Insights:

Being an actor requires going to a lot of auditions

It also requires dealing with a lot of rejection - Samantha estimates a 90-95% rejection rate

You need to have a strong support system to deal with the rejection

Trying to find little ways to treat yourself also helps with dealing with rejection

Auditions are a cyclical business

Samantha uses backstage.com to find auditions, but word of mouth is one of the most impactful ways to find auditions

Some people will rely too much on their agent to find auditions, but this often leads to issues of not getting enough auditions; you are in charge of your own business and your ability to find auditions

There is no right way to get into being an actor - any and all paths can work

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Samantha wanted to be when she was a kid: An actor

Best resource for career-related information: Mentors

What helps Samantha when she has a bad day at work: Listening to podcasts

Samantha’s favorite jobs: The Wedding Singer, commercial for a show on Amazon called The Grand Tour Cafe

Best part of Samantha’s work day today: Going to Trader Joe’s and finding something new

Advice:

Find incredible teachers who can help you on both what you’re working on and your life

You are not going to be right for every opportunity, but if you show up and make yourself available, you can get opportunities from being present

Why should someone want to be in an actor

You can love what you do and people pay to see you do your work

Get in touch with Samantha (@samanthagharris on twitter and instagram or www.samanthagharris.com)

Guest Profile:

Drew Rodolfo, Material Planning, SpaceX

Previous experience: ArcelorMittal, Kraft-Heinz

Studied Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in supply chain:

Ensuring quality is of the utmost importance for people in material planning

You need to work closely with Engineering in order to understand what they need from you and what you need from them

For something as complicated as a rocket, you must ensure the items required for the end product must be delivered on time and in the right quantity. That responsibility falls on the material planner

Demand planning requires you to consider seasonality and other market factors in determining the demand. This requires a lot of partnership with marketing and sales

There never is a right answer in supply chain and the journey for continuous improvement is never ending

It can be frustrating working on a project, working closely with partners, and then the plans shift, scrapping the project

Insights:

If there is a company you really want to work for, keeping trying. It took Drew three different interviews before he got a job offer from SpaceX

Developing his executive-level communication helped Drew make a stronger case for his role at SpaceX

Building relationships with different teams and individuals may not seem important on a daily basis, but has massive benefits long-term in creating trust across departments

Get up and talk to your coworkers rather than calling them (if you can). You’ll get work done quicker

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Drew wanted to be when he was a kid: Rockstar

Best resource for career-related information: Find a mentor

What helps Drew when he has a bad day at work: Focusing on the long-term goal and taking the emotion out of whatever you are doing

Drew’s favorite product/brand his company makes: Falcon Heavy rocket

Best part of Drew’s work day today: The food!

Advice:

Keep your options open and do not stop chasing what you want to do

Keep drinking the Kool-Aid

Why should someone want to be in supply chain

It is not limited to one field and there are a lot of opportunities to do different things, working to drive huge impact to the company

Get in touch with Drew Rodolfo

Guest Profile:

Stu Kendall, Seeking a job in Product Management

Previous Experience: Nielsen

Studied marketing at Michigan State University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to make a career jump:

You do not need to make a career jump if you hate your job or company - you can make a career jump for positive reasons

There is so much more out there than what you are aware of. Each company operates so differently and has many jobs that you wouldn’t even know about based on your knowledge of your current company

Even if you know you’re going to leave a company far in advance, there is no need to give them anything more than a typical two week notice

It is important to control the rumor mill when you decide to leave a job

Many people move companies right after bonuses are paid out, and companies are expecting this to occur

Things to keep in mind for people interviewing for jobs:

Don’t apply for the roles you think you should get; if you don’t have experience in a certain role, you won’t have success applying for those jobs

Messaging strangers on LinkedIn helped Stu get an in with a company and have a real conversation about the company and the job

Staying organized while interviewing for jobs will help you keep track of the opportunities you have applied for and what was discussed during interviews

HR is skilled at having salary negotiations, so do your homework and be prepared to hold these discussions

In thinking about your salary expectations, consider what you think your value is worth for a given company, role, and market, not what you used to make

Coming in high on a salary expectation mitigates the risk of getting low-balled

Be prepared with your salary expectations going into every interview, as you will get asked

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Stu wanted to be when he was a kid: Professional skier

Best resource for career-related information: Your network

What helps Stu when he has a bad day at work: A walk outside 

Stu’s memory that is worth sharing from his past year of experiences: Working at an elephant, dog, and cat rescue center and helping heal a dog and get it ready to be adopted

Best part of Stu’s day today: Going to the gym with no one else in the gym

Advice:

Read more; you grow your vocabulary and better understand concepts (Note: Stu is currently reading, and recommends “Let My People Go Surfing” by Yvon Chouinard)

As much as big companies show that they love you, they will cut you just as fast, and you need to keep your best interests at heart

Why should someone consider making a drastic jump with their life/career?

