The future looks bright, we promise!

Here at Pittstop, we understand how frustrating and confusing life out of college can be. When your post-college plans don’t go exactly as you imagined, it can be tempting to give up hope. For that reason, we are reaching out to young professionals who inspire us and asking them to share their stories and advice for all of you out there trying to start your careers.

Check out our Q&A with Megan Greives, a Kent State University alumna beginning her career as a Supplier Communications Specialist at SAP Ariba.

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Megan Greives

Age: 22

Hometown: Bethel Park, PA

Education: Bachelor of Business Administration from Kent State University; major in marketing

Interests and passions: Traveling, reading, movies, music

Occupation: Supplier Communications Specialist at SAP Ariba

 

PS: How did you find out about this position?

MG: On one of my many searches on Indeed.com, I came across a job that sounded very interesting with a company I had never heard of before. When I looked further into the position and the company, I saw a button to sign up for weekly job opening emails on the SAP Ariba corporate careers site. Though the initial position I was researching wasn’t for me, I signed up for those emails to see if they would be offering anything I was qualified for. About two weeks later, I came across the Supplier Communications Specialist listing and applied right away!

 

PS: Tell us about the interview process.

MG: I had a phone interview with a recruiter for about 30 minutes. After the conversation ended, the recruiter asked me to come in to their Pittsburgh office for a one hour in-person interview and also to prepare a 15 minute presentation on communication. This was the first time I had been asked to prepare any sort of presentation for an interview, so I had no idea what to expect!

I walked out of that interview feeling like I nailed it, but wasn’t sure how the others in the room felt about me. Two days later, I got a call from the initial recruiter offering me the position. He said they had many internal and external applicants but felt I was the right fit for the job!

 

PS: What do you think made them want to hire you?

MG: I think SAP Ariba wanted to hire me because of the way I presented the communications PowerPoint. I pulled together everything I could remember from my communications and marketing courses in college and really gave it my all. After I did the presentation, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders and was very relaxed for the question and answer portion.

Now at this point, I had been on 5 or 6 serious interviews so I knew how to answer the standard interview questions. Another reason I think they hired me is because of one questions I asked the interviewers. “What does someone in this position have to do to really knock your socks off?” I had never asked this question in an interview before and am not too sure why I asked it then, but it worked and really made an impression on them.

 

PS: What have you learned in your first few months in the real world?

MG: The real world is amazing, don’t let anyone fool you! I love contributing to a global company and helping our customers understand how to use the products we offer. It is amazing to see how the skills I learned in college are being put to use in the real world. I never thought I would use half of the marketing, sales and communication skills I learned at Kent State, but I use them every day. Also, there is nothing like getting your first “adult” paycheck deposited into your bank account, and then knowing the same deposit is coming two weeks later!

 

PS: What made you want to begin your career in Pittsburgh?

MG: I wasn’t looking to start my career in Pittsburgh, it just sort of happened. I wasn’t having any luck with out of state positions, so I narrowed my search to only the Pittsburgh area. After I received an offer from SAP Ariba, I started thinking about how cool it was going to be to work downtown. I also was really looking forward to taking the trolley to work every day. My trolley stop is right across from my building, so it is super easy to get to and from work!

 

PS: What are your professional goals?

MG: I hope to become a manager within the next 5 years and continue to climb the corporate ladder. I think I will stay at SAP Ariba for a long time because they offer so many growth opportunities and have a great global reputation. It doesn’t hurt that they have free Starbucks coffee, catered lunch on Wednesdays from local restaurants and beer Fridays every week, too!

 

PS: What advice do you have for other young people trying to start their careers?

MG: Don’t give up on the process; it may take a while for the right job to come along—it took me 5 months! But when the perfect job does come along, all of your hard work will have been worth it!

 

To learn more about Megan, connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Do you know an inspiring young professional we should spotlight? Drop us a line! pittstopblog@gmail.com