Joseph Wahl, BA '80
Job Title: Principle, Wahl and Associates LLC
Major: Asian Studies

Part of the Daily Emerald "Alumni Take Flight" Series
 

Joseph Wahl received a double degree from the University of Oregon in Asian studies and history. He returned to earn his teaching degree two years later. After teaching at Beaverton High School, Joseph had the opportunity to work in executive recruiting. Since then, he has led a successful career in many different positions from working for former Portland Mayor Vera Katz to his present position as principal, Wahl and Associates, LLC.

What are the most important skills that have helped you in your career?

I think one of them is adaptability. When I was attending U of O, I was a bartender, and at times I was even a wrestling coach at Roosevelt High School, so I think resilience and adaptability are skill sets that really helped me move and be flexible between those jobs. The skill set that most employers are looking for is the ability to learn, adapt and communicate well.

What are your thoughts on networking?

I think it’s invaluable. Most of my experience has taken place in Portland, which is a small city as far as cities go, but I even see in the Portland area how important networking is. People will try to apply for jobs and will go onto Indeed.com, and I will tell them that that’s not the way to get a job. You want to find someone in an organization that you could meet for coffee, find out what the environment is like at their company and see if they could introduce you to someone.

How should a recent grad begin networking?

I think if you’re in a city that you don’t have any connections in, you should look at the UO Alumni Association. See if there’s a chapter of the Alumni Association nearby that could help you. That’s a great way to get started. The other option would be for graduates going somewhere in Oregon to contact one of your professors, because at least one of them will have connections. They might be willing to introduce you, but even that hinges on your relationship with them and your networking skills.

What are some of the do’s and don’ts of networking?

If you’re contacting someone to interview or network, you want to have a specific purpose in mind. At the same time, they might not have a job open, so it’s always about finding someone from an industry that you’re going into so the relationships are related. The best approach is to go into an informational interview with a reporter’s mindset: find out about them, and ask how they went about finding their own way in their career field. As far as what you should avoid, don’t be aggressive about getting a job. When you’re contacting a busy professional, be respectful of their time. If they have a position within their company and they say they’ll get you in touch with someone, give them some time. Don’t hammer, but do follow up to make sure you’re in their view. It used to be that you’d want to send a handwritten note, but an email is fine now. Send that soon after a meeting, and if you haven’t heard from them, give them about a week and then feel free to follow up again.

Written by Cadaxa Chapman Ball, Daily Emerald Reporter