Boston Career Counselor Blog

1. Describe briefly what your job is.

I am a regional staffing planner. I write associate schedules for several stores, based on company guidelines, promotional calendar and sales trends.

2. What do you like most about it?

I like analyzing sales and volume trends. I also like to interact with the regional staffing manager and assist them in personnel planning to ensure store profitability.

3. What do you do in a typical day?

I update the list of associates with jobs that have turned for each store, work on schedules, talk to the regional staffing manager about sales trends and work with stores to execute schedules.

4. What made you decide on this career in the first place?

To learn other aspects of the retail industry. I’ve worked in a buying office, and as an area sales manager. I also wanted to learn the operations side of the industry. It is a rewarding experience in that I know I’m able to assist in improving the company’s bottom line.

5. What kind of education or experience is necessary for this job?

A bachelors degree and managerial store experience.

6. What makes you good at this job (personality traits, strengths, skills, etc.)?

Analytical skills, people skills, organizational skills, close attention to details.

7. Who would be perfect in this job?

Someone interested in the operations and supply chain aspect of the retail industry.

8. Tell me something people would be surprised about regarding this job.

I will have an opportunity to travel to stores this spring and meet with various management teams.

9. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to enter this field?

Anyone interested in the fashion or retail industry should know there is more to this industry than just fashion or retail. Knowledge of organizational structures, operations, and supply chain management is essential in order to be successful. If you come prepared and you possess that right skill set then the possibilities are endless.

1. Describe briefly what your job is.

Architectural Associate: Design and draft various buildings.

2. What do you like most about it?

Designing / problem solving

3. What do you do in a typical day?

Either designing and redlining with other architects or Rendering 3D models

4. What made you decide on this career in the first place?

My mom’s suggestion!

5. What kind of education or experience is necessary for this job?

Undergrad in Architecture (4-5 years)

6. What makes you good at this job (personality traits, strengths, skills, etc.)?

Creativity and adaptability (I often jump from project to project)

7. Who would be perfect in this job?

People who are artistic, organized and detail-oriented

8. Tell me something people would be surprised about regarding this job.

For small firms, usually it’s a very relaxed environment. Tank tops and flip flops are acceptable dress codes.

**Career Counselor’s Note: Even if this is the dress code, NEVER wear this stuff to an interview!

9. Any funny or interesting job-related stories or anecdotes?

You get a chance to interact with everyone from construction workers in jeans to 3-piece suited politicians.

10. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to enter this field?

Often you have to work many hours at night and weekends, depending on the deadline. You would do it for the love of architecture, not for other reasons.

1. Describe briefly what your job is.

Investment Data Analyst: I maintain existing data and datafeeds of securities (that’s stocks, bonds, derivatives, etc) information for a medium sized private mutual fund and hedgefund company. That’s the simple answer.

2. What do you like most about it?

I like to solve problems and I am interested in financial markets, securities and the economy. This job allows me to learn a lot about investments and gives me the opportunity to solve problems.

3. What do you do in a typical day?

In a typical day I monitor feeds of data from vendors, look for errors, try to increase coverage of fields, create workarounds or new processes, write procedures and technical documents. Have meetings to discuss whatever issues, projects or clients that are currently relevant. The rest is running around putting out fires.

4. What made you decide on this career in the first place?

I love Economics and Math which I studied in college. I am not interested in sales like a Financial Planner would have to be (they do a lot of cold calling for example). I am also not really interested in the high profile/ high stress trading jobs like a Mutual fund manager. Most days are not terribly stressful, although somedays the software doesn’t work or the clients are mad at you.

5. What kind of education or experience is necessary for this job?

College Degree in whatever field. 5 years or so experience in the industry. You can be a specialist and work your way up to analyst at some places.

6. What makes you good at this job (personality traits, strengths, skills, etc.)?

I’m very organized. I like logic and math. I can work by myself for hours and not get bored but I also work well with other people like the Developers, Tech Support, Internal Clients, External Clients, and Vendors.

7. Who would be perfect in this job?

Problem solvers. People who like working with numbers, computers and people. People who like to constantly learn new things.

8. Tell me something people would be surprised about regarding this job.

It can be a lot of fun and pretty satisfying for the right person. If you hate math or working in a cube, don’t consider this job.

9. Any funny or interesting job-related stories or anecdotes?

Fun?! No fun allowed!

10. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to enter this field?

Keep your resume up to date and do not be afraid to keep interviewing over the years even if you like your job. You might trade up and even if you don’t, it can’t hurt. You may learn something useful from a failed interview, like where not to work or how other people run their companies.

1. Describe briefly what your job is.

I am a Business Intelligence consultant, which primarily includes designing and building data infrastructure (e.g. data Warehouses & Datamarts) and report deployments.

2. What do you like most about it?

Flexibility and variety.  Each week is a different deliverable and every other month is a different company.

3. What do you do in a typical day?

Code SQL, design Business Objects Reports & Dashboards, mediate meetings between IT, business users, and developers.

4. What made you decide on this career in the first place?

I didn’t, it just flowed naturally from job opportunity and what I excelled at.

5. What kind of education or experience is necessary for this job?

Some Computer Science, but mostly an analytical and mathematical mind.

6. What makes you good at this job (personality traits, strengths, skills, etc.)?

Technical ability, mental agility, and charisma.

7. Who would be perfect in this job?

It varies.  Some projects and engagements require different skill sets.  Variance in personality and temperament will position a consultant to a different role on the engagement.  For example, if your project management skills are stronger than y our SQL, then you’ll lean more towards that role provided another team member can support that SQL role.

8. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to enter this field?

Don’t get caught up in your clients panic and urgency; stay clear headed and targeted.