Interview was conducted via email
Heather DeSantis
Graduating: May 2011
Photo by Sarah Sheridan, Staff Photographer
Involvement on campus: Senior Class President, Member of Alpha Delta Pi, Program Coordinator for Girl Power, Intern for At Risk Youth for The Center for Civic & Urban Engagement
Major: Communication
What’s your job title?
Financial Services Representative
Who did you get your job offer from and where will you be located?
First Investors Corporation in Upper Arlington, OH
What will you be doing?
I will be FINRA Series 6 Certified- Investment Company/Variable Contracts Limited Representative. I will be meeting with a variety of clients to help them with their finances whether it is planning to buy their first house, save up for a child’s education, or even looking ahead to have sufficient funds to retire. I am excited to help people in a way that I never even thought of— helping people become financially independent through investing and working with a Financial Services Representative.
When did you get your job offer?
December 22, 2010
When do you start your job?
I am currently studying to be FINRA Series 6 Certified to become a “Investment Company/Variable Contracts Limited Representative” and will take my test at the end of April. After graduation I will spend a week in NYC for training and then will begin meeting with clients.
How did you get the job offer and what was the process with the company?
I put my resume on a variety of sites such as Monster. I received a call from a recruiter and was asked to attend an interview. I decided to attend the interview because I knew that it would be good practice. I attended an interview in December where the first day was a group interview representing a variety of potential employees; some right out of college, some in between jobs, and some looking to change careers. We first watched a movie about the corporation and were asked questions in a group setting. After that we had individual interviews. I was asked to come back the next day and this time there was a smaller amount of people. More information was given and once again I had another in depth interview. The company was looking to hire two people to expand branch locations.
When did you start actively looking for a job?
At the time that I went for my interview I was writing essays for a variety of fellowships. At that time I was not necessarily looking for a job but made sure that my Linkedin and resume were current.
What advise would you give to your classmates who are also looking for jobs?
Don’t get caught up on finding the perfect job. Stay open to a variety of opportunities. This opportunity came and I realized that it would give me more flexibility and the ability to donate money to non profit organizations through having a higher salary. Life will consist of a variety of opportunities and we are not solely defined by our job.
Why are you going into the job force instead of going to grad school?
I am ready for real world experience! Each summer I have had an internship or worked. I hope to eventually go to school to become certified in Sign Language but even if I went for my Master’s I believe that real world experience is ideal before going to grad school.
(Sarah Sheridan /ssheridan@wittenberg.edu)