It is a forcing function to make you reflect on all aspects of your life

Get in touch with Stu Kendall.

Guest Profile:

Paul Mancini, Real Estate Broker, @Properties

Previous Experience: Account Executive at Groupon

Studied Business Management at Indiana University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in real estate:

Persistence and energy are required for real estate brokers. It is sales, after all!

Every customer and every day in real estate are different

Will work with a handful of people in both the buying and selling side of real estate at any given time

Staying on top of communication with clients is important

Job is 24/7. Sometimes there won’t be anything that is required on Mondays until 3 PM, and you have to work all weekend showing properties

With no boss, you need to stay on top of yourself to meet your own goals. This requires discipline

A frustrating aspect is encouraging clients to take advice from a professional without being overly pushy, since it is the client’s decision

Social media marketing is critical component for Paul getting his name out there

Referral marketing is essential. Working well with one person often time leads to another

Talk to as many people as possible. Anybody can be your customer

Real estate agent, real estate broker, and realtor are terms used interchangeably

There are a lot of ups and downs as a real estate broker and it is a lot harder than it may seem

80% of real estate brokers will not being doing the same job within two years

There is no salary and no insurance as a real estate broker. You need to have commitment and dedication to the grind

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Paul wanted to be when he was a kid: Professional football player

Best resource for career-related information: Reading

What helps Paul when he has a bad day at work: Working out + playing with his son

What has been Paul’s favorite sale: Anything over $1 million

Best part of Paul’s work day today: This interview; a photo shoot for the Chicago Agent Magazine’s “Who’s Who” edition

Advice:

Start reading

Get a mentor to see what their day-to-day looks like and help you figure out what you want to do with your career

You have to spend money to make money

Why should someone want to be in real estate

You get to be your own boss and there is no cap on earning potential and how successful you can be

Get in touch with Paul Mancini: [email protected] or 630-267-1899

Guest Profile:

Caitlin Lisa, Photographer

Previous experience in non-profit

Studied Economics in undergrad, then Masters in Public Administration from Arizona State/University of Illinois-Chicago, Degree in Photography from New York Institute of Photography

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in photography:

Getting started and finding customers is very hard. Caitlin started her career in photography early in Instagram’s life, so that wasn’t a massive channel

You have to start out via word of mouth, proving yourself with each client

In running your own business, you should reach out to people who have already done it to understand their perspective and help you throughout your journey

Wedding photography is a cyclical business - the wedding season in the summer is very busy, the winter season is much slower

The largest portion of the job is spent on photo editing. Caitlin averaged 30-40 hours of editing per wedding

Your website and social media sites are your brand, and ensuring all content is “on brand” is critically important for connecting with the right customers

Insights:

If you’re going to jump into starting a business and quitting your job, you have to go 100% in on it

You don’t always know where to start or who to go to when starting a business on your own - you have to be resourceful

If you love what you’re doing, you’ll be driven to succeed

It took a negative experience for Caitlin to learn and enhance her business on behalf of her customers

Respect other people’s careers and roles and appreciate what they have done and accomplished

Ask people in your field if you can help them out - even for free!

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Caitlin wanted to be when she was a kid: Cowgirl

Best resource for career-related information: Any other photographer’s blog

What helps Caitlin when she has a bad day at work: Wine

Caitlin’s favorite experience from her job: Winning “Best of The Knot”

Best part of Caitlin’s work day today: Sitting on her deck and enjoying the sunshine

Advice:

Don’t worry too much about what you are going to do for your career when you are young. You will learn more about yourself as your life and career progress

Work hard, play hard

Why someone should want to be in photography

You get to freeze moments in time, through your perspective, and share them with others. For weddings, it means a ton to the people closely involved and the photos can be passed along from generation to generation. And you get to be your own boss!

