CBS president urges Wharton women to take the road less travelled

When it comes to getting a job in the current economy, many students around the country are giving up on themselves and their dreams too quickly. CBS president Nancy Tellem said students should think twice before selling themselves out to the highest bidder.

Named by Forbes Magazine as one of America's Most Powerful Women, Tellem laid out her unconventional evolution from Berkeley alumna and attorney to showbiz icon as the keynote speaker for last night's Wharton Women Annual Dinner.

After a career fair with the likes of Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital and Deutsche Bank, attendees listened as Tellem discussed the nuances of choosing a career path. She advised students to seek out novel ways of fulfilling their calling. In this economy, "she who fully embraces change wins," she said.

For Tellem, going against the grain was the formula for success. Upon graduating, she quickly climbed the career ladder at a large law firm, but despite her successes, she said she still felt incomplete. Drawing upon her childhood passion for television, she sought a chance to enter the tightly knit entertainment industry.

Even though her salary decreased when she moved from law to entertainment, she said her payment came with the feeling of coming closer to her calling.

She told the audience they would know they were in the right spot when they could feel excited every time they sat down at their desks.

Our generation is lucky, said Tellem - because of the economic crisis, we have been "emancipated from the golden opportunity of playing it safe."

The changes in the economy are real, and nothing will ever go back to the way it was before, she said. If there's one thing we should learn about the current state of the economy, it is that the money will come and go, but the most important take-away from jobs will be the experience, Tellem said.

Tellem's passion was contagious - Wharton junior Teresa Baik, Wharton Women's vice president of Corporate Relations, spoke for everyone when she articulated her new-found inspiration to follow an unexpected path.

Students at the dinner seemed to appreciate the event.

"It was a great opportunity to ask questions you normally don't get to ask about companies, network without pressure of getting a job," said Wharton Women treasurer and Wharton sophomore Jillian Jourdain.

Barclays Capital's campus recruiter Joanna Heinberg agreed with Tellem's message. In the hiring process, aside from competence and demonstrations of leadership, she said she is most attentive to that spark of passion.

In other words, if you stay true to yourself, you will eventually find someone who will be willing to bet on you, too, Heinberg said.

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