech
Sustainability

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Universe full of opportunities
Asset Management
Retail Banking
Provision of services to
individual consumers:
saving accounts,
mortgages, loans, credit
cards, etc.
Technology is a big
component
TAS / Big 4
Fintech
New technologies which
goal is to improve and
automate the use and
delivery of financial
services
Corporate Finance
Private Equity
PE firms buy companies
using a big % of debt,
expecting to sell them
after 5 to 7 years
obtaining returns
Venture Capital
Finance department of
any company led by CFO
Maximize shareholders
value through
financial planning and the
implementation of
strategies
Raise funds (money from
a pool of investors) and
invest in early stage
companies – startups
(own a % of the
Company)
Provide clients with
Financial Advisory in
M&A, Leveraged
Finance, Project Finance,
Real Estate Investments,
etc and through their due
diligence processes
Investment Banking
It is the business of
raising capital ($) for
companies and advising
them on financing and
merger alternatives
M&A, IPO, Restructuring
Manage assets of
institutions such as
pension funds,
foundations,
corporations, governmnts
Monitor and track stocks
and markets
Build investing portfolios

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Finance as a Function
Front Office
(Revenue)
Corporate Finance
Industry Groups
Product Groups
Sales & Trading
Equities
Fixed Income
Middle Office
(Risk)
Risk Management
Treasury
Back Office
(Support)
Compliance
Accounting
Technology (IT)
Human Resources

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Main skills
across sub-sectors
• Data analysis and problem
solving
• Communication / Leadership
• Attention to detail
• Finance acumen
• Excel / Numbers
• Team players
• Highly motivated individuals
• Hands on
What are Financial Institutions looking for?
Investment Banking
Private Equity
Asset Management
Venture Capital
Fintech
Wealth Management
• Open to career changers
• Fit and motivation are key
• Technical skills (e.g. modelling)
• Previous experience needed
• Technical / Investment products
knowledge
• CFA is a plus
• Previous experience in Strategy
Consulting, IB, or other funds
• Technical skills (e.g. LBO /
modelling)
• Entrepreneurship / startup
experience
• Passion for technology
• Basic modelling skills
• Big network (UHWI)
• Relationship management skills
• Communication / Sales
• Basic Investments knowledge
• Depends on the role, experience
on each role may be needed
(Product, Sales, Marketing,
Finance)

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Consumer Goods
Energy
Healthcare
Heavy Industry
Luxury Goods
Retail
Sports
Technology
Automotive
Welcome to the fascinating world of Diversified Industries
Diversified Industries cover nearly every sector in the world, and approx. 86% of the S&P 500
companies

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1 2 4
Things you need to understand about Diversified
Industries
▪ Recruitment is similar across industries. It is your job to find out what a company’s
recruitment process is like so that you prepare well!
▪ It all depends on the FUNCTION that you want to target for a job:
▪ Marketing
▪ Sales
▪ Operations
▪ Finance
▪ HR
▪ Etc…
▪ All companies have been revolutionized - or are making the revolution by certain
technologies.
▪ These technologies are a large part of evaluating your candidacy (i.e., digital
transformation, can you explain it?).

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Diversified Industries Structured vs. Unstructured Recruitment
You will find different types of approaches with different companies
Structured
Required skills How to succeed
▪ Graduate Programs, some
Internships
▪ Specific timeline, rolling
basis, need based
▪ Seek help
▪ Research the company
▪ Participate in student club
activities
▪ Build your network
▪ Do mock interviews
▪ Read online Reports
& Summaries
▪ Eager to learn
▪ Initiative, can-do attitude
▪ Good communication skills
▪ Analytical skills (good
knowledge on Excel)
▪ Excellent written and spoken
English
▪ Pay attention to the job
description!
Unstructured
▪ Internships & full-time Ad-
Hoc opportunities when
there is a need
▪ Need based or generated

