Blog & Community

BE-EDGE

Building Your Future: Tips for Graduating Students in Making Informed Career Choices

August 14, 20230

Change is an inevitable part of life, and this holds particularly true in the realm of work. As individuals advance in their professional journey, they might consider a career shift. Opting for a career change is a complex decision, but it can bring about a metamorphic and gratifying journey. In this blog, we will delve into ten compelling factors driving people to adopt an individual strategy for career transition. Whether driven by passions, the pursuit of fulfillment, economic dynamics, or a desire to nurture entrepreneurial dreams, these reasons underscore change’s transformative prowess and its capacity to foster personal and professional advancement.

10 Compelling Reasons to Embrace a Career Change

August 14, 20230

Change is a constant in life, and this is especially true in the world of work. As individuals progress in their professional journey, they may find themselves contemplating a career change. Making the decision to switch careers is not an easy one, but with Be-Edge, it can be a transformative and rewarding experience. In this blog, we will explore ten compelling reasons why individuals choose to embrace a career transition. From pursuing passions and seeking fulfillment to adapting to economic factors and nurturing entrepreneurial aspirations, these reasons highlight the transformative power of change and the potential for personal and professional growth.

Your Path to Success: A Career Guide for Graduating Students

August 14, 20230

Congratulations, graduating students! As you embark on this exciting new phase of your life, the transition from being a student to entering the professional world can feel like a thrilling yet challenging journey. The decisions you make during this pivotal time can greatly impact your future success and fulfillment. This comprehensive career guide is designed to empower you to make informed decisions, set clear goals, and develop effective strategies to navigate this transition with confidence. Let’s explore the essential steps and valuable insights in creating your personal strategy that will lead you towards a successful and fulfilling professional career.

The Power of Strategic Clarity in Achieving Your Goals

August 14, 20230

In the pursuit of success, individuals often find themselves caught in the chaos of daily life, where competing demands and distractions can obscure their path to achieving their personal aspirations. However, by embracing the concept of strategic clarity, individuals can gain the much-needed focus and direction necessary to unlock their true potential. It empowers us to discover our professional core, set clear goals, make informed decisions, and execute purposeful strategies to achieve our desired outcomes. In this blog, we will explore how adopting strategic clarity can transform our lives and careers.

Interview Preparation: Your Comprehensive Guide to Interview Success

July 10, 20230

by BE-EDGE team

Securing a job interview is an exciting opportunity, but the key to converting that opportunity into a job offer lies in effective interview preparation. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the field of interview preparation, equipping you with the knowledge and strategies to excel in your next interview. From mastering common interview questions to enhancing your nonverbal communication skills, let’s dive in and unlock the secrets to interview success.

5 Actionable Job Search Tactics to Advance your Career

July 10, 20230

by BE-EDGE team

Effective job search tactics are essential for navigating the path to career advancement. By employing targeted approaches and leveraging various resources, you can enhance your chances of securing your dream job. At Be-Edge, we will explore the field of job search tactics, empowering you with the tools and knowledge to unlock opportunities and propel your career forward.

Personal Branding Strategy: 5 Steps to Unleash Your Unique Identity for Career Success

July 10, 20230

by BE-EDGE team

In today’s competitive job market, personal branding has become a crucial element in career development and achieving career success. Your personal brand is a reflection of your unique identity, skills, and values, and it plays a significant role in shaping how others perceive you. In this blog, we will delve into the realm of personal branding strategy, empowering you to unlock your full potential and make a lasting impression in your professional journey.

Fuel Your Career with these Employability Skills: Ignite Passion and Success in the 21st Century

June 19, 20230

by BE-EDGE team

In today’s rapidly changing job market, future-proofing your career has become more crucial than ever. With advancements in technology, automation, and globalization, it is essential to develop a set of employability skills that can adapt to the evolving demands of the 21st century workplace. Here at Be-Edge, we will explore the key skills that can future-proof your career and provide a roadmap to develop and enhance them.

