“Keep everything in perspective.” That’s just one slice of wisdom from Jon Koegler, associate director of Career Services and Industry Relations at IYA. Koegler is a go-to guide for all things professional development, committed to leading students on rewarding and meaningful career paths. He’s discovered his personal purpose through helping people land their dream jobs. An unfeigned lover of the hiring process, Koegler recognizes the key to networking and interviewing effectively isn’t credentials or extroversion, it’s listening constructively and telling a compelling story about who you really are.

Graduation is just a mere four months away, so we enlisted Koegler to fill us in on his valuable expertise, from market outlook to business trends and everything in between (like why that nervous feeling before an interview is actually a good thing). Even if you’re not actively job searching right now, you won’t want to miss his insight. 

Tell us a little bit about your background. What made you gravitate towards this position? 

After graduating with my MBA, I launched a six-year career in corporate finance.  I was fortunate to work with large companies such as Amgen, Toyota, and Best Buy, working primarily on enterprise forecasting and budgeting, and internal management reporting.  While I really enjoyed the work, I also found myself gravitating towards opportunities to serve as a mentor for my coworkers and friends as they navigated their careers. Additionally, I realized that I was somewhat unique in that I genuinely enjoyed the hiring process, particularly interviews! In 2016, I decided to take the plunge and found a full-time career coach position with the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School in Malibu. For the next six years, I consulted with full-time MBA students as they worked to secure amazing summer internships and full-time positions following graduation. Last spring, I began to learn more about IYA, and quickly became interested in exploring IYA's progressive and unique approach to higher education. I'm now extremely fortunate to work with students here at IYA and absolutely love helping our students talk about how IYA can be a true differentiator on their career journey.

How have you seen your field evolve through the years? How has the approach to the job market and professional development shifted from generation to generation, and what do you see when it comes to Gen Z’s outlook (as opposed to, say, Millennials or Gen Xers)? 

Gone are the days where most professionals went into one company, or even one specific industry, and stayed there for most of their career. Whereas previous generations often had consistent career paths that were simple and easy to understand at first glance, this is no longer the case. Many Millennials and even more Gen Zs are expected to shift jobs, industries, and even launch entirely new careers every four to five years. Because of this, it's now more important than ever for career coaches to help students and transitioning career professionals tell an articulate and persuasive narrative about where they have been in their career, and where they are going next.  

What are some job trends you’ve seen and what are your predictions for the coming years? Are there particular industries having a moment?  

I think we're in for a fascinating 2023. Although we're certainly starting the year in a somewhat negative place with layoffs at tech giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon, I think there's a lot to be optimistic about as well. We've been hearing for years about how quickly the pace of technological advancement is accelerating and I think 2023 will be a year where we'll really start to see and feel this in profound ways. With the advent of ChatGPT and other AI tools, I think we will see an arms race of sorts begin to appear amongst Microsoft, IBM, Google, and other large technology players, and I am confident that these organizations will need to scale up quickly to compete on this new technological front. Additionally, with a lot of incredible tech talent now back on the market due to layoffs, I expect startups to become an increasingly common career path amongst new graduates and seasoned tech professionals who want to continue to innovate and disrupt the world in which we live.

What advice do you have for graduating seniors or those on the hunt for their dream job? 

Keep everything in perspective. Landing this first position post-graduation will very likely be your most time-consuming and most difficult job search that you'll ever go through. The time and effort you're investing now will pay off not just in landing your first full-time position, but across the rest of your career, especially the strategic network you build along the way.  

Please provide your top three job interview tips! 

First, I'd say that interviewing really is a two-way street. This is YOUR chance to get an accurate read on the team, the job, and broader organization, and assess whether it's a good fit for what you want. When you interview in person, plan to arrive 15-20 minutes early so you can sit and observe the organization in action around you while you wait.

Second, practice, practice, practice! Conduct mock interviews with your career coach (me!), your friends, and your classmates. Most importantly, be sure you can answer that first question, "tell me about your background and walk me through your resume" that you almost always get right away. If you can tell a persuasive story about who you are, and how that translates into where you're going, you'll be amazed and how much more easily the rest of the interview will fall into place.

Finally, realize that the feeling of butterflies in your stomach right before an interview begins is actually a great thing. It means you care deeply about the interview, and the role itself.  Reposition this feeling as an advantage, as this is your body's "fight or flight" response kicking in. Biologically, your heart is pumping more blood to your brain which primes you to think more quickly and communicate even more clearly with your interviewers.

Any myths you would like to demystify about job hunting, networking, and professional development? What are some misconceptions or attitudes that people need to remove from their vocabularies and mindsets? 

I think one of the biggest myths to demystify is around networking. Specifically, many people assume that only extroverts or those who like social situations are going to be any good at networking. Over the years I've come to believe that the opposite is actually true. Individuals who are predisposed to listening, rather than monopolizing a conversation, tend to get the most out of informational interviews and larger networking events, and often tend to be more effective at building lasting professional relationships of value. Remember – we have two ears and only one mouth, so plan your conversations accordingly.

Do you have any words of wisdom for those looking to pivot in their career paths? 

All job seekers, but especially those who are making a career pivot, must tell a powerful professional story during the hiring process. Central to this professional story is demonstrating a persuasive through line that links their previous career with the role they are now pivoting into. It often takes a career coach or a strong professional mentor to help an individual identify this through line, and brainstorm strategies on how to best articulate it to the outside world.  When done well, this through line becomes a candidate's competitive advantage, and will truly differentiate a job seeker from more traditional candidates for the role.

What makes you excited about working in career services at a place like IYA? What sets the school apart from your perspective? 

IYA is one of the greatest disruptive experiments to date that I've seen in higher education.  And 10 years in, it is paying off for our students and the professional organizations that they join or create when they graduate. IYA's intersectional approach to studying business, technology, design, and innovation is a true professional differentiator for our students.  Every day, I have the privilege of helping IYA students craft this amazing place and the experiences they gain here into their professional story, and it is incredibly exciting to see how employers are responding to it.  

What do you love most about the work that you do? 

Serving as a career coach has always been about having a meaningful impact each day on the students I support.  It's really as simple as that. When a student stops by to celebrate landing an amazing dream internship or job after months of hard work, or an alum circles back a year or two after graduating with an update and note of appreciation, I know I've found my own professional place and purpose in the world.  

Graduation is just a mere four months away, so we enlisted associate director of Career Services and Industry Relations Jon Koegler to fill us in on his valuable expertise, from market outlook to business trends and everything in between (like why that nervous feeling before an interview is actually a good thing). Even if you’re not actively job searching right now, you won’t want to miss his insight. 

Job Search Advice, Interview Tips, and Networking Myths with IYA’s Career Coach