Alumni Interview Reflection

The ENR Scholars Alumni I chose to interview is Jake Shaw. Jake is from LaGrange Ohio, which is a small town near Cleveland. At OSU, he got his Bachelor’s in Molecular Genetics with a minor in Evolution and Ecology. Since graduation, he has worked for two biotech companies. The first he worked at was called bioWorld out of Dublin, Ohio. He worked as a research associate in the glycobiology division of the company. From there, he moved to a company called Discovery Life Sciences, which provides FFPE services to researchers. He is currently a project associate there, where he helps manage their projects and fulfill the requested services.

The interview that I had with Jake was extremely rich with valuable information and strategies for me to utilize in my time here at OSU. To start, I learned quite a bit about the benefits that come with not only ENR, but involvement with many of the other clubs. This year with COVID may have severely cut down on ENR’s involvement opportunities, but that does not mean that there won’t be any in the coming semesters. The events that I have been able to attend this semester have been phenomenal, and what I have learned from Jake gives them further promise of memories for a lifetime. Drawing from the interview, these ENR events not only provide for great interaction with people of similar interests but can be the place for lifelong friends to meet. The environmental interaction the students receive via ENR can be eye opening as well, helping with the student’s professional career as well as resumes. Jake also encouraged me to join other clubs and programs, one of which was known as STEP, a program that assisted with requesting for grants as well as financial assistance in college.

Another topic that Jake elaborated on was tips for being in college. One of the things that he praised was the decision to take a minor. Sometimes, the courses in the major become hard and stressful, and it is good to have another class that I can go to help take away from the core classes. One of the biggest tips he gave was to be sure to give myself breaks. He said to go for a walk, grab some food, and come back once my mind was relaxed and refreshed, because that would help me tons to stay focused and reduce stress.

In terms of the professional world, his first tip was to keep my search for a job broad. It can sometimes be difficult to find a position if the criteria are too specific. Essentially, don’t spend too much time looking for the, “perfect job.” He said to utilize the time to gain skills through other jobs until I find the one for me. If I can’t find the job that takes into all my interests, Jake suggested using my hobbies to help fill in the gaps. For interviews, the biggest point made is to keep confidence, and prepare as much as possible. Prepare questions for the job and prepare answers for questions they may ask about me. A suggestion that I found rather interesting was to have one thing prepared to break the tension for myself. The way Jake explained it can only be restated with itself: “I had planned on wearing dinosaur dress socks to my interview, but a very smart friend talked me out of it. Still whenever I was stressed before or during the interview, I thought of the idea of me wearing those socks to a professional interview and it was enough for me to relax and come across as a confident job candidate rather than stressed and scared.” The last piece of advice Jake gave was to keep my workspace clean- it’s an unsaid rule which pays of greatly in the end.

So, in all, there’s a lot for me to pull from this interview. In terms of my time at Ohio State, I will most definitely look into joining various clubs for not only my enjoyment, but for the knowledge and opportunities they have to offer. STEP sounds like a great program, so I may look into that more as the year goes on. I will also plan to utilize the break strategies that Jake suggested, whether it be a walk, or looking at a different class. I also look forward to more opportunities through ENR- I already love the program, and just cannot wait to meet more people and get closer to those in the program. I will also take a lot from Jake’s suggestions in the professional world. I will now make a broader search for a job just to gain the valuable experience that comes with it, as well as integrate a lot of my interests through hobbies. I plan to use the interview strategies as well, as I really liked the tension breaker strategy, and the preparation tips. I believe that the clean workspace is a tip that we all can draw from, because we are all guilty of being a bit messy at times. But in all, this interview with Mr. Shaw was ever so valuable to me, as I have gained tons of knowledge on how to utilize my time here at OSU. All I can say is I am extremely excited for the future and Go Bucks!