College Experiences That Helped A Strategist At 3M Succeed
Bryanna's undergraduate experience significantly shaped their career success; active participation in "on campus clubs and organizations" honed project management and time management skills, while also fostering a willingness to seek help—"reaching out to people"—a crucial trait for their current role as a consultant, requiring constant client interaction and problem-solving.
Project Management, Time Management, Communication, Teamwork, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Bryanna Brown
Strategist
3M
Georgia State University c/o 2015
Washington University in St Louis - Olin Business School, MBA
Film, Media Arts, Visual Arts
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Engineering
Business Strategy
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Engage in extracurricular activities to develop project management and teamwork skills.
2. Practice effective time management by balancing academics, work, and extracurricular commitments.
3. Cultivate a proactive attitude by asking questions and seeking help from teachers, classmates, and colleagues to enhance problem-solving abilities.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
In undergrad, to set myself up for success in my career, I enjoyed extracurricular activities. There were a number of on-campus clubs and organizations that I took great pride in joining and being a part of.
During that time, I learned project management skills, such as how to work with other people and how to set a timeline for accomplishing things, like events on campus, and then actually executing them. For undergrad, that was definitely an experience with clubs and organizations that I took pride in, but also time management with classes.
Since undergrad, extracurricular activities were such a major part of my schedule. I had to make sure that I balanced time for school, but I was also working 20 hours or more a week during undergrad too. Time management was a skill that I nurtured while in undergrad.
I also learned how to ask teachers and other classmates for support. If there were things I needed in order to improve my grades or understand a concept I might not have grasped in class, reaching out to people was a trait I didn't realize I would need as much in my career.
It has really aided me, just being willing to ask questions and ask for help in order to solve a problem I may have. As a consultant, I'm always asking my clients what they are experiencing right now. That has translated from my experience in undergrad of asking other people how they are solving a problem I am having.
It's circling back to that staying curious point that I had before, of really wanting to make sure that I understand things, or reaching out to people to understand things that I might not at the time.