Edge-crafters, Educators, Millennials, Universities

How Co-ops and Capstones Inspire International Students’ Career Design

April 28, 20230

By Ivan Todorov

April 28, 2023

After nearly 6 years in Boston, the finishing lines of my academic chapter have been written out. This time is filled with numerous joyful and rewarding moments that boil the excitement within me for what is coming. More than a million international students graduate from US colleges every year. They have similar excitement but also are facing similar challenges.

Accomplished Professionals, By Julia Ivy, Edge-crafters, Millennials

BE-EDGE FUNDAMENTALS: Built-in Employability, Boutique Employability, or Both?

April 12, 20230

By Julia Ivy

In my earlier post on three starting points for personal strategy coaching, I shared stories of John (a veteran, 47), Tyler (recently graduated Millennial, 22), Dana (approaching graduation Millennial, 21), and David (multidimensional professional, 36) to illustrate that personal strategy coaching must start with the classification of the client’s “what’s next?” dilemma.

Edge-crafters, Educators, Millennials, Universities

Crafting Your Edge On Co-op Abroad

March 25, 20230

By Liz Pereguda

May 7, 2020

A research study by IIE Center for Academic Mobility, Research and Impact “Gaining an Employment Edge: The Impact of Study Abroad on 21st Century Skills & Career Prospects in the United States” investigates the connection between study abroad programs and the development of 15 soft and hard skills considered to be most desired by 21st-century employers.

Gen Z, Edge-crafters

Designing for Inclusion and Advocating for Diversity: EDGE-crafters can be change-makers too!

March 6, 20230

by Bhargavi Ram

March 6, 2023

There is a demand for businesses to be perfect in the world we live in today. With the plethora of information available to consumers, we can use our voices to hold companies accountable for their lack of inclusivity or their unethical practices. Microsoft has an entire site dedicated to Inclusive Design with resources to learn how to be inclusive. Read more

4 Things you need to know about Career Coaching: A Comprehensive Guide

February 19, 20230

by BE-EDGE team

In today’s fast-paced and competitive professional landscape, navigating a successful career path can be challenging. It requires not only hard work and dedication but also a clear understanding of one’s goals, strengths, and opportunities. This is where career coaching comes into play. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the what, why, and how of career coaching, exploring its benefits and providing you with actionable steps to maximize your professional development.Read more

Edge-crafters, Gen Z

Invest in Real Life Case for Future

February 13, 20230

Children from Gen Z may have to endure significant competition for employment in the future. According to a study by Visual Capitalist, during the pandemic, Gen Z kids had nearly double the unemployment rate compared to the rest of the generation. This horrible unemployment figure should not have been there because Gen Z kids are expected to be the most educated generation, according to the Pew Research Center.

Edge-crafters, Accomplished Professionals, Case Consulting, Gen Z, Millennials

BE-EDGE Institute: A Doorway for your Career Advancements

January 28, 20230

Are you uncertain about your future career path? Are you worried about how will you take an edge through your competitive portfolio? Are you confused while defining your field or industry?

If you find these questions resonating and you nodded yes on each of these questions, then you surely need to be aware of BE-EDGE Institute and its products. This is where you can get the solutions and answers to all these questions and more of your career-related confusions.

Edge-crafters, Case Consulting, Gen Z

Consulting Will Bring You to a New Level in Your Career

January 11, 20230

January 11, 2023

by Maiia Poliakova

Have you ever done any consulting cases? Do you know what is it? Or what does it give? My name is Maiia and I had this amazing consulting opportunity with Dr. Julia Ivy. She gave us an experience life as real specialists. I have done a consulting case for the Russian company VALO Hotel City for the globalization of the market and thanks to this experience I can say what a big contribution it gave to my future career.

Edge-crafters, Gen Z

You Are a Foreigner: How to Convert It into Your Competitive Advantage

January 4, 20230

January 4, 2023

By Amir Elhelw

Let’s begin by painting a picture. You are a newly minted graduate; you have just picked up your bags and moved out to a new country in order to pursue a new business venture. You are new to this market and know only the essentials of its structure and how to go about doing business in it. You are a fish out of water trying to break in and make a name for yourself.

