Spouse Supports

So what can I do to help my spouse?

Your support is vital to your spouse’s success. Below are some tips and advice from past and current students, spouses, and professors:

• Make them make time for friends and family. A stressed out spouse is an unhappy spouse and ultimately an ineffective spouse.
• Help your spouse think BIG. Encourage them to be proactive about their career and spend time dreaming about the future together.
• Be a team.
• Become part of your spouse’s education. Ask about their day, their classes, their teachers, etc.
• Have a positive attitude.
• Research companies and help your spouse narrow their search. Create Fact Sheets for their use.
• Remind them about information sessions. Check e-Recruiting. (Need spouse’s log-in information to access this information.)
• Proofread cover letters, resumes, and practice interviews together.
• Help them build confidence in themselves and overcome their real or perceived weaknesses. They are far more competitive and in-demand than they may realize.
• Help them create their “story” and think of life lessons and experiences that can be shared during an interview.
• Make sure they have a proper wardrobe and look presentable for interviews.
• Be flexible.

Be a co-partner in the internship search. You are in this together, so you should not stand by as a mere “support” for your spouse. Help him/her with interviews, presentation, resumes, elevator pitches, etc. Make sure that he/she dresses the part and looks professional. Research the companies that he/she is interested in so that you can get a feel for what is being offered. Talk about geographic, salary and industry preferences. True, your spouse is ultimately the person who has to work at the company, but you will have to live in that area and within the salary range offered by the company. Another way to help is to keep him/her focused on the right priorities. Is it better to get an A in accounting and potentially miss out on a great internship opportunity or is it better to get an A- in accounting and land a great internship? Obviously, this advice is overly simplistic, and there is much more to the equation that just putting in the time. However, you can ask questions to make sure that your spouse is staying on track in the internship search. Don’t be afraid to set goals together and to monitor progress. (Preston Peterson, Head Sherpa, Class of 2013)

This is a common interview layout:

1. Competency based questions – this is where your spouse will use his “stories” and sell himself
2. Case Question (specific to their track)
3. Your spouse will have a chance to ask questions about the company – make sure you come prepared with good, intelligent questions!

What is a fact sheet?

Fact sheets are a quick summary and compilation of information that your spouse may find useful as they prepare for an interview with a certain company. Only do them for companies that your spouse will interview with; otherwise, they can be a waste of time. They aren’t essential (and you certainly aren’t expected to do them) but they can be very helpful for your spouse. You can use the company website, Yahoo Financial, Wikipedia, Vault, Google news search, and other sites to copy and paste information in a Word Doc.

Useful information for a fact sheet includes:

• Company values, mission statement, vision, objectives, etc.
• Company random facts: number of employees, Fortune 500 rankings, company history, etc.
• Company locations
• Businesses/business lines
• Products/services
• Leadership Bios: CEO, CFO, & Executive over HR, Marketing, etc.
• Desired qualities from job description (research other job listings on company website to find common qualities)
• Financials: Stock Price, 52 Week Range, 3 Month Range, Annual Revenue, Net Income, Cash Flow
• Current News
• Alumni Names