Julie DiBari, MBA, PhD

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

The government at the time - not sure if it was state or federal - ensured that low income students starting at age 14, could get a job. They had us take a test and then just assigned us to a job. I got a job in an office with two nice women who were ok with me making a million mistakes, and where I learned how good it feels to complete a job well and to work with nice colleagues and a nice boss. I gained basic office skills like typing, filing, answering phone calls. I built on that experience for every single job after. Now I own my own company.

How did you start building your network?

I used "informational interviews." When I decided what I wanted to do (which ended up having little to do with my actual degree by the way, but having a degree at all helped a lot) I looked at company web sites and found the names of people doing similar jobs. I told them a just a little about myself and that I was interested in their field and asked if I could take just a half an hour of their time for an informational interview to learn more about the field. It was hugely helpful. Every time someone got back to me and I had a conversation with them I asked if they would recommend anyone else for me to speak to and if they said yes, I would ask if they would mind sharing their contact information and using their name. Since I was always polite and appreciative they almost always said yes. People like to talk about themselves and what they do. I would always start with the highest level person and keep going down from there to find someone to talk to. Before I knew it, I knew a lot more about my field of interest so I sounded much more educated as the informational interviews went on and the contacts I made were seen as valuable to potential employers. I eventually was offered a job before it was even posted by someone I had an informational interview with. I continued to use this technique at various points in my career.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

If I am honest, the most useful piece of career advice I got as a student was my from myself. I decided to ignore my Guidance Counselor when he said that I should not look at top tier private schools because as a youth in foster care, with no money, I would not be able to afford them. I had top grades, good SAT scores, was president of many clubs, involved in sports, had an internship at my local newspaper (the field I wanted to go into). I had done my own research and I knew that there were colleges that would give a full scholarship to someone like me. So I aimed high and got into the top college in my field, with a full scholarship, covering tuition and living expenses. Certainly listen to the adults around you, but sometimes the best advice is to do your research and trust yourself. It never hurts to try for the stretch goal that people tell you isn't possible, as long as you have a back up plan.