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Your mission is to research these sectors so that you can
choose the one(s) that you want to target
Own network
Alumni or older students
Friends, family, coworkers,
professors… people you know may
have the answer to what you’re
looking for! You can also ask them if
they know someone?
Check with your high school and
university for a directory of alumni so
you can contact them and ask for
insights on their career experiences
Type in “career functions” on
Google, go on firsthand.com,
follow professionals on social
media (LinkedIn, Instagram,
Twitter…) to see what they do,
etc…
Functions
Check out Bloomberg’s Industry
Market Leaders, Forbes, The Muse,
Inc. 5000, LinkedIn, Jobteaser, social
media, companies’ own websites
Companies
Consultancies like Strategy&, Career
Profiles, firsthand.com, etc… produce
industry insights with trends and key
facts
Industries
Online Offline

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02
03
North Star Hypothesis
Arriving at a North Star
The Career Sectors
04 The Job Search Process
05 Your Action Plan

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Own your job search
• Chance to better align your interests
• “Own” your job hunt
• Possibility to build a career in a focused direction and
on your terms
• Target openings more broadly, using the “70% Rule”
1. Organize your search
2. Create a process for
the job hunt
General Job Hunt
Complex, confusing, but with “limitless” options

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1 2 3
Structured
Companies who consistently recruit
into formalized programs
Non structured
Companies who recruit for fewer
positions on an ad-hoc basis
Individualized
Recruitment that varies by company
and depends on you
2 main types of recruitment processes for young talent
Fall Winter Spring
Fall Winter Spring Fall Winter Spring
By time of year All year round

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Overview of any job hunt
To begin, it can be useful to break down a search straetgy into its component parts
What am I looking for?
How do I align my skillset to achieve that goal?
Too often, students focus on mass applications, or mass LinkedIn invites. Instead,
taking time now to focus on figuring out what drives you will pay dividends…
Arial 12pt
03
Arial 12pt
Documents
CV – On and
(potentially) Off
Campus
Cover Letters –
process to build
thenm efficiently
Research
Company List (tied to
potential roles)
Process to consume
Industry Insights
Networking
Relationship building
Contact List
Process to manage
Companise &
Contacts
Interviews
Tell me about
yourself
Behavioral Questions
Stories
Technical Prep

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The North Star
The North Star Hypothesis is the driving force of
your job hunt, the nucleus that all other pieces
of the job hunt rotate around

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Defining the North Star
What type of company
do I want to work for?
What type of role would
I like to have at that
company?
Where in the world
would I like that role
to be?
Sector Function Location
“I’m completely open, totally flexible! That should make it easier, right????”
3 main criterias in your Career Discovery and Search

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3 main criterias in Job Search
It’s better to focus!
Consulting
Strategy
Tech
Pricing
HR
Finance
Investment banking
Commercial banking
Private banking
Insurance
Industry
Consumer Goods
Retail
Healthcare
Tech…
Business Analyst
Financial Analyst
Jr SAP Consultant
Jr Project Manager
Sales Operations Coordinator
BD Analyst
Rotational Program
Digital Marketing Analyst
Operations Analyst…
Madrid
Barcelona
London
Bristol
Paris
Amsterdam
Berlin
Munich
Managua
Tokyo
Manila
Sector Function Location

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3 main criterias in Job Search
Consulting
Strategy
Business Analyst Madrid
Sector Function Location
It’s better to focus!

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Consulting
Strategy
It’s OK to not know them all!
Career Discovery is a process; a dial knob, not a switch
Business Analyst Madrid
Sector Function Location

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Consulting
Strategy
The idea is to eliminate unknowns
As you progress in your research, your North Star will become clearer and clearer
Business Analyst Madrid
Sector Function Location
Your North Star is not static. It will evolve and
change. Some of us are still looking to define
this!