Edge-crafters, Gen Z

International Student in USA: Here is How I Crafted My Edge

December 22, 20220

Being an international student in the USA, the struggle gets real fast. However, you have to find a way to find your professional edge. All you need is some professional insight, community engagement, and genuine guidance to move past all the odds.

The United States has long been considered to have some of the best educational resources in the world, which attracts students from around the globe to come here to pursue higher education. My home country China is the second most populous country in the world, and nearly 300,000 students come to the United States each year to attend school. And I am one of those students. Read more

Career Development 101: Creating your Edge in a Competitive Market

December 12, 20220

What is Career Development?

by BE-EDGE team

Career development refers to the ongoing process of managing and enhancing one’s career path to achieve professional growth, personal fulfillment, and long-term success. It goes beyond simply finding a job or working in a particular field; instead, it encompasses a strategic and proactive approach to building a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Edge-crafters, Millennials

Empowering Women: It’s all about making matches with the occupation of your dreams

December 9, 20220

by Ananya Sahni

Dec 9, 2022

Women have always been at a disadvantage when it comes to being represented and recognized at the workplace. As per a study conducted by McKenzie for 60 major corporations, there was significant drop in the percentage female’s employees up the corporate ladder. For every 3,25,000 women at entry level jobs, the study revealed that, only 7000 made it to the senior management level. Although in the recent years there have been severe improvements, there is still long road to progress with women still being underrepresented at all levels of managements.

Edge-crafters, Millennials

A Phenomenal Investment In My Journey Towards My Vision

November 30, 20220

By Morgan Niezgoda

November 30, 2022

The final project was a phenomenal investment in my journey towards my vision. It was relevant for my “core as a pro” career aspirations, as I gained valuable knowledge of Scale’s consulting efforts for their clients, and ways to optimize their best-practice processes that I can definitely utilize in my future job setting at PwC.

Educators, Millennials

Millennial Mindset on Career Design: They are Multidimensional!

November 18, 20220

By Julia Ivy

I have just talked to my friend about her millennial son. Anton is a junior and doing well. He has been accepted for his second internship at a top tech company. It’s very likely that after graduation, he will be selected for Silicon Valley in a 100K+ job.

However, this boy is reluctant to leave college but why? He knows that he would be ok fitting the job, but he is not sure whether he would be ok with fitting everything else but the job. He doesn’t want to be defined by his job. The question is who is Anton based on his generational profile?

Edge-crafters, Educators, Millennials, Universities

Experiential Learnings’ Impact on the Building of Critical Soft Skills

November 15, 20220

By Gerad Sockol
November 15, 2020

Experiential Learning: two words that every Northeastern University student sarcastically repeats back in a mocking intonation. And as Northeastern tour guides showcase the Boston campus (albeit virtually in these trying times) whose lush, green space juxtaposes the urban chaos yards away, the phrase “experiential learning” (one sure to enter into the prospective student’s lexicon should they choose to enroll at Northeastern) will bombard the ears of both parents and students alike.

Edge-crafters, Millennials

How to Maximize Your Manager Mindset

October 26, 20220

by Cliff Akins

October 26, 2021

Articles like “If You Want to Succeed, You Need to Have the Manager’s Mindset” from Inc.com emphasize the importance of adopting a leader mentality. While Inc.com focuses on the manager mindset in a post-college, professional setting, the Huffpost asserts that thinking like a manager can be beneficial as a student in “How to be an Effective Student Manager.” As a business student, I learned this lesson first hand.

Edge-crafters, Millennials

FOR IMMIGRANTS: Pursuing Careers and Crafting the Edge for People in a New Environment.

September 22, 20220

By Shreshthi Mehta

September 22, 2022

I was born and raised in Pune. For a major portion of my life, I had lived in India and had been a part of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. I was fortunate to attend some of the best schools and universities in my home country. In spite of the recession in 2008, I was able to secure a job as a new graduate and work as an HR manager.

Edge-crafters, Educators, Millennials, Universities

Crafting the EDGE: Approaching Uncertainty with Determination

August 29, 20220

By Aqib Rahman
August 29, 2022

In just two months, the environment in America has completely transformed, leaving many to face uncertainty. There are 40 million Americans that have lost their jobs, with an unemployment rate of 14.7%. Many people have been distraught from layoffs, while others like me are recent graduates just entering the job market. As we now start reopening and restarting our economy, we must stay determined to prosper.

