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A
g
& F
ood
C
Areer
g
uide
Do you think your expectations met your
reality about working in “the real world”?
Why or why not?
KRISTEN:
My internship experiences in
college helped prepare me for the real
world. I think I expected group work to
go a lot better than it does in college.
I had this wrong assumption that if
everyone at the table was getting a
paycheck to be there, that they would
all equally contribute. Unfortunately, I
am here to tell you that project teams at
work can be just as bad as project teams
in college. I have learned a lot about
project management and leading teams
where I am not the most senior
individual but still have to command
deliverables from those who are.
LAUREN:
After finishing my MSc. I
moved to Australia to begin working for
BASF as a field biologist. I didn’t really
know what to expect. My new role has
had its fair share of challenges, adapting
to a new environment and cropping
system on top of being away from
friends and family. The role itself is very
similar to work I did as an undergraduate
student, though.
What are some things you wish you would
have done to prepare for the career you
are in now that you didn’t do in college?
KRISTEN:
This sounds silly, but I wish I
would have taken golf lessons. So much
networking occurs on the golf course
and I feel like I miss out on those
opportunities to build relationships. Of
course, it’s not too late to learn and it’s a
skill I plan to work on in the next year.
LAUREN:
Looking back, I wish I had
made better connections with some of
my professors and taken the time to
learn more about their work. They are
there to help you learn, but they’re also
a wealth of information and are often
working on cutting-edge research. I wish
I had taken the time to understand what
they were studying while I was a student.
What are some lessons you’ve had to learn
the hard way about working in “the real
world”?
KRISTEN:
I think the hardest lesson I
have had to learn is work-life balance.
You’re not only new to this, but it is very
easy to work long hours because you’re
young and wanting to prove yourself.
However, being that hard on yourself
the end, I learned more about my limits
and now have a better understanding of
how to take care of myself when it feels
like the pressure is being turned up. Now,
I make sure to set aside some time every
week or two to have a phone call and
catch up with friends as well as
maintaining a pretty regular weekly
running routine to stay in shape and
burn off any extra stress.
What is something you recommend new
graduates do today to stand out in the
working world?
KRISTEN:
Go out of your way to learn
more about the company you are
working for, and don’t be afraid to ask
higher level managers. When I started
my first job, I took the opportunity to
seek out job shadow experiences with
individuals from various departments. I
would simply reach out and ask if I could
have twenty minutes of their time to
learn more about what they do. Those
twenty minutes often turned into an
hour or a day of experiences. One
notable experience was riding with a vice
president for a day of merger meetings –
few people get that kind of
opportunity. I was able to learn a lot
about the business and I got noticed
because I was genuinely interested in
learning and I wasn’t afraid to ask.
LAUREN:
Do your best, ask questions,
and reach out to your network if you’re
looking for advice. People will see if
you’re driven to do a good job and
putting in an honest effort to be the best
version of yourself. Don’t worry about
bench-marking yourself against where
you think you should be or where your
friends are. If you’re looking for advice
don’t hesitate to ask someone who is
there already, most people are happy to
offer their insight.
AG
mentally and physically will catch up with
you. No one else can manage that for
you and you must learn your own
boundaries. If you are stressed and run
down, you’re not your best self at work
and you won’t have the energy for things
that you love. Over time you will figure
out what opportunities to embrace and
which to turn down, as well as how to
manage getting things done around
those hours required at work.
LAUREN:
Mental and physical health
is important, and burnout is a very
real thing. Slow down. Make time for
yourself and find a way to de-stress. For
me, this was my first semester of grad
school, between taking on graduate level
courses and meshing into a different
social environment. I burned out. Fast. In
YOU’RE ESSENTIALLY GOING
FROM THE TOP OF THE TOTEM
POLE AS A SENIOR IN COLLEGE
BACK TO THE VERY BOTTOM
IN THE WORKFORCE. THAT’S A
HARD ADJUSTMENT.
“
“