Informational Interview

Informational Interview

Do you feel you made the right choice of major(s)?

“No, looking back on it, I don’t feel like I made the right choice with my major. Hindsight is 20/20 though, you know? A lot of people would say the same thing.”

If you could go back and do it again, would you choose the same major? Why or why not?

“Yeah, I would choose a different major. I enjoyed writing so I chose Journalism, but it was easier to get a degree in Advertising at the time, which I knew I would never utilize. If I could do it over again, I would have chosen a degree in merchandising or something in the clothing industry.”

What are some of the day-to-day responsibilities in your career?

“My day to day responsibilities include working with outside clients to determine what they need from Nationwide and then work with our internal partners to get it done. I would say I utilize relationship management, customer service skills, and project implementation skills. I also utilize coaching and mentoring skills to train newer employees to the position.”

What do you think is the most important skill for someone in your career?

“In my career, I would suggest having strong negotiation skills and the ability to clearly articulate the needs of your clients and the ability to find alternative solutions if you need to. You have to be quick on your feet.”

What advice would you give somebody who wants to get into this career field?

“I would suggest learning about the financial services industry and keeping up to date with what is going on with the current laws and changes to our industry.”

 

I found my interviewee through personal connections from family. Jennifer Reed is a family friend and has always been very helpful with any personal or professional inquiries I’ve had, making her a good choice for this interview. Also, I knew that she had worked her way up through the ranks of the business world. This interview confirmed my aspirations of pursuing a career in business. Although our majors or specific paths may not be the exact same, I like how she is able to work with people and use her skills for the benefit of the company. From this interview, more light was shed on the anxiety I’ve had with choosing a major. An undergraduate major does not determine your life path permanently, but is rather a starting point, as illuminated by this interview. I learned that hard work is the key to advancement, not some perfect predetermined path. I still need to learn more about specific majors such as Agribusiness or Business Management, and how to turn those degrees into a successful and happy life in the workforce, aside from sitting behind a desk all day. The tools that I utilized this semester that greatly helped my path towards a major was the “What Can I Do With a Major In…” resource and the Holland Code activity. These both allowed me to explore myself better and see where I could project myself into the workforce given my current interests and skills.

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]