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Eastern Kentucky University Business Alumni Spotlight: Trae Abell

Current Position

Buyer at Teasdale Latin Foods

Education

Eastern Kentucky University: Bachelor’s in Business Administration (Majors: Managerial Finance and Public Accounting)

Interview

Trae, in his current position, oversees the ordering of all ingredients and packaging materials needed for the production of the tortillas. Trae manages vendors, and because each ingredient comes from a different vendor, he must manage multiple vendors. He is also delegated the task of making sure supplies are delivered timely, received how they are expected to be, and make sure that everything is accounted for. Trae must also check out the market for items and negotiate prices. When asked what he enjoys most about his current job, Trae said, he likes that he can get hands on whenever he wants to. If a shipment comes in, he can go and inspect the products and make sure to hold the vendors accountable. He also really enjoys that he can see what he buys get put to use.

Preparing for Life After College

When asked what surprised Trae most about working full-time after graduation, he said he never realized how your career really does become such a big part of your life. He went on to say that if you truly love your job and enjoy doing it, it can play a big role. Trae said that to be successful in his area of work, students must gain certain skills.

-          Having a good understanding of manufacturer language.

-          Knowing basic business concepts.

-          Being willing to ask questions if you do not know.

Advice to Current Students

When talking with Trae about what students should be doing now to prepare for a successful professional career, he said to embrace what you are learning. Trae expressed the importance of taking what you are learning, retaining it, and being able to apply it in your career. Trae also said when looking for an internship opportunity, look for something where you can learn as much as possible.

Trae said looking for an internship that is hands-on learning will give you an advantage. He said you must be willing to embrace what is going on around you. If you look for this type of internship, embrace it and work hard. It will give you the knowledge you need when trying to get a full-time job. Trae also said he really credits Professor Easterling for learning a lot during his time in the program and that he was a great asset. Trae said he was grateful for EKU for providing a solid base for the business world.

Favorite Memories from EKU

When talking about Trae’s favorite memories from EKU, he said he really enjoyed the learning process. He said within the School of Business, you get to hear so many fun and interesting stories from professors. He really enjoyed that aspect of school. Hearing that real world experience was helpful. Trae went on to say his favorite place to eat on campus was definitely Chick-fil-A. However, when he needed to cram for an exam or work on a project or paper, Trae would hide out on the quiet floor in the library to get his work done.

 Story by Cheyenne Morgan, MBA Student at Eastern Kentucky University

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Eastern Kentucky University Business Alumni Spotlight: Ian Rakowski

Current Position

Growth Account Executive at Sprout Social                                                                                          

Education

Eastern Kentucky University Bachelor’s in Business Administration (Major: General Business with Concentration in Marketing & Professional Golf Management)

Interview

Ian, in his current position, manages 500 executive accounts. He is responsible for achieving a monthly quota for the growth and net revenue retention of a wide variety of brands and agencies. He must make sure to build lasting relationships with his clients, by doing so, he gains trust to consultatively bridge gaps and introduce new solutions. When asked what he enjoys most about his current job, Ian said, he is exposed to many different industries, and buyer personas, which allows for great professional development. He is learning to understand the marketing needs and overall business objectives of many different organizations, while providing recommendations to ensure their continued success. While Ian enjoys the office culture at Sprout, he wishes he had more in person contact with his clients.  He enjoys the traditional face to face meeting as opposed to web meeting.

Preparing for Life After College

When asked what surprised Ian most about working full-time after graduation, he said that how transferable your skills can be, was shocking. He said your soft and hard skills can transfer from business-to-business relatively easily. Ian also said it was shocking how fluidly his experience in the golf industry translated to success in B2B software sales. Additionally, Ian went on to say that life moves very fast after graduating, so, that was a surprise as well. Ian said to be successful in his area of work, students must gain certain skills.

-          Learning how to communicate effectively both in person and through technology.

-          Being able to build meaningful relationships and trust with people.

-          Being willing to adapt and drive through change.

-          Keeping a positive attitude.

Advice to Current Students

When talking with Ian about what students should be doing now to prepare for a successful professional career, he said students need to be building their network. Ian said it is imperative to get out and meet people, to make sure that your network is as wide as it is deep. He expressed the importance of meeting people from areas you are interested in, but also from areas you are not as interested in. He also said it is important to build your personal brand. Once you figure out what you are good at, work on your weaknesses and then sell yourself as that brand.

Ian said looking for an internship where you will be exposed to multiple units within a business is important. He said that way you can get a feel for what areas you like and what you do not like. He said you should do this your freshman and sophomore year so you have realized what you like by your junior and senior years and can work in those areas. Ian said if anyone is interested in his line of work, to make sure to reach out at [email protected]

Favorite Memories from EKU

Ian’s favorite memory from EKU was when the basketball team made the tournament. He said Richmond just had a great energy the entire time and he loved that. He also said there was a week-long snow break that he really enjoyed. Ian said his favorite place to eat on campus was Subway, but off-campus he could always go for some Tsing Tao. He also said if he needed to buckle down and study, he would go to the porch at the PGM house to complete his work.

