Follow your passion or find a job that you are skilled at? This is one of the fundamental questions discussed in a Senior English Elective titled “How to Write and Speak for a Successful Career.”
Meredith Josef, P'25, a former communications director at Landon and current Grade 9 and 12 English teacher, created the course five years ago. She designed the class in response to her own childhood – her father, a physician, taught her to do well in school, work hard, and success would come. The reality, she realized during her own 30-year career, is that the journey is more complex.
“There are ‘unspoken rules’ in the workplace and in the job hunt that you learn by making mistakes or by being mentored or sponsored thoughtfully,” she said. “My goal with this class is to ensure students are exposed to these ‘rules’ and reassure them that they do not have to have a career pathway set in stone now. I also want them to learn essential skills such as resume building and cover letter writing and begin to activate the robust Landon network.”
The curriculum includes written assignments such as the resume and cover letter, as well as oral assessments such as an elevator pitch, a 60-second persuasive response to “Tell me about yourself…” Students also learn the difference between coaches, mentors, and sponsors, conduct an informational interview, and create LinkedIn accounts. But students say they enjoy the speakers the most.
“Connecting with these alumni and parents has made me think more seriously about my own future,” said Jermaine Drakes ’25. “It’s reassuring to see that people with different backgrounds and experiences have found success. It’s also helpful because many of these professionals are open to mentoring or offering advice, which makes it feel like the Landon community is really invested in each of us finding our path.”
Josef agrees. “Because I started teaching this class during COVID, I realized there was a unique window of opportunity to bring in people from all over the country, including CEOs and CFOs of major companies, to speak to the boys via Zoom,” she says. “Every speaker has enthusiastically shared their own career journey and taken thoughtful questions from the students. That generosity of time and wisdom has continued in person in the last few years, especially from our alumni and parents.”
Frequent alumni speakers have included Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court Scott Harris ’86, The Haney Company CEO and Co-Founder Brian Haney ’99, Gilded Knight Consulting Founder and CEO Burnell Holland ’01, and Windfall CEO and Co-Founder Arup Banerjee ’03.
“This was my third year speaking to Ms. Josef’s class. Each class has its own energy and personality, and the best part is standing in front of a room full of seniors who are entering their final trimester at Landon,” Holland said. “It’s important that the boys know there is an entire network of alumni—many of whom they may not yet know—who are rooting for them to succeed and are willing to help them along their respective journeys. Communicating that part is what truly brings me joy.”
“What I enjoy the most about speaking to this class is putting myself back in their shoes. It frightens me to think that it was more than 40 years ago that I was sitting in that same classroom thinking about what I might do after leaving Landon,” said Harris. “I can still remember it clearly, and even though the boys undoubtedly think that I'm very old, it doesn't seem so long ago to me. It's an opportunity to reflect on all of the good things that have happened in my life and the choices that I've made along the way.”
Parent speakers have included Nestle Chief Communications Officer Lisa Gibby, P '22, Starbucks Executive Vice President Steve Jones, P '19 '24, Venture/Angel Investor Rich Leggett, P '23 '26, and NBC Sports Senior Vice President Damon Phillips, P '23 '26.
“I love this class as it starts to prepare the boys for life in the real world, teaching them important skills that they will use no matter what path they choose,” said Leggett. “I love seeing their curiosity in action, hearing their questions and being part of the sharing of ideas that help inform them in the early stages of their journey, as they consider a wide range of potential career paths.”
Speakers from Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Hilton Hotels, and JP Morgan Chase have also spent time with the boys. Other speakers come from the non-profit or government world or key career fields like human resources. The guests are chosen, Josef adds, based on a survey students fill out on the first day of class that identifies career pathways they are most interested in.
In response to students asking more frequently about the job market for young professionals, alumni such as U.S. House of Representatives Floor Assistant Justin Shockey ’17, JLL Brokerage Associate Simms Henschel ’19, and Lockheed Martin Systems Engineer Matt Kopp ’19, have shared advice on how to launch a career right after college.
“Career-focused classes are vital as they provide students with practical insights and help them align their academic choices with potential career paths,” said Henschel. “I was motivated to contribute because I believe in the value of sharing real-world experiences, potentially opening doors and perspectives that they might not otherwise encounter at this stage in their lives.”
Resumes can be submitted on college applications and are required now for some entry-level positions, Josef said, so a few of the skills and strategies the students learn can be activated immediately. And over the years, more discussion has centered on the role of artificial intelligence, the value of networking events, and the importance of a personal brand.
The course aligns with Landon’s Portrait of a Graduate, which sets as a goal that students communicate clearly “with an awareness of the tools they will need to engage effectively in a world where the ability to communicate is essential…to professional well-being.”
“The irony of my father’s lesson is that I should have asked him more questions about his career. Over the years, I have met doctors and other medical professionals he mentored and how grateful they were for his counsel or advocacy,” Josef said. “My father followed his passion and did something he was skilled at, so I think it’s definitely not an either/or scenario, and I love that the students are thinking about this now before they enter into the workforce fully.”