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North Star Hypothesis: The Process
The center of your search
Tackling the
Search
Clarifying
Hypotheses
Defining
North
Star
• What is the driver of your job hunt?
• Sector? Function? Location?
• Research and “soft networking”
• Refining your career goals through
sharing your Elevator Pitch
• Finding the right career/job
• Joining clubs or activities to learn
constantly
• Networking outside of IESE

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The Sectors
At IESE, we group sectors into 4 major ones
FinTech
Banking
Private Equity
Energy
Consumer
Goods
HealthCare
Finance
Diversified
Industries
Digital
Business Advisory
Strategy
BigTech
SMEs
Start-up
Consulting
Technology
Sectors
Retail
Heavy

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The Functions
Functional North Stars are the most common… and the most confusing.
Finance Operations
Sales & Marketing
Information
Technology
Portfolio Mgmt
M&A
Investor
Relations
Procurement
Production
Distribution
Back Office
Front Office
Planning &
Forecasting
Digital
Key Account
Business Dev
Brand Management
Product Development
Product Management
Support
Consulting (internal or external)
Business Advisory
Business Insights
Innovation & Design
Project Mgmt
Strategy
Planning
Accounting
Treasury
Controlling
Graduate
Programs
FRONT
OFFICE
BACK
OFFICE
Additional
Functions
Human
Resources
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
Research &
Development
Legal
Regulatory &
Risk

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Brainstorming Locations
Where would you like to work, and where can you, realistically, target?
OPPORTUNITY VISAS
ACHIEVABILITY
PERSONAL INTEREST
CULTURAL
ALIGNMENT
PERSONAL
TIES
PASSION /
DRIVE
LANGUAGE

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So what does this all come down to?
Building your North Star hypothesis
Desired Function Location #1 Location #2 Location #3
Sector #1
Sector #2
Sector #3
Desired Function –
Sales/Business
Development
Sector 1 - FIN TECH
Sector 2- CONSUMER
GOODS - FMCG
Secotr 3 - HEALTHCARE
Location 1 - LONDON Location 2 - MUNICH Location 3 - BARCELONA
Salaries in line with expectations
Lots of personal contacts
High growth industry
Possible work visa issue (Brexit)
Entrepreneurial network
Salaries not in line with
expectations
Industry is high growth
Many contacts
No work visa issues
Language requirement
Salaries in line with expectations
Many potential opportunities
Few contacts, low value
Work visas unlikely
More entrepreneurial
Language requirement likely
Not hiring because of COVID-19
Salaries in line with expectations
Very little network
Bigger companies sponsor
Lack of major companies
Many opportunities
Large network
No language or visa
requirements
Salaries in line with expectations
Strong network
Could overcome language
barrier

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Your Focus
Building your North Star hypothesis
Desired Function Location #1 Location #2 Location #3
Sector #1
Sector #2
Sector #3
Desired Function –
Sales/Business
Development
Sector 1 - FIN TECH
Sector 2- CONSUMER
GOODS - FMCG
Secotr 3 - HEALTHCARE
Location 1 - LONDON Location 2 - MUNICH Location 3 - BARCELONA
Salaries in line with expectations
Lots of personal contacts
High growth industry
Possible work visa issue (Brexit)
Entrepreneurial network
Salaries not in line with
expectations
Industry is high growth
Many contacts
No work visa issues
Language requirement
Salaries in line with expectations
Many potential opportunities
Few contacts, low value
Work visas unlikely
More entrepreneurial
Language requirement likely
Not hiring because of COVID-19
Salaries in line with expectations
Very little network
Bigger companies sponsor
Lack of major companies
Many opportunities
Large network
No language or visa
requirements
Salaries in line with expectations
Strong network
Could overcome language
barrier

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Your North Star
Building your North Star hypothesis
Fintech
Healthcare
Business Development Barcelona
London
Munich
Sector Function Location

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Producing a North Star
Let’s see how you can get to your North Star

37. 01
02
03
North Star Hypothesis
Arriving at a North Star
The Career Sectors
04 The Job Search Process
05 Your Action Plan

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Producing a North Star – The Process
Build your North Star hypothesis (sector(s), function(s), and location(s))
1
Test your North Star hypothesis through research
2
Refine your North Star hypothesis
3

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Producing a North Star – The Process
Desired Function Location #1 Location #2 Location #3
Sector #1
Sector #2
Sector #3
Build your North Star hypothesis (sector(s), function(s), and location(s))
1

