11

Feb

Job-Finding Tips

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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Nkechi is looking for the next job, a frustrating process at times. “No one can prepare you for how hard it is to find a job – it is my firm belief that online applications go into a void. Smith does tell you how important it is to meet people and network. Some of us listened and learned, other people didn’t.” Nkechi is well on her way, and this is how.

Network “Seriously. I try to go to as many Smith and media events as I can because I know the value of networking. Even if I don’t have a job, I have a calling card. Get a card and be very aggressive about going out and meeting as many people as you can.”

Help “Don’t just ask people to do stuff for you but ask what they could use some help with. When I let someone know I’m looking for a job, I also ask, ‘are there any projects you are interested in?’ I keep a mental rolodex, if something pops up, you can put them together and people appreciate that.”

Keep Informed “I use Twitter a lot and not to tweet, but to read. So I follow all the news articles, the big thinkers of our day, the big commentators.”

Keep Up Those Profiles “I have a linked in profile, I have a twitter profile. So, I think Smith has prepared me for that aspect of networking. Then again, I was a very plugged in Smithie, other people who may not have been as plugged in may have had a harder time.”

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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10

Feb

Conflict and Crisis

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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Learning to Act “A lot of my leadership roles at Smith showed me what to do when there is conflict – how to resolve it and how to move past it. Especially at a women’s college, or maybe women in general, we tend to fester, seethe, simmer and then pop like six months later, and it becomes a whole brouhaha. Smith taught me how to act, and not to say that every Smithie comes out knowing how to act, but for me, I learned how to solve a crisis. Stay calm and just solve the problem as best as you can. It prepares you in a lot of ways for the zaniness of our world today.”

Go for It “A crane collapsed in the city between 51st and 52nd. We were coming back from a beeper shoot in Brooklyn. I was first on the scene, went up to police tape, and I grabbed a guy and I held him and said, ‘can you talk for the interview?’ and he said, ‘yeah, yeah’ while he was crying and shaking. You see someone that is that terrified and of course, you are scared too! I had to compose myself and ask him questions. After the interview he said, ‘I heard there are dead bodies all over the next block’ and I am thinking, ‘Oh, shit. I am a news assistant – I get paid $15 an hour! I’m not paid for this!’ (laughing). What are you going to do? What are you going to do?. So I said, ‘Let’s go.’ Of course. The knot that was in my stomach that day! I was about to faint, puke and run at the same time. Thankfully, he was wrong.”

What are you going to do? What are you going to do? So I said, “Let’s go.” Of course.

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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09

Feb

A Father’s Daughter

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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Manifest Success “My dad is my biggest fan, always in my corner, always trying to encouraging me to be better, both in my actions and how I think about things. He always says, ‘The one thing is life you can control is how you think about things.’ (whispered) I hate to say it, but it’s true! My dad is really into the spiritual, philosophical side of self-development – by virtue of your thoughts you can manifest success. He lives that dream – growing up one of nine in Nigeria, a war-torn country, coming to America, getting his PhD from Columbia, he truly believes that he manifests his own success mentally. But sometimes you want to scream; you want to have a pity party, and it’s not an option.”

I’ll say “Oh God, it’s such a crappy day.”

He’ll say, “Nkechi, control that thought.”

I think, “again!?”

Pursuing the Win-win “I learned how to be persuasive from my dad; my dad could sell you a broken watch. He’s all about the win-win philosophy – make it so that they win and you win. Whenever I hit a roadblock politically at Smith, I would try to rejigger it to make it a win, win.”

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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08

Feb

Mentors

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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As we’ll see over and over, successful people build support networks. Nkechi has an impressive network of people that support and respect her. In turn, she seems to absorb their best qualities. “I think the one thing I really took from my mentors was their joy in their work.”

Someone to Admire “There were certain people at CNN who I knew were just brilliant, especially people in the political unit, who I really admired. John King – a national correspondent – he is again insanely intelligent when it comes to matters of politics. And I always have a soft spot because I got him lost once; he was going to DC to anchor Larry King and I almost put him on the Uptown 1 instead of the Downtown 1. I sent him an email apologizing profusely and he just said, ‘No problem. It was a pleasure meeting you and good luck.’ I was thought, ‘That is a nice man,’ because other people would have eviscerated me. I was completely mortified.

Someone to Watch “Professionally, I would say I have two mentors – one is my first manager, Mark Norman, who I love and absolutely adore. He was one of my idols at CNN. He is insanely bright and understands how things work. I liked to watch him work; it’s just that simple. His wife, Annie, is how I got my job at CNN Special Projects. She’s another wonderful person, absolutely wonderful, she taught me a lot. Very warm people.”

Someone for Support “Another mentor was the executive producer of CNN Special Projects, Kim Bui. She is just the best boss I have ever had.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,

wonderful woman to work for…

I love her to bits.

She is truly someone who wants everyone to succeed for herself and believes that everyone should have the opportunity to try, and to grow, and to learn. I was a PA and I wanted to produce, she gave me that opportunity. Despite all the craziness in her life, she has been there for me and I will never forget it. As long as I live.”

