When I needed someone to talk to about career transitions, I immediately thought of Brooke Linn (EDU’04).

We met in 2018, when Linn was teaching Management 295 at Krannert School of Management. At the time, I was up to my neck compiling a list of objects to celebrate Purdue’s sesquicentennial, so I jumped at the opportunity to get out of my spreadsheets for a few hours and volunteer as part of the class’s mock interviews.

What really impressed me was how many of the students surpassed seasoned professionals I had interviewed during my time at a healthcare company in Metro Detroit. Candidates who had been prescreened by HR, and whose résumés survived a room full of hyper-critical marketing writers.

Knowing that Linn had spent nearly a decade working with university students in a variety of roles — advisor, instructor, coordinator — and having recently changed jobs herself, I knew that she would have incredible insight on thoughtfully navigating career transitions.

When you boil it down, Linn’s approach is all about being present and conscientious. 

“I used to get on my soapbox and tell students to take advantage of those daily opportunities,” Linn shares. “Even if it’s just connecting with someone at Starbucks. We have all these recruiters on campus, you might find yourself in line behind someone who has a shirt on from an employer that you’re interested in. Don’t just look down at your phone, take advantage of those opportunities.”

For all the time people invest in personal websites or LinkedIn profiles, Linn underscores face-to-face interaction as the most important tool in cultivating your image.

“You can be a 4.0 student and have a fabulous transcript and not be able to get a job because your social skills aren’t developed. No matter where you are, those soft skills are so important to career development.”

Your Reputation Will Follow You

For Linn, this lesson can be synthesized in a simple tagline that she lives by: “Never underestimate the power of being likeable.”

During our conversation, we talked about how this applies for everyone, regardless of whether you are in a corporate setting or in a highly-specialized field like human medicine.

“In fields like veterinary or human medicine, if you get a bad reputation from a rotation, you’re going to find that securing a residency will be very difficult. Your reputation will follow you.”

After our conversation, I had to pause and take stock of research I had done for another article, Revisiting the Confidence Gap: Is leaning in enough?

In a follow-up email to Linn, I asked her what she thought of the double standards women may face when it comes to being likeable.

“I think this relates to the stereotype of women being more caring and nurturing than men,” shares Linn. “Which, quite honestly, is a historical recount of the woman’s role in the home, bringing up the children and taking care of the house while the men did the ‘real work.’

“But the part of the article that stood out the most to me was: ‘Underqualified and underprepared men don’t think twice about leaning in. Overqualified and overprepared, too many women still hold back’,” Linn says. “I saw it over and over when working with students. The word that comes to mind for me that I would often associate with women is timid. Once they were encouraged by someone else, women were much more likely to apply for something that they were initially unsure of due to their qualifications.”

Purdue Anchors

Today, Linn is still able to connect with students she formerly mentored, including one from the College of Pharmacy.

“I saw her at a wedding and she wanted someone to talk to as she was finishing up her residency and considering two different job opportunities,” Linn says. “She just needed someone to help her talk through the decision.”

The situation is undoubtedly familiar for many on Purdue’s campus who have helped advise, mentor, or teach students.

“What just popped into my head is a Purdue anchor — someone who draws you back no matter where you are,” Linn says. “Five, 10, or 15 years down the road, you might need a career change or maybe your company downsized and you need a job. Where do you turn? You’re going to go back to that anchor at Purdue — be it a professor, advisor, or former employer.

“It doesn’t matter how much time has passed, you can still go back,” says Linn. “At the wedding where I was able to speak with my former student, even though all this time had passed, it still felt like we were back in my office.”