5 Key Ingredients for Career Happiness

June 26, 20220

by BE-EDGE team

In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, finding career happiness has become more important than ever. A fulfilling career not only brings financial stability but also allows us to tap into our potential, find purpose, and experience personal growth. In this blog post, we will explore the five key ingredients to develop a career plan for a happy and successful career.

Breaking Free: A Roadmap to Job Independence in 5 Simple Steps

June 26, 20220

by BE-EDGE team

In a rapidly changing world where traditional career paths are being questioned, the concept of job independence has gained significant traction. More and more individuals are seeking the freedom to develop their own careers, aligning their work with their passions, values, and desired lifestyles.

Edge-crafters, Millennials

How Professor Ivy’s story has greatly inspired me as an international student

May 9, 20220

by Kexin Li

May 9, 2022

I had an interview with Professor Julia Ivy, Northeastern Professor in International Business and Strategy. Professor has extensive global experience in Ukraine/ Vietnam/ Australia/ United States. She is originally from Belarus and has an established career before moving directly to the U.S. She has years of teaching experience, she was a top-rated executive professor, coach, consultant, and board member, but she must start over in the U.S, and in her words, “As a newcomer, I had to build my professional life from the scratch. I did it. And I learned how all of us, newcomers, could do it well.”

Edge-crafters, Millennials

Practical suggestions on how local students can enhance their employability and enrich their personal strategy

May 1, 20220

By Zui (Jessica) Han

May 1, 2022

In the context of the globalized economy, most large companies fall in the category of multination companies (MNC) (Barak,2021). Students who want to enhance their employability and maintain a completive advantage needs to understand the importance of diversity and how diversity could bring innovation.

How I took advantage of the Great Resignation to work with global businesses

April 1, 20220

By Trianne Bamba

April 1, 2022

Just like any other millennial around the world, I was a part of the “Great Reshuffle” or as they commonly call it, “The Great Resignation”. I knew I wanted to do something more exciting in my career and take on new opportunities. After I quit my first job for good during the pandemic, it led me to re-examine where, how and why I work.

Case Consulting, Edge-crafters, Millennials

Through consulting, I learned the vast opportunities the business world has for me

February 16, 20220

by Angelina Joson.

February 16, 2022

In the first semester of my college career at Northeastern University, I faced a heavy task: writing a consulting case for an existing company. It required that my team and I consult directly with the company. But how would we choose a company?

While all the team members knew a family member or friend who owned a restaurant, I knew that we should choose a unique company, selling a product that would provide an interesting and relevant case. So, I contacted my family friend, Michael Pink, who is the CEO and co-founder of SmartPM Technologies. Read more

Case Consulting, Edge-crafters, Millennials

How I developed a passion for expansion consulting as a newcomer to the CBD industry

February 15, 20220

by Stella Zilberberg

February 15, 2022

Over the course of the consulting case, I began to develop an understanding of emerging markets, and most importantly, began to think of ways of how to position industry leaders in foreign markets, where the industry itself is either incredibly small or is only beginning to emerge. As a researcher, I feel that I have developed strong habits for seeking out primary information about a government or an industry.

Case Consulting, Edge-crafters, Millennials

Equipping yourself for the future: The valuable lessons to learn in consulting

February 8, 20220

by Alyse Pasqualini

February 8, 2022

I worked with a team throughout the semester to develop a consulting case for a company. Working on this case provided me with a real world understanding of consulting which aligns with my vision of working in Healthcare Management, as the profession will require me to work in teams to create recommendations for the improvement of healthcare processes. This case served as a steppingstone to my personal strategy by introducing me to this area of business and allowing me to develop the skills that are necessary to collaborate effectively in a team and provide quality research and recommendations to support the decision-making process of a company.