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Producing a North Star – The Process
2 Test your North Star hypothesis through research
Desired Function Location #1 Location #2 Location #3
Sector #1
Sector #2
Sector #3
Sales/Business
Development
Sector 1 - FINTECH
Sector 2 - CONSUMER
GOODS
Sector 3 - HEALTHCARE
Location 1 – LONDON Location 2 – MUNICH
Location 3 –
BARCELONA
Salaries in line with expectations
Lots of personal contacts
High growth industry
Possible work visa issue (Brexit)
Entrepreneurial network
Salaries not in line with
expectations
Industry is high growth
Many contacts
No work visa issues
Language requirement
Salaries in line with expectations
Many potential opportunities
Few contacts, low value
Work visas unlikely
More entrepreneurial
Language requirement likely
Not hiring because of COVID-19
Salaries in line with expectations
Very little network
Bigger companies sponsor
Lack of major companies
Many opportunities
Large network
No language or visa
requirements
Salaries in line with expectations
Strong network
Could overcome language
barrier

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What is research?
Why is it so important?
Process to
understand
better your
North Star
Manner to
prepare for
information
al chats
An overlooked
aspect of the
job hunt

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Different types of research
Own network
Alumni or older students
Friends, family, coworkers,
professors… people you know may
have the answer to what you’re
looking for! You can also ask them if
they know someone?
Check with your high school and
university for a directory of alumni so
you can contact them and ask for
insights on their career experiences
Type in “career functions” on
Google, go on firsthand.com,
follow professionals on social
media (LinkedIn, Instagram,
Twitter…) to see what they do,
etc…
Functions
Check out Bloomberg’s Industry
Market Leaders, Forbes, The Muse,
Inc. 5000, LinkedIn, Jobteaser, social
media, companies’ own websites
Companies
Consultancies like Strategy&, Career
Profiles, firsthand.com, etc… produce
industry insights with trends and key
facts
Industries
Online Offline

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Ways to utilize LinkedIn for researching
1. Find profiles who have made similar jumps
2. Understand companies’ openness to hiring young talent
3. Identify new companies through “people also viewed”
LinkedIn as a Research Tool
LinkedIn shouldn’t simply be a tool to network or apply to jobs.

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Your mission with research is to get to this point
3 REFINE your North Star hypothesis
Desired Function Location #1 Location #2 Location #3
Sector #1
Sector #2
Sector #3
Sales/Business
Development
Sector 1 - FINTECH
Sector 2 - CONSUMER
GOODS
Sector 3 - HEALTHCARE
Location 1 – LONDON Location 2 – MUNICH
Location 3 –
BARCELONA
Salaries in line with expectations
Lots of personal contacts
High growth industry
Possible work visa issue (Brexit)
Entrepreneurial network
Salaries not in line with
expectations
Industry is high growth
Many contacts
No work visa issues
Language requirement
Salaries in line with expectations
Many potential opportunities
Few contacts, low value
Work visas unlikely
More entrepreneurial
Language requirement likely
Not hiring because of COVID-19
Salaries in line with expectations
Very little network
Bigger companies sponsor
Lack of major companies
Many opportunities
Large network
No language or visa
requirements
Salaries in line with expectations
Strong network
Could overcome language
barrier

45. 01
02
03
North Star Hypothesis
Arriving at a North Star
The Career Sectors
04 The Job Search Process
05 Your Action Plan

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So you have a North Star. Now what?
Build a list of companies that meet your North Star criteria
4
Research companies for opportunities
5
Create a list of contacts that work in those companies that you could learn from
6
Reach out to gain insights and more about the sector, company, position
7

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So you have a North Star. Now what?
Build a list of companies that meet your North Star criteria
4
DESIRED FUNCTION Companies
LOCATION 1, SECTOR
LOCATION 2, SECTOR
LOCATION 3, SECTOR
LOCATION 4, SECTOR

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So you have a North Star. Now what?
Build a list of companies that meet your North Star criteria
4
• Start with companies off the top of your head.
• Research the sector online (Google, for example) to learn about
competitors. Add those to your list.
• Ask people (professors, fellow students, personal network…) about
companies they know in the sector. Add them.
• Go on LinkedIn and you’ll see “People also viewed” section. Add them.

