Hello West Michigan’s Post

You ever had one of those moments where you're surprised you actually had a smart thought? 😅 We just launched our Chegg Summer Internship Program this week, and I was chatting with one of our interns about how I started my career in public education and nonprofits. They asked whether I felt like I was able to make an impact grinding it out in those early years. I said I did - but I also said that I don't believe the desire to make an impact is enough to sustain you in that kind of work. When we talk about burnout in mission-driven organizations, particularly in social justice, there is often this sense of "we're here for the mission". It's undoubtedly true, the folks drawn to this work care deeply about making the communities we live in better and more fair. But when it becomes the only thing that's true, the only reason you're working there, the core identity that keeps you there, it's not going to sustain you. The reality is that we'll never be able to make the full impact we want - no matter how successful our work is. That's because the challenges that face us are so much bigger than any one of us can handle. This isn't the same as being cynical or giving up - it's about recognizing justice work is a relay race, not a marathon, and we all have to pass the baton forward. When I look back on my pre-corporate years, I don't see that time as having been lost (even if I did come out of it missing a few doctors visits and retirement contributions). Nah - I learned so much in those years about myself, my instincts, how to build systems oriented around equity, all things I value now. So my advice for young professionals looking into impact work - yes, do it for the mission, but also do it for yourself. Think about what you want to learn, what you can learn from these places, and why that matters to yourself in the long-run. You deserve to grow, not just to serve, and when we value our growth, we can build healthier relationships to our work. Lowkey I'm very surprised I had all this in the back of my mind 😅

Those smiles can only mean one thing... it's Draft Day! Today I got to join our NGSA Summer Interns in Round Rock, TX as they learned who's team they would be joining for the remainder of the summer. The excitement, community, and eagerness to get started was undeniable--I can't wait to see the incredible things you accomplish alongside each other. For those of you completing summer internships, here are four tips I'd like to share with you: 1. Lean into your experience. Raise your hand in the classroom, ask the 'silly' question, and volunteer for the project. Maximize every day and you'll walk away knowing that you got the most out of your summer internship. 2. Build a network. There are many tenured and passionate industry professionals who have waited months to invest in you--seek out their mentorship and form connections. 3. Look at failure as another piece of the puzzle. As uncomfortable as it may seem, trust that every obstacle and setback leads you one step closer to success. 4. Explore the city you're in! Whether you're close to home or visiting somewhere new for the first time, be intentional in immersing yourself. I'm immensely grateful to play a small role in your journeys to Dell and now it's time to cheer you on from the sidelines! #Iwork4dell

A question to unlock your future: What am I not achieving simply because I haven't asked? #30days30contents When Steve Jobs was 12 years old, he cold-called Hewlett-Packard co-founder Bill Hewlett and asked for spare computer parts. It led to a summer internship and further stoked a curiosity that never went away. The story offers an important reminder: Closed mouths don’t get fed. There is something in your life that you deserve but haven't achieved, simply because you haven't asked for it yet. If you want something—and you’ve done the work to earn it—go ask for it. Worst case—you’re told no. Best case—it’s yours. Most of the people you admire are willing to help. They received help on their journey and want to pay it forward. But you have to do the work to earn that help. The old adage to sit back and wait for good things to happen is terrible advice. A little push goes a long way.

*INTERN VIDEO CHALLENGE – Video 1* Like many of you, we have interns working with us at Roberts & Ryan this summer.  It’s important to us that it’s a mutually beneficial relationship – we get some work out of them and they learn in the process! ✅ We do our best to give them as much exposure to different parts of the business as possible.  They work with our fixed income and equity teams, help with our corporate access efforts, and spend time on the NYSE trading floor. ✅ We thought it would be fun to have them break into teams and make videos about the firm.  The idea being that it will be a catalyst for them to take a deeper look at the firm as a whole.  We have a couple of groups coming through, so I’m going to put the videos out as I get them. ✅ This first video was done by Quamique Marcial (“Q”) and Louis Davis, 2 college students that came to us from the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, and Conrad Luce. It was interesting to me – and made me happy – to see their take on Roberts & Ryan. This video was done entirely by the interns, and this first group was a little pressed for time.  Can’t wait to see what the other teams put together! I would love to hear your thoughts! #interns #internship #summerintern #internchallenge #futureleaders #veteranownedfirm #capitalmarkets #financialliteracy

By effectively utilizing summer interns' skills and enthusiasm, you can achieve your campaign goals more effectively:

Thank you to all of the employers and government organizations hosting summer interns, program participants, and mentees. We know that you are serving as a mentor, role model, nurturer, parental figure in some cases, career counselor, and most importantly, a listener. As you support our youth and young adults this summer, know that they may reach out to you for support throughout the year. In some instances, you may be their only support within reach. Whether you believe it or not, what you represent and who you are (even when you are still developing) is more of a witness to greatness than you think. Know that you are a model of success, a model of courage, and a model of encouragement to those learning in the summer employment programming spaces. Keep walking with your head high and be unapologetically committed to supporting each of them. They deserve our best and to know when even we have to reset. Allow them to see the real side of work, how culture strengthens relationships, and how leaders grow when they support every part of the organization. Let them see you.

Hi friends, if you've ever felt a bit awkward knowing exactly what to say, or not say, or how to say something, I wanted to share a new product I think may help you. My friend Gorick Ng just launched a flashcard deck literally called How to Say It to help you figure out how to say what you want to say! I've already gotten a copy of the deck and it is way too good to keep to myself so I am hoping you will help me spread the word. There are so many uses cases for this -- ...if you're an employer welcoming interns this summer, gift this to them!! (win win for YOU and your interns) ...an intern who wants to leave a big mark this summer ...a student preparing for interviews this summer ...honestly, any working professional looking to better manage their careers or organization that works with students or in talent management The product blew past its Kickstarter goal in just a few hours so every order now will be for a pre-order! Feel free to grab one for you, a friend, or tag anyone you think should see this. By the way, Gorick is also a first-gen professional, has a fantastic book that every FGP should read ("The Unspoken Rules"), a first-class speaker, a new dad to a beautiful new addition to his family, and simply put: an all-around good person. I cannot recommend him highly-enough if you are still considering speakers for this summer / fall. Find the link to the kickstarter in the comments!

And our one millionth member is... 🥁🥁🥁 Abel Ighavbota 🎉 We are absolutely thrilled to welcome you! Abel is a second year student at the University of Kent and recently joined our network as our 1,000,000th member. Abel visited Bright Network HQ last week to meet the team and have lunch with our CEO & Founder James Uffindell, where they discussed his career aspirations and what motivated him to join the Bright Network platform. Here’s what they chatted about: ⭐ With his second year of university bringing pressures around securing internships, a friend recommended he sign up to the Bright Network platform ⭐ How the platform acts as a family member, recommending roles he might be interested in, reminding him to submit applications on time and offering tips and advice on his career ⭐ Common ground around entrepreneurialism and how he’s interested in the world of business, with inspiration from his Dad, who ran his own, driving him to study Business Analytics at university Every new member on the Bright Network platform represents a new career journey and a new individual story that we can impact through our mission to connect the next generation with the opportunities, insights and advice to succeed. From our conversation with Abel, we’re certain he will be yet another inspiring success story. Thank you to Abel and all our bright, talented members for being part of this journey. #OneMillionMembers #CareerJourneys #IndividualStories #ImpactedLives #EarlyCareers