Case Consulting, Edge-crafters, Millennials

The perfect building block for a potential career

February 7, 20220

by Vidit Shah

February 7, 2022

In a study published by Richard J. Kraft, talks about why experience is key and that the education systems need unique forms of teaching to reach out to students as everyone studies and learns at their own pace. The author explains that “adventure programs and other experiential learning environments have enormous potential for use in the mainstream of our educational settings.” Sitting in front of a classroom and listening to lectures repeatedly may not be the best form of education for some learners, so other experiential forms of education could have a better impact on the student. Read more

Case Consulting, Edge-crafters, Millennials, Universities

First Journey in International Business and the Business World

February 3, 20220

by Aye Myat Kyaw

February 3, 2022

Consulting for a real company was not what I expected to be tasked by my professor Dr. Julia Ivy on the first day of my undergraduate. I have only become a college student by title and being faced with this daunting task, I felt like a child thrown into the deep end to be taught how to swim. To a degree, I knew what the task was: I have run my own small business and worked at a local restaurant helping keep their book, but a consulting case was another task. Likewise, I know what swimming was; I could kick and paddle but to float was a whole other story. However, I was excited. Coming to a school like Northeastern, I wanted to push my abilities and knowledge. For me, the consulting case was one I saw as fruitful in the future, determining that it would be a fantastic learning experience.

Case Consulting, Edge-crafters, Millennials, Universities

From Freshman to Consultant: Investing in my Employability

January 27, 20220

by Keegan Sharp

January 27, 2021

As an incoming freshman at Northeastern University, I craved an understanding of my skill level and a real-world challenge. That is exactly what I got through a consulting case project from Professor Julia Ivy. The project began simply with assigned teams and instructions to identify a company that wanted to expand globally.

Edge-crafters, Millennials

How to Utilize Your Social Capital During the Early Stages of Your Job Search

December 2, 20210

While finding the ideal company as a recent college graduate may feel daunting, it can be equally as fulfilling if approached strategically and honestly. Strategy concerns how one will leverage their personal, social, and professional capital. Honesty is the imperative agent that allows one to be confident in their elucidated core and diversified skillset. If one is honest, not only with their potential employers, but more importantly, with themselves, they will be more likely to find a professional environment in which they can grow and excel.

By Julia Ivy, Edge-crafters

The Impact of Boutique Employability on the New Reality of Employability

October 5, 20210

By Julia Ivy

October 5, 2021

Just a month ago, I started the article for graduates regarding a historically low unemployment rate. At that time, it was easy to find a job even though some jobs could be boring and one-dimensional. For those, who wanted more than just a job, I suggested the option of pursuing a personal strategy of BE for “crafting your edge for today’s job market.”

Accomplished Professionals, Case Consulting, Edge-crafters, Millennials

Employing Overseas Experience for My Boutique Employability

May 1, 20210

By Raul Najera Bahena
May, 2021

An article published by the King’s College of London “Why Overseas Experience is Important” states the reasons why overseas experience can make a difference in your future career- this type of assignments helps you gain a competitive advantage among your peers such as gaining a new perspective, learning a new language, bringing out your adventurous side, taking on a global mind-set and creating a new network from across the globe, among others.

Accomplished Professionals, Case Consulting, Edge-crafters, Employers, Millennials

Strategic Senior Leaders are Looking to HR Leaders to Bring their Business to the Next Level

May 1, 20210

By Shana Feggins
May 1, 2021

The Forbes article “Can HR Strategies Create a Competitive Advantage for Your Company?” by Scholley Bubenik echoes the chatter from human resources and other functional leaders that YES “maximizing your human capital is a major contributor to achieving a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Be-Edge crafters like myself need a framework to uncover their core and competitive advantage. Dr. Ivy Be-Edge tool and methodology helped guide my experience of recognizing my personal, social, and professional capital through consulting projects. I was able to answer my own question of how I can be an HR leader for my organization.

Accomplished Professionals, Edge-crafters, Educators, Millennials, Universities

Employability of MBA Graduates in a Post Pandemic World

April 30, 20210

By Ty Taylor
April 30, 2021

Studies have shown that graduate school applications rise in periods of an economic downturn, and that trend has continued with the Covid pandemic. More specifically, business school in the United States saw double-digit percentage application increases in the fall of 2020, and the top M.B.A. programs managed to reverse “several years of declining demand, according to the nonprofit Graduate Management Admission Council, which tracks hundreds of M.B.A. programs.”