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So you have a North Star. Now what?
Business Development
Companies Job Postings
London Fin Tech
London Consumer
Goods - Sports
Munich Healthcare
Barcelona Healthcare
Research companies for opportunities
5
But DO
NOT
APPLY!

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So you have a North Star. Now what?
Business Development
Companies Job Postings Contacts
(LinkedIn/Email)
London Fin Tech
London Consumer
Goods - Sports
Munich Healthcare
Barcelona Healthcare
Create a list of contacts that work in those companies that you could learn from
6
Reach out to gain insights and more about the sector, company, position
7

51. 01
02
03
North Star Hypothesis
Arriving at a North Star
The Career Sectors
04 The Job Search Process
05 Your Action Plan

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So you have a North Star. Now what?
Build your North Star hypothesis (sector(s), function(s), and location(s))
1
Test your North Star hypothesis through research
2
Refine your North Star hypothesis
3
Build a list of companies that meet your North Star criteria
4
Research companies for opportunities
5
Create a list of contacts that work in those companies that you could learn from
6
Reach out to gain insights and more about the sector, company, position
7

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Q & A

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Book an informative call with our Associate Directors
Contact us:
Carmen Sánchez
EMBA 2017
Marta Pons
EMBA 2020
Luis Go
HKU Ph.D
Javier Guerra
MBA 2023
Join our events:

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Appendix

56. North Star – Sector Overview
Strategies
• Leverage your contacts – you might
know people that have experience or
knowledge on some of these sectors!
• Consider targeting sectors where you
have previous functional experience
• Try to best understand the sector’s
appetite for your experience level
• Build a base of knowledge – sign up
for industry newsletters, WhatsApp
groups, set news alerts, follow
companies on LinkedIn…
• Learn from academics – if you’re still
in school, your classes will offer you
insights, and so will professors! Ask
them!
Pitfalls
• “Consulting as a North Star Trap” – You can
work to best align your application to
Consulting, but Consulting applicability is
mostly limited to country of origin
• “Lacking Experience Trap” – Some
industries (VCPE, Design Consulting,
Impact Investing) are very competitive, and
may require a experience before targeting
them
• “Industry + Region Trap” – If your goal is to
break into a tough industry, regional
flexibility is going to be important

57. Strategies
• Leverage your contacts – you might
know people that have experienced
some of these functions
• If targeting a big jump, rely heavily on
transferable skills
• Consider targeting companies where
you have previous sector experience
• Brand new functions may require
internships at smaller companies
• Learn from academics – if you’re still
in school, your classes will offer you
insights, and so will professors! Ask
them!
Pitfalls
• “Strategy Trap” – Most strategy jobs look for
deep industry or previous consulting
experience. Be careful targeting strategy if
you are not targeting Consulting!
• “Business Development Trap” – Some
companies differentiate BD and Sales, but
in many companies these are the same. Yet
students still focus on BD and not on Sales
roles.
• “Rotational Trap” – Some companies offer
rotational programs to entry-level or talent
or for people with Master degrees. These
programs are very unique to companies.
They must be researched!
North Star – Functions Overview

58. Strategies
• Leverage your contacts – you might
know people that have experienced
some of these regions!
• GO THERE! If you are targeting a new
region, you have to get there during
breaks, weekends, etc. (COVID-19
permitting)
• Research online about what it’s like to
live there
• Make sure to know the logistics. Does
this city or region typically sponsor
visas? Are they friendly to non-native
local language speakers?
Pitfalls
• “Regional Pay Trap” – Some people see the
top-line salaries a region will pay and
include/exclude it. Instead, think of what
money will be in your pocket after rent, cost
of living, and taxes.
• “Broad Location Trap” – ‘I want to work in
Asia’ is not a North star! You will miss out on
opportunities targeting a specific
city/region/country
North Star – Locations Overview