Story by Cheyenne Morgan, MBA Student at Eastern Kentucky University

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Eastern Kentucky University Business Alumni Spotlight: Gina Pisacreta

Current Position

Account Manager at Hearst Magazines

Education

Eastern Kentucky University: Bachelor’s in Business Administration (Major: Marketing)

Interview

Gina, in her current position, sells advertisement space. She works with all Hearst titles but focuses on O, The Oprah Magazine, and Airbnb Magazine. When asked what she enjoys most about her current job, Gina said, she really enjoys when she makes sales. She said it is very rewarding to see her hard work pay off. Gina said she does not make a sale to every customer, every time. However, the hard work that she puts in to make the sales that she does, makes it all worth it. She does not stop if she gets told no, she continues to work hard and do her very best.

Preparing for Life After College

When asked what surprised Gina most about working full-time after graduation, she said that she truly loved college; so, when it was over, her thoughts were “this is it? This is the rest of my life?” She said that it was a real wake up call to be in the real world. Gina also said that one of the toughest aspects of working full time is getting into the routine of day to day life. Gina said that to be successful in her area of work, students must gain certain skills.

-          Be extremely detail oriented.

-          Be willing to ask questions if you do not know.

-          Knowing how to double check your work.

-          Knowing how to be professional in an email.

Advice to Current Students

When talking with Gina about what students should be doing now to prepare for a successful professional career, her advice was to do an internship. She said that getting into an area you are interested in and working to see if you truly like it, is a good idea. She also said that you need to read a lot and gain knowledge from your reading. By reading more often, you can expand your vocabulary as well. Gina also said students should work on their writing skills and possibly take a communications course to hone in on the necessary skills that are taught. Lastly, Gina said students need to have fun while they are in school, that once you are out, it is completely different.

Gina said when looking for an internship opportunity, students should really look at the different areas they are interested in and see if they actually like it. She said finding somewhere you like and could see yourself working is important. Gina said getting your foot in the door will make it a lot easier later on, to do what you want to do. She discussed how students should enjoy college, but also never say no to a new experience, and to be open to meeting new people constantly.

Favorite Memories from EKU

Gina really enjoyed her time at EKU and was sad when it was over. She said that one of her favorite memories from her undergraduate experiences were Homecoming and all the festivities that went on with it. She also said that she really enjoyed tailgating football games and enjoyed her time at sporting events. While she was here, her favorite place to eat was at Einstein’s Bagels. She also said when she needed to study for a class or test, she would always go to the library. However, if she really needed to cram or had a big project due, she would tuck herself away on the silent floor of the library so that she could focus.

Story by Cheyenne Morgan, MBA Student at Eastern Kentucky University

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Eastern Kentucky University Business Alumni Spotlight

Tyler Barnett

Current Position

Territory Manager at ARJO

Education

Eastern Kentucky University: Bachelor’s in Business Administration (Major: Management)

Interview

Tyler, in his current position, often meets with CEO’s and CFO’s as well as physicians and nurses. He covers the North Florida, East Georgie, and South Carolina regions, making sure each hospital has the equipment necessary to adequately do their job. When asked what he enjoys most about his current job, Tyler said, building relationships and helping patients. He said that when he sees a long term patient walk out the doors, it feels great. Even though he is not hands on with them most of the time, he brought the necessary equipment into the hospital to help them recover. Tyler also said he likes his position because, currently, there are a lot of companies that have the same equipment he does. However, he has to be on top of his game every time he enters a hospital so that they know that he is giving them the best product for the best price.

Preparing for Life After College

When asked what surprised Tyler most about working full-time after graduation, he said the newfound responsibilities. Right after college, Tyler was signed to play Major League Baseball, he did not count that as a full time job. So, once he did get a full-time job, he said it was overwhelming because there were things that you did not have to worry about before, that you now have to. Tyler said that to be successful in his area of work, students must gain certain skills.

-          Being able to build and maintain relationships.

-          Knowing how to speak publicly.

-          Being able to compromise.

-          Being okay with taking criticism.

Advice to Current Students

When talking with Tyler about what students should be doing now to prepare for a successful professional career, his first piece of advice was to build a resume. He also said that making contacts with alumni is very important, students should create a LinkedIn account to stay up to date with professionals. He also said that when looking for an internship opportunity, look for something that is important to you where you can have responsibility.

Tyler said looking for an internship that is competitive will give you an advantage, so fight for it. He said getting a job is not easy, so you have to be willing to work hard, talk to people, and accept challenges. He discussed how you should not put all of your eggs in one basket because if it does not work, you do not have a backup.

Favorite Memories from EKU

Tyler was a baseball player here at EKU, so when asked what his favorite memory was, Tyler said being a student athlete. He enjoyed traveling, the study hall, and having that group of supporters around you all the time. Tyler really enjoyed Richmond, though it was much different than his hometown in Florida. He loved the Richmond life and all of the nice people around the town. Tyler said his favorite place to eat on campus was definitely Chick-Fil-A because he was usually rushing to practice, so it was easy to grab a quick bite.

Story by Cheyenne Morgan, MBA Student at Eastern Kentucky University