Q & A

WHO?

WHAT?

WHY?

WHERE?

WHEN?

HOW?

COSTS?

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q. What is the genesis of Huckleberry Finn Tomorrow?

A. Huck was founded by William (Bill) J. P. Smith, Jr. 12 years ago as an integrated corporate and marketing communications agency. The mentoring portion has been part of the company throughout these years, but informally and not as structured as it is today, all pro bono.

Q. Why the name, Huckleberry Finn Tomorrow?

A. In 1967, the name first popped up as a company that wanted to market latex tattoos for ladies in high end stores like Bergdorfs, Saks and Bonwit Teller in New York City. It was an idea before its time, but the name stuck, as there is a Tomorrow for everyone. Huck Finn is one of Bill's favorite literary characters.

Q. Why do you think this mentoring process is right for today?

A. Primary and secondary research says it is. Distance learning is acceptable. Business mentoring via the Internet is taking hold. Why not a first in college mentoring, brought to you by professional veterans, who not only work every day in the industry, but double as teachers? Who understands the process better? And finally, the most important factor is that many college and university students have no clue about the employment process. Additionally, there’s a disconnect factor from school to the trenches. The graduates have no lifeline, and many get lost. Huckleberry Finn Tomorrow continues to provide a connection until the client lands a job without interrupting the momentum of the client's college experience. Real-life insights and advice round out the mentoring experience.

Q. You say it’s an on-going mentoring process. Forever?

A. No, not forever, because the need for a mentor in one's job seach/career planning will go away. Once the client goes through the process and is on her/his feet, we will keep in touch virtually. The whole idea is to create a comfort level. When that’s achieved, we doubt whether a client will return. If they do, they’re welcome. (See Sucess Stories.)

Q. Aren’t you competing with college and university counselors?

A. Absolutely not. This service is an extension into the industry that many counselors are not familiar with, nor even want to touch. Here you can see a disconnect. The student has a comfort level with the school’s counselors. All of a sudden, a connection with school counselors goes away, and the student is on his/her own. For some, this amounts to shock, or at least anxiety. Huck Finn provides a gentler transition into the real world through mentor-like guidance, as well as from a real-life, professional perspective.

Q. How did you arrive at the $250 mentoring fee?

A. The $250 fee is based on positive feedback from primary research with the target audience. Students and graduates felt that there was value-added in the $250, based on the real-world counsel provided to them.

Q. Why don't you offer a recruitment or resume-writing service?

A. We felt that there were already many excellent recruitment agencies that are very focused and professional. They have the pulse of the industry in terms of personal assets. We talked to some of the giants, and described our mentoring process. They loved it based on the material that comes across their desks, and the people looking for jobs. They see a need. We will add links to our web site, pointing our clients to these important resources. Ditto for resume writing services. We want our clients to write their own. This is a very personal tactic in the process of finding a job, along with that all-important first impression, the cover letter. We will review both and comment. There’ll be a rewrite by the client, and then another review.

Q. Talk about a strategic plan and people!

A. Most graduates, as most people in the business, do not have a compass or strategic plan for themselves. For example, they may create plans in their respective industries for a product launch. We thought if we took the same disciplines that we practice in our profession early on with young people, they will be disciplined enough after to continually update their own direction in their professional vocation.