Get in touch with Caitlin Lisa here or here.

Guest Profile:

Michael Castellani, Transportation and Logistics Analyst, Constellation Brands

Former Experience: Conagra Foods

Studied Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in supply chain:

“[Supply chain] is really all about forming partnerships”

“[Opportunities] for big savings in supply chain and… I think it is really good to be able to put your name to big savings”

Analytical skills are essential to a successful career in supply chain

Demand planning is a skillset that anyone serious about supply chain should have

Insights:

No two days are the same in transportation, as there are a ton of variables

Transportation budget is typically the second or third largest at a company

Transportation offers a big opportunity for savings at a company, which is where supply chain employees can provide value

Work closely with forecasting and warehousing teams, as well as freight partners

Critically important for lines of communication to be open amongst an analyst and their partners, as there is a domino effect of all decisions

Day-to-day management of relationships with truck drivers and freight partners falls into entry level positions

Starting salary is an important consideration for taking a job, but should not be the only reason why you should take a job

Demand planning has massive impact on the entire supply chain and has impact on all partners

Even when you are new at a company, everyone wants you to succeed

Learning the day-to-day functions of the job early in your career provides a baseline of knowledge that can be leveraged in all future roles

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Michael wanted to be when he was a kid: Tennis player

Best resource for career-related information: Career center at your college

What helps Michael when he has a bad day at work: Going for a run, and enjoying a Corona after work

Michael’s favorite product/brand his company makes: Ballast Point

Best part of Michael’s work day today: Boss came back from a vacation and had a bunch of work to present

Advice:

Talk to as many people as possible to explore career options

Always say “yes” to any projects because you never know where those projects will lead and what opportunities they will present

Why should someone want to be in supply chain

No two days are the same

It is a fun career that involves visiting partners and facilities

Supply chain is a relationship oriented field

Have questions or want to learn more? Get in touch with Michael Castellani.

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Guest Profile:

Amy Pietro, Occupational Therapist

Studied Psychology at University of Iowa and then received a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Creighton University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in occupational therapy:

Occupational therapy is a combination of science and art

You need to understand who the client is and how to work with them, as it is a unique relationship

A key is to get people back to doing what is most important to them, which could be eating or playing video games

Separating work and personal life is very challenging, especially as you become close to the people you work with

There are times clients yell and get frustrated with the people who treat them, including occupational therapists. You cannot take it as a personal attack

You get to be creative in figuring out how to get the client back to doing what they love doing

There is a lot of paperwork that needs to be done

It is exhausting working in occupational therapy. The hours can be long and mentally draining

Working in a hospital, there is a need to work weekends and holidays, at times

Insights:

As part of Amy’s role, she helps rehabilitate people recovering from spinal cord injuries

What are the skills needed to complete an activity? Occupational therapists break down activities to truly understand how they can assist people get back to living the life that they want

Amy works very closely with physicians, speech therapists, physical therapists, case managers, and nurses

Helping people get to the point where they realize their life can go on is a very satisfying feeling

It can be competitive to find a job in a hospital

Shadowing people is a great experience to help you learn what it is truly like in the field and provides a variety of perspectives

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Amy wanted to be when she was a kid: Fire-woman

Best resource for career-related information: Career center

What helps Amy when she has a bad day at work: Gin and tonic

Amy’s favorite experience from her job thus far: Working with a fabulous, fun patient

Best part of Amy’s work day today: Having a Spanish speaking patient and sang and danced to Spanish music

Advice:

Talk to people with all different types of careers

Have fun with what you do and don’t take things too seriously

Why should someone want to be in occupational therapy

You get to be creative

Every day is different

You get to be on your feet all day

You can interact with people

Get in touch with Amy Pietro at [email protected].

Hear the latest episode and subscribe to Career Week here!