Someone for Advice “Dean Mahoney, Maureen M. Mahoney, was my idol. We used to have meetings once a month; we used to sit and talk. She really supported me. She helped me navigate politics in my various positions. She was someone I could go to for advice, especially towards the end of junior year, she was someone I relied on.”

Someone for Second Opinion “Hannah Durant. We got along well together and she taught me how to correct myself. Whenever I was full of vim and vigor, she would always find a way of diplomatically rephrasing whatever was going to come out of my mouth. I learned from her not to necessarily speak first and not necessarily to speak loudest. It’s sometimes better to wait, to both form an opinion and to voice it. Sometimes it’s more powerful than being on a soapbox all the time.”

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Nkechi Nneji

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07

Feb

African American in the Corporate World

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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Born to an African African-American family, with a Nigerian father and an African American mother, Nkechi has a fairly unusual background especially considering her predominately white hometown. Her African-American, Yale-educated grandparents taught her to “work hard and do good,” while her father’s PhD functions as a testament to symbol of hard work. Yet, Nkechi’s experience of working in corporate America shows just how much misunderstanding and still exists.

Acknowledging Racial Difficulty “I think my position is a little bit unique because I am African American, but I grew up in a very, very, very, white town. Out of a town of 21,000 there were about two Black families. I say I had delay racial trauma because my Nigerian side doesn’t recognize racism – it doesn’t exist in Nigeria, everyone is black – and then my African American side stressed turning that blackness into exceptionalism. I first acknowledged racial difficulty at Smith.”

Angry Black Woman “I have a strong personality and it’s easy to be typecast as an angry black woman, but for the most part I wasn’t angry, I was strong and had to be aware that sometimes that strikes as naturally intimidating to certain people, even if they didn’t realize why. I think I do a pretty good job at not being labeled angry, but I was aware that sometimes my strong personality could have been a little intimidating to people.”

Hair “CNN is not a buttoned-up corporate environment, so I was able to have ethnic hair and still be treated with respect. If I were working corporate banking, I’d have to straighten my hair. First Lady Michelle Obama could not have my hair. Her hair grows like mine, but she could not wear it like that, ever. What she did by letting Sasha and Malia, on occasion, wear their hair naturally did wonders. She was saying, ‘My daughters’ hair is natural and that’s okay.’ It made huge inroads in the black community. Everybody noticed it, because it was are making a statement. Huge, huge.”

Image, Race and Perception “I can tell you one thing about dressing – I am hyper aware that if you and I wear the same outfit and go to the store – say Louis Vuitton – we’d have two different receptions. Black people have to work harder to prove that they do belong and ‘yes, I can afford this and no, you don’t have to follow me around the store.’ My cousin and I went to Louis Vuitton last weekend and we were followed all over the store. I was wearing sneakers, jeans, a big coat and my scarf – I looked like a tourist. I had three different people say, ‘may I help you?’ I’m very aware of the earrings I wear, the shoes I wear, the length of my skirt, how low-cut my blouse is, my make up choices – all those things really make an impression.”

12 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

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06

Feb

Power and Politics

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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How many professionals in their mid-twenties know the effect that power has on them?

Love of Power “For me, I’m someone that has always been attracted to power, always, which is why I love politics, but I don’t think I should ever run. I’d be in the back room wielding… minions. I know it’s a double-edged sword for me. The good thing is that I am aware of it, because everyone tells me I should get into politics, but until I have someone who can anchor me in sanity, and good-naturedness, and a spirit of service… (laughing) I know, it cannot be good.”

Power and Personality “Junior year at Smith College, I was running a lot of different things. From my vantage point, I saw how easy it was for me to get what I wanted. Whether it was to say something publicly, get my alliances behind the scenes and, just through sheer force of personality, get people to change their vote. That scared me.”

Walking Away “People were trying to get me to run for SGA president my senior year. I cannot tell you how horribly flattered I was when certain deans were saying, ‘I want you to run’ – horribly flattered. I knew it would be a bad road and I just said, ‘no thank you.’ I knew I wouldn’t have a life and be this woman sitting at an office somewhere snarling at people.”

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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05

Feb

Nkechi’s Success

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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Each successful woman has a set of skills, talents or characteristics that help her achieve at high levels. I love that Nkechi does not forget to mention hard work and mastery.

Confidence “Smith definitely imbued me with a lot of confidence. When I graduated from high school, I was confident about my ability to act and speak properly, and write a good sentence. By the time I graduated from college, I was confident in myself just as I was. In the professional world of females, you see how people try to leverage meekness and quietness, and they just get passed over, pushed back. I can say that Smith taught me to stand firm and stand up, speak up and not be afraid.”

Work Ethic “At Smith, I would do my homework in the morning; I woke up at about 4. One, I’m a morning person, so I’m much more clear-headed in the morning. But really, when I say my room was a hub of social activity, my room was the hub of social activity – we used to have fun. In order to study, I had to do it in the morning; I used to do most of my paper writing and reading in the morning. Even today, I can go to bed at 3 am and still wake up at 7.”

