On November 8th, ABSA held a professional event where a panel of recent UW alumni representing each Foster option came to share their experiences about what they have done with their major(s) after graduating and how it led to their different career paths.
Meet the Panelists:
Accounting: Baron Baura
He graduated in June 2020 with an Accounting degree and a Master of Science in Taxation
He is currently a Tax Staff 2 at EY
He's a Marvel nerd and big video gamer!
He also loves football and basketball
Fun fact: Baron was the ABSA president back in 2018-2019!
Finance: Andy Labaczewski
He graduated in 2020, majoring in Finance and Marketing, with a minor in Japanese
He is a 2nd Year Financial Analyst for Nordstrom
He is originally from Hawai'i but moved to Seattle for school, and ended up really liking the PNW
He decided to go into Finance because he liked the storytelling aspect, and has learned a lot from both classes and work experience
In his spare time he enjoys reading and cooking, and more recently bottom-fragging in Valorant
Operations & Supply Chain Management: Harry Shin
He graduated in March 2020 with a degree in Operations/Supply-Chain Management
He currently works as an Operations Specialist in an eCommerce consulting company called OMNI ePartners
He focuses on Demand Planning/Forecasting, Inventory Management, and Shipment Coordination for various clients selling in an eCommerce environment
In his free time, he loves playing sports, practicing how to DJ, and being a homebody!
Fun fact: Harry was a previous PR Director for ABSA!
HR Management: Olivia Ling
She graduated in June 2021 with a major in Human Resources and Information Systems, with a minor in Environmental Studies
She is currently an Employee Benefits Analyst at USI Insurance Services
In her spare time, she really enjoys baking and hiking
Her favorite spot in Seattle is Magnuson Park
Some of her favorite memories at Foster include her semester abroad in Copenhagen and helping host the annual Global Business Case Competition in 2019!
Information Systems: Max Powers
He graduated in 2019 with a Bachelors in Economics and Information Systems, and then in 2020 with his Master's in Information Systems
He is currently a Senior Cybersecurity Consultant at KPMG specializing in Business Continuity Management and Identity and Access Management
In his free time, he likes to play tennis, compose/produce music, lift, and play League of Legends.
Marketing: Rose Jao
She graduated in June 2019 with a degree in Marketing and Finance, and minored in Informatics
She is now a Management Consulting Associate at PwC
She's from the small town of Pullman, WA and moved to Seattle to attend the UW and has been here for the last 6 years
Outside of work, Rose loves playing music, picked up a hiking habit in quarantine, and is always looking for Trader Joe's recommendations!
Entrepreneurship - Buerk Center Representative
Q & A:
Why did you choose your specific major/focus?
Baron: He chose Accounting because it is supported by the Foster school and easy to get into corporate firms and my career. He appreciates accounting’s versatility to do different work and the option that allows him to pursue what he likes. He can take advantage of the opportunity to go into different works, whether it is in tax or private.
Andy: He chose Finance when he had no intention before, however, when he took Introduction to Finance with professor Chris Parsons, he learned that finance is not just looking at a wall of numbers. It’s more about storytelling and how you use those numbers to share what’s going on behind the scenes and prove a point. You can also explain to others who might be intimidated by the wall of numbers.
Harry: He chose Operations & Supply Chain Management because he was interested in the idea of buying a product, for example a piece of paper, and learning about where it came from. He wanted to expand knowledge in the fundamental supply chain and learn more about suppliers and retailers.
Olivia: She chose HR Management because she wanted to do hotel management and HR management was the closest to hospitality. employee benefits, in mentorship through Foster, mentor worked in company she works at now, loves company culture there
Rose: She chose Marketing because it was on the creative side and Finance because it was on the practical side. She also found interest in consulting by participating in case competitions because of the balance in qualitative and quantitative through problem solving.
Max: He chose Information Systems because it stood out and was not necessarily technical. He also thought it was interesting at the time because you can do technical work and consulting can get you exposed to different industries.
What is one aspect you miss about UW?
Baron: Being in ABSA and cherishing people interactions
Andy: Events that are similar to these, RSOs, and fun classes
Harry: Being in this type of environment, seeing and meeting people and friends
Olivia: Food with friends on the Ave
Max: Easy access to the IMA
Rose: Friends close by, hanging out and studying together
What experiences at UW most prepared you for your career or just life in general?
Baron: Developing people skills like how you work with other people in group projects helped prepare. Trying to work differently than you do now or work on different projects where you get to do something else can help to build yourself with as many skills as you can. As for tangible skills, brushing up on your Excel skills and learning actual technical shortcuts will help. In an academic setting, growing your people skills so that you’re able to learn with different groups of people (such as learning how to work virtually vs. in person).
Andy: Group work prepares you for collaborative space. Being involved in RSOs is another avenue that helps. AKPsi (a business fraternity) helps develop networking and interviewing skills.
Harry: Communicating with peers, being proactive with who you’re speaking with will help in a lot of ways. In addition, joining RSO and being active with your conversations will help prepare you for the future.
Olivia: Working with different people helped to prepare. Voyaging UW and taking a break from being in Paccar all day by contributing to an outdoor travel magazine was also a highlight. Spending a semester abroad gave the opportunity to experience business through a global lens and meet people across the world.
Max: Case competitions and being involved in AKPsi (a business fraternity) helped. Having the opportunity to work with people in different majors and backgrounds on a project and presentation contributed to developing both the technical side and soft skills. The capstone course MGMT 430 was also helpful and doing another one such as global health was beneficial.
Rose: Joining RSOs and stepping up as an active member by taking leadership roles or volunteering to be more involved helps prepare you for worklife, working with teams, and thinking on your feet. Being part of DSP, Montlake Consulting, and doing case competitions were helpful. In general, trying things you might not be able to do in the future also helped prepare.
How do you define your success?
Baron: Success is being able to leave an impact.
Andy: Success isn’t tied to a job or career, it’s about what it allows you to do outside of that. Don’t let anyone define your success for you.
Harry: Your career path is a journey, success is defined by re-innovating yourself and improving yourself in the workplace while constantly moving forward.
Olivia: Working a job that allows you to support yourself as well as get excited about it and being surrounded by people.
Max: Success was defined through speech and debate to make yourself more confident and coherent in English. Being able to comfortably coach or start a program.
Rose: Success is reaching a place of inner peace and self acceptance. Being able to take a step back and be in a job where you don’t feel competitive or the need to be on top, or at least doing it in a healthy way.
With that, we hope that the panelists’ insight on their journeys helps give you a more thorough understanding of the different experiences and opportunities available at UW and more specifically within Foster’s options. Stay tuned for more upcoming events for fall quarter with ABSA on Mondays from 6-7pm! As always, stay safe and healthy, and feel free to reach out to ask any questions!
Comments