MEET ALEX! Alex is pursuing her BBA in Finance with a minor in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. She will graduate in December 2021. She is currently working as a Finance, Accounting and Operations co-op/intern with Texas Instruments.
We asked Alex some questions, advice for current students, and how UNT helped her to succeed and SOAR BEYOND!
When you started at UNT, what were your plans after graduation? How have these plans changed (if at all)? After graduation, I wanted to work at a large company. I hoped to find employment before graduating by getting an internship at a good company in my junior year. My plans after graduation haven’t changed during my time at UNT.
What advice do you have for prospective or current students as they decide what they want their next steps to be (internships/careers/etc.)? Make sure to take advantage of all Career events at UNT. Even though my major is Finance, I still attended all the Logistics career fairs for my minor. The practice is invaluable, just try talking with recruiters, even if you aren’t initially interested in the company it’s a great experience to talk about yourself and learn what companies are looking for in applicants. For jobs you really want, do some research on the company, impress recruiters with better than surface lever knowledge about the company’s goals or products, recruiters can tell the difference between students looking for any job versus wanting a job at their specific company.
How did your program at UNT help you to feel prepared for this role? When I started at UNT I knew I wanted to major within the school of business, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do though. The preliminary business classes were really helpful in helping me discover my passion for Finance. Also, classes like MKTG 3100 and BUSI 1200 helped me build my own resume and understand the best ways to use my brand to communicate my skills and energy to prospective employers.
How did you find your current role (website, email, word of mouth, etc)? I went to the All Majors Career Fair (A Career Center-sponsored event) in February and Texas Instruments was my top company, I was able to talk with a recruiter about internship programs and after a great conversation, he began explaining that they had open slots in a six-month Co-op position. I was not looking for such a long position, as it would throw off my graduation date, but for potential employment at my dream company afterward, I wasn’t going to turn down that opportunity.
What was the toughest interview question they asked you?
I was really nervous about being asked technical questions, but the toughest question was probably “tell me about a time a project or presentation you worked on failed and tell me what you learned.”
How did the Career Center help you?
The Career Center was an invaluable tool throughout my interviews. The day after the career fair, the Career Center hosted space for my face-to-face interview the next day. I was able to schedule a room at the Career Center to take a follow-up phone interview later the next week. I also scheduled a mock interview in the Career Resource Center housed in G. Brint Ryan College of Business and leaned heavily on the advice of the career coaches from the Career Center for resume and interview tips.
Would you like to be featured in our Soaring Beyond Success Series? Email Jeanette Hickl. We’d love to share your story!