Guest Profile:

Kevin Kirchner, Salesman at Mondelez International

Studied Marketing and Finance at Indiana University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in sales:

Sales provides a way for people to easily quantify their impact on the organization

The beginning of your career in sales may be spent going from store-to-store - and it won’t be glamorous

The selling that happened occurred organically by building strong relationships and being observant. Sales presentations weren’t required

Winning and being competitive are critical components to work in sales

Insights:

Reflecting on what he wanted to do while in college helped Kevin understand which path was right for him

Sales is fast past and has a lot of instant gratification. Marketing is long-term planning and execution of campaigns

In sales, you know exactly where you stand compared to peers and competition and can measure your impact

Sales in CPG is based around the brand and brand management

Sales has to work incredibly closely with the brand manager, with sales handling the execution of the go-to-market strategy for how the product hits the stores and the market

Kevin started his career in sales going into the stores, talking with merchandisers and customers

Having a strong organization with great people drives more passion for the company and the product

Belvita cookie/crackers are delicious

Frustrating at times not to be fully aligned with partner organizations, which can happen in any company

Most exciting part of the job is when sales targets are hit at the end of each quarter

You can see your hard work come to fruition

Career path starts in sales or sales support and can move on to managing larger accounts, then managing a team of salespeople

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Kevin wanted to be when he was a kid: First-baseman for the Chicago Cubs

Best resource for career-related information: People he works with

What helps Kevin when she has a bad day at work: Calling people he used to work with

Kevin’s favorite product/brand his company makes: Belvita or Milk Oreo

Best part of Kevin’s work day today: Playing catchup on work

Advice:

Figure out what subject or topic is of interest to you or you are most excited about and then do that

Be very direct and transparent with what you want

Why should someone want to be in sales

If you are competitive and want to track your performance, and seeing the results of your performance instantly, you should be in sales

If you have high energy and are a self-starter, you should be in sales

If you can handle ambiguity and want autonomy, you should be in sales

Get in touch with Kevin Kirchner

Hear the latest episode and subscribe to Career Week here!

Guest Profile:

Stephanie Brieloff, Account Manager for Dyson

Previous work experience with Whirlpool Corporation

Studied Marketing at Michigan State University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in sales:

“[Sales] is all about relationship building”

Sales is “a partnership, not just an individual sale”

“Less pushy, and a little more love” in account management goes a long way

The pressure is always on in sales to meet quotas

Insights:

Perception when studying marketing is that you can either go into sales or market research, but realized there are a lot more opportunities than that

Sales has helped Stephanie understand the ins and outs of the businesses she works with, as well as customer experience

Her opportunities in sales have included marketing focuses, such as working with partners to enhance their website and maximizing investments to drive traffic to product pages online

Even if you are in one role, that doesn’t mean you cannot explore other roles or areas that are of interest to you personally or professionally

It is easier to switch roles (across departments) once you are more well established within a company

Sales is not always the used-car salesman-like experience, nor is it constantly sitting on the phone

Building a relationship early is critical to sales. Once you’ve developed a strong relationship, the relationship comes first and the sales fits in naturally because you’re working in their best interests

Working with partners, such as supply chain and finance, are essential aspects to sales and account management

Don’t want to come across as if you are trying to only benefit yourself, you want to develop trust with the other party you are trying to sell to that you are working in their best interests

Need to ensure the bottom line of the company you work for is always in the back of your mind when selling products

Sales provides the opportunity to meet people from a diverse set of skills, experiences, geographies, personalities, and backgrounds

Working in sales has helped Stephanie grow both personally and professionally

Career path includes a number of different areas of marketing or sales

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Stephanie wanted to be when she was a kid: Singer

Best resource for career-related information: LinkedIn

What helps Stephanie when she has a bad day at work: Going on a walk to clear her mind

Stephanie’s favorite product/brand her company makes: Dyson Supersonic

Best part of Stephanie’s work day today: Knocked a lot of things off her to-do list

Advice:

Talk to people that work in an area of interest to get a real sense of what that career is like

Set up one-on-ones, especially as a new employee; it will help you understand the business better

Why should someone want to be in sales/marketing:

If you want to get outside your comfort zone and improve your human interaction with a variety of people, sales is a great field to grow your personal skills

If you enjoy interacting with people, sales is a great profession

Get in touch with Stephanie Brieloff

Remember when you were a kid and your parents would come in to share what they do on Career Day? Well we have revamped that experience and turned it into Career Week presented by Cheddar Day, a weekly podcast where a different career, and person, is featured. In Career Week, you will hear from a wide variety of people across all different careers and fields. The goal of Career Week is to provide an accurate profile of what it is truly like to work in a particular career. Stay tuned for more great episodes, starting Thursday, June 7.