Successful early risers…

Mastering your Passion “I think I, like everyone else, have strengths and weaknesses; my hope is to master something that I’m passionate about. I think for me that will be the most important thing. Not to be seen as smart, that will come naturally if I master what I’m passionate about. I think the one thing I really took from my mentors was their joy in their work.”

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Nkechi Nneji

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04

Feb

Leaving and Losing an Identity

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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Every interviewee has talked about the hardships of their specific job, painting a real picture of working-life. As Nkechi spoke, I was reminded that maintaining happiness at a job is much like sustaining a relationship – it needs tender loving care and sometimes a few white lies.  The unexpected situations are most difficult to navigate.

Hiding Discontent “There are times when I was so happy at CNN, I was on cloud nine; if you said anything about CNN I would have punched you in the face. I was just so into it. But then there are other times when things were just not as great. My last job at CNN, I just didn’t like at all, and I think that showed. That was my mistake that I let the discontent show. That’s a lesson that I’ve learned for the future.”

Leaving on Your Own Terms “You want to leave on your terms, not on theirs. So, if you are unhappy in your work place – I mean, there is unhappy and there’s unhappy. If there is something that can be fixed, talk to your manager and see if you can fix it. If it is just general discontent, my advice would be to hide it. Actively seek to get out. You know, honestly, I suffer from… I guess, pride. I never, ever thought that they would let me go. It was a complete and total shock. And it was a shock to all my previous managers.”

Listening to Advice “If someone had told me to hide my discontent, I can honestly say, I’m not sure I would have listened. I’m sometimes someone who has to learn the hard way. If someone had said that to me, especially if it was a family member or a friend, it probably would have gone in one ear and out the other. It’s a tricky thing to think that you are in a place of comfort.”

Losing an Identity “For me, part of the difficulty is that CNN has been my entire professional identity and it was such a glamorous identity. Everywhere I went, people were like, ‘oh, you are the CNN girl’ or look at my business card and say, ‘oh my god, you work at CNN.’ There is just such an immediate recognition of power, prestige and interest and losing that is like losing an identity. I had nothing to say to people – that automatic interesting factor was no longer there. It’s one thing to leave CNN to go to no-name company, but leaving CNN to go to nothing. I started saying things like, ‘oh I’m writing’ or ‘I’m taking time off.’”

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Nkechi Nneji

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03

Feb

Learning on the Job

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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Creative Thinking “I remember when Hillary Clinton’s campaign operations were taken hostage. Remember that crazy guy? It was Friday at almost two o’clock and I was getting ready to leave. Eden Pontz (Executive Producer CNN NY Bureau) punched it up, ‘We have a report that someone has taken Hillary Clinton’s operation hostage.’ I sat back down and started frantically making calls. The adrenaline gets going. Wired, just this alive feeling. I was trying to find an eyewitness because the police had closed down all the streets. Basically I used Google Maps to locate a pizzeria on the street, and then I called and asked the owner to go out and tell us what he could see. You get very creative, thinking ‘how can I get someone on the phone?’”

Adapt, Shift, Move Quickly “Media has taught me is that you have to be very quick on your feet. There are people who will never get anywhere just because they are slow. You have to be able to adapt, shift, move quickly. ‘This doesn’t work? Scrap it! Let’s try something else,’ because you don’t have time to waste.”

Thinking Linearly “As a producer, I’ve learned to think linearly. Some people think in spots and fits – they see parts, but they don’t see how to get there. I’m extremely good at seeing a process from beginning to end. Being a television producer is kind of like being a cook – you are trying to make soup; you need to make sure all the ingredients are in, and in the right order. You can’t put the meat in last, because it will just come out raw. So it has enabled me to think things through, especially event planning.”

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Nkechi Nneji

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02

Feb

Loving the Job

Nkechi Nneji ‘07

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There are a few things that make Nkechi’s job perfect for her – the early mornings, spurts of high-energy work, focus on politics, and opportunities to charm high-profile guests. This is not exactly every person’s idea of fun, but it fit Nkechi perfectly!

Breaking News “I was at CNN during the 2008 election, and I just loved every single minute. A lot of times I had the early shift, which is 6 am to 2 pm. I loved it, you know? Watching the news unfold. Every day was different, some days it would be a slow day, nothing going on, other days it would be breaking news. I was sent to stake out Obama, attend some press conferences and write wires, all kinds of things.”

Cool Guests “My second week at CNN, Larry King was in New York, so I got to meet a lot of famous people – Suze Orman, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar… Benjamin Netanyahu. Whoopi Goldberg is one of the coolest people I have ever met. She brought Sheri Shepherd, who was new to The View at that time, no one really knew who she was. As I escorted them back downstairs, Sheri Shepard says, ‘lets take a picture’ and I said, ‘I’m sorry. As a CNN staffer, I’m not allowed to ask for pictures.’ She said, ‘but you are not asking, I’m asking.’ So we had someone in the lobby take a picture of me, Whoopi and Sheri.”

12 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

Nkechi Nneji

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