Video Viewpoints: A CEO’s Take on Preparing Millennials for Work

Next up in our “Viewpoints: Preparing Millennials for Work” video series is a look at the CEO’s perspective of job preparedness for college graduates. In this video, Karen Kaplan, CEO of Boston-based advertising agency Hill Holliday, shares what she looks for in new employees joining her company.

According to Kaplan, every experience can be a valuable one that prepares you for a career, so she looks at how many experiences someone has had, what they learned from them and if they are able to apply those learnings from one experience to the next.

Kaplan believes strongly in the internship as a way to obtain valuable job-related experience. “Participating in an internship not only gets  your foot in the door and allows you to show a company and prospective future employer what you have to offer, but is also a golden opportunity to test drive a career and discover if it’s what you’re passionate about,” she says. “Even an internship that helps you decide what you don’t want to do is useful because you’ve been able to eliminate a possible career path without investing a lot of time in it.”

In addition to prior experiences, Kaplan also looks for a diversity of interests when evaluating job candidates. If you go into a job ready to learn with a unique set of experiences that you’re eager to share, you will be successful. 

Watch the Series

View all of the videos in the Video Viewpoints Series:

Preparing Millennials for Work: A Student's Perspective
A CEO's Take on Preparing Millennials for Work
The College President's Take on Preparing Millennials for Work
4 Things You Should Do to Prepare for Your First Job