Educators, Employers, Universities

“Making Your Case” for Strategic Positioning in a Saturated Market

April 30, 20210

By Angie Osborn
April 29, 2021

The team of MBA students volunteered with the “Making Your Case” project to assist a Director of Admissions and Marketing for The Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership (GIEL) program in a strategic challenge of expanding the outreach of the GIEL program to increase total student enrollment to 50 admitted students. This research topic explores marketing and academic programs offering challenges that higher education organizations face in the highly saturated Boston market.Read more

Edge-crafters, Educators, Millennials, Universities

Career Choice: The Importance of Knowing What You DON’T Like

April 30, 20210

By Juan Dib

April 2021.

As my college career comes to an end after five years, I reflect on how learning what you don’t like guides you to know your real passions and what you like. After living in 4 different cities, working in 4 different industries, and having mixed experiences, I can finally say that I know what I want to do in my professional career.

A recent study revealed that 44% of undergraduates are unable to define the industry that they would like to work in once they graduate. That’s why I wanted to share my story and suggest some actions that can help to find real passions.

Accomplished Professionals, Edge-crafters, Millennials

How to Navigate a Career Change

April 30, 20210

by Tatsiana Zhalniarkevich
2021

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has never attempted to estimate how often people change careers along their working lives due to the lack of consensus around what exactly is considered a career change. However, it is estimated that people change jobs about six times between ages 18 and 24, two times between ages 25 and 34, three times between ages 35 and 44.

Edge-crafters, Millennials

Your Own Competitive Advantage

April 30, 20210

By Chaewon Jung
April 28, 2021

Throughout my business undergraduate program at Northeastern University, a concept that was often mentioned was that of competitive advantage — specifically its importance in business success . Competitive advantage, as defined by the Corporate Finance Institute, is an attribute or trait that allows a company to distinguish itself from and outperform its competitors. Especially in the marketing program, it was emphasized in every course that a company needs a strong competitive advantage in order to gain market share and prove itself successful.

Accomplished Professionals, Edge-crafters

Technical Professional Branching Into Business? Find Your Blue Ocean

April 30, 20210

By Tom Backus
April 29, 2021

As referenced in the article “Simplified Strategies in Understanding Personal Strategy of Boutique Employability,” crafting your personal strategy revolves around finding one’s Boutique Employability. This entails positioning yourself as a multidimensional professional that brings something unique to the table and differentiates you from every other jobseeker (Ivy, 2020). But how does one stand apart when they are transitioning between defined technical careers and the wide world of business?

Edge-crafters, Employers, Millennials

East Boston Consult-a-thon unites Neighbors for Small Business Recovery

April 1, 20210

By Laura Ballek Cole

April 1, 2021

MARCH 26, 2021, Four East Boston businesses and 16 volunteer young professionals, a number of which are East Boston residents, came together for a “Consult-a-thon” to work on solving the challenges small businesses are facing in the neighborhood. This hackathon-style event was organized as a four-step process based on the BE-EDGE method by Julia Ivy with the goal to help millennials and immigrant-run businesses of East Boston to synchronize their goals and passions. Read more

Edge-crafters, Millennials

How to emotionally connect with your audience to drive engagement

March 2, 20210

By Trianne Bamba

March 2, 2022

There are different techniques used in marketing, promoting, and advertising products and services. Emotional marketing is one of the effective techniques of marketing. Marketers utilize this technique to focus on emotions like happiness, sadness, fear, and anger to engage the consumer and increase sales of their product or service by inciting response.

Accomplished Professionals, By Julia Ivy, Edge-crafters, Educators, Employers, Millennials, Universities

The Role of Social Capital in a Community: 5 Things to Prioritize

February 8, 20210

By BE-EDGE

Considering the analogy of social capital at an individual level; you are always advised that your social circle has a significant influence in your future success in business or career development. On a large scale, the idea transcends to the societal parameters (the network of people and their relationship) that dictate the logistics for community development.

YOUR STRATEGY. YOUR EMPLOYABILITY.

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