10 Years
1.
Grow
our farm business to offer an on-site store to direct market our products to
customers.
a.
Increase
cattle and swine herd operations to ensure adequate supply of pork and beef
products for consumers
b.
Lease
neighboring land to expand the cattle operation via more grazing opportunities
2.
Hold
a job working in brand/product management or in the role of continuous
improvement management.
5 Years
1.
Acquire
a lease on additional acreage to increase the cattle herd by having access to
larger pasture area.
2.
Hold
a job working in brand/product management or in the role of continuous
improvement management.
2 Years
1.
Complete
my MBA by May 2020
2.
Start
the job search process to utilize skills developed through the MBA program and build upon the skills I already possess.
Personal Network Evaluation
Looking at my personal network, I have plenty
of connections to individuals associated with the agriculture industry as well
as in the K-12 education realm. I know individuals in leadership in practically
every school district within a 100 mi radius of my home and have ties to
agricultural leaders across the state. Serving on various boards in both of
these sectors has certainly helped me to grow that network. In the education
realm, I have been a member of the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association)
since I started teaching in 2003. Membership was certainly a great investment
as it not only allowed me to develop myself through conferences and trainings,
but also gave me opportunities to make connections from around the world by
serving on various committees and boards in my tenure as a member. The area
that needs growth is certainly my connections to business and industry if I
plan to make a shift from working in the academic sector to the world of business.
Based on the short time I’ve been in the MBA program and my own personal
interests, working in brand management or project/program management would be
an area that I would be interested in pursuing following the completion of my
MBA.
In terms of providing leverage, I have lots of
great connections in the education sector. I have been able to make connections
for friends that are looking at switching jobs and been successful in
connecting them to the right people to allow them to be hired in the districts
where they have applied. In turn, I have called on these individuals myself to
offer support for job applications of my own as well as letters of support for
various awards for which I was nominated for my teaching work. The diversity in
my personal network is something I can also work on. While there are several
people that are very different from me in terms of background, beliefs, and
experience, I feel that there is always something we can learn from others that
are different from us.
In order to further expand and develop my
personal network to better support my personal and professional goals, I’ve
recently joined a few circles for women in leadership/business via MeetUp and
have signed up to attend some leadership networking events taking place in Cincinnati
in the coming months. I am very excited about the Cincinnati First Fridays
program, which is a
free monthly leadership meeting held on the 1st Friday of every month from 8:00
– 9:00 AM at the Education Center at Indiana Wesleyan University, Cincinnati
campus. Each month dynamic, thought leaders will present their
perspectives on leadership, personal development, personal branding, and a host
of other leadership topics. In addition to this, I have also started
researching individuals that are working in the sectors that interest me and
looking for ways via personal connections I already have, to develop
relationships with these individuals. I
found a great article on 8 steps to getting the perfect mentor. I thoroughly
enjoyed this and found great ways to make connections to people outside of my
typical circle, but in the sector where I hope to pursue a career in the
future. In particular, I have started to research some of the companies that
align with the skills I already possess and those that I am developing through
the MBA program. Companies that have stood out thus far include: ADM (Archer
Daniels Midland), 84.51°, Kroger, Macy’s, and GE. Using connections I have via
LinkedIn, I have started to reach out to individuals in these companies that
are networked to the same people as I. Thus far, I have had pretty good success
in making some new connections and opening up some great conversations about
the companies they work for and advice for getting into the business world.
- https://www.classycareergirl.com/2017/07/network-personal-building-7-tips/
- https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246102
- https://www.inc.com/patricia-fletcher/what-are-6-ways-you-can-create-a-strong-network.html
References:
Barker, E. (2014, August 08). The 10 best networking tips for
people who hate networking. Retrieved from https://theweek.com/articles/444806/10-best-networking-tips-people-who-hate-networking
8 Steps To Getting The Perfect Mentor For You. (2018, April
11). Retrieved from https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/02/mentor/
No comments:
Post a Comment