Jack Klinck ’85, Managing Partner at Hyperplane Venture Capital
Major: Political Science
What was your most memorable experience at Middlebury? I still remember my constitutional law class with Professor Murray Dry. It was also very memorable being a freshman on the third floor in the Battell Hall, where I formed many friendships that I still cherish up to this day. These friendships probably originated from the shared memory of being on the third floor in Battell (laugh).
How did your Middlebury education impact your career path? My experience at Middlebury was pivotal for my career. It helped me build the foundation of being a critical thinker, good writer and good communicator. Those are the things people usually take for granted, but they are priceless in the long term. I think the real power of liberal arts education comes from the cultivation of critical thinking, critical reading and the ability to identify and ask the right questions. These soft skills are key to my success and I still use them in my job every day.
If you were to hire a college graduate to your team, what essential qualities would you look for? How can Middlebury students demonstrate these qualities in an interview? Rather than focus on a candidate’s major, I would pay attention to how they communicate with me, how they follow up, and their thoughtfulness on different questions.
If I see a candidate come from a liberal arts background, I would assume that they have a decent level of intellectual capacity. One way to demonstrate one’s intellectual capacity is by asking the right questions. I don’t think candidates should ask questions that have definitive answers or questions to which they can easily find answers. Examples of this type of questions include: how many employees work for you company? How many offices do you have? Asking these obvious questions only shows that the candidate did not do any homework before coming to the interview. Listening to what type of the questions a candidate is one of the quickest ways for me to determine their intellectual capacity.
What advice would you give to students to keep looking for jobs and exploring networking opportunities while having to stay at home? I talked to some people last week and the general theme was that they would put their career search on hold. I think the most important thing to do is not to stop your job search and be more persistent in reaching out to alumni through emails. Before having a conversation with an alum, students can send a list of questions in advance, so the alum would know how to best help the student. Students should also be direct about what they want to achieve through a conversation and not be shy to ask for help. Under most circumstances, the clearer students express their intention, the more help they can get from networking calls.
Although not a lot of companies are hiring right now, you want to be well-positioned to apply as soon as the world starts to snap back to normal. Staying at home can be a great time to do research on different organizations. On the other hand, a lot of industries are booming right now, e.g. food delivery, pharmaceuticals, teleconferencing. There is still a lot of work could be done.
This series is coordinated by Xiaoli Jin ’19. Look for more alumni profiles each week. You can connect with Xiaoli on LinkedIn.
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