Conduct an informational interview with someone who is working in a field that interests you. You may choose to conduct these with Wesleyan alumni or other industry professionals. For tips on getting started, see the Gordon Career Center website or ask your career advisor. Include a reflection on your experience here.
For my first interview, I actually decided to interview my sister, Meagan Macalintal, as she is working at Morgan Stanley. During this interview, I asked her about what her experience was like getting this job as she just graduated college and what the challenges she faced were. Meagan reflected on how it was extremely difficult to get her job, especially after COVID, and her career center did not help math majors as much with finding starting jobs as much as they did with altering majors. She expressed her gratitude to a family friend, Alex, who already worked at Morgan Stanley, and was able to help her gain an interview with her boss now. Another question I asked her was how the skills in college that she acquired (whether through her major, or general skills) helped her with her job. Meagan told me that though math was useful in her job, she did not use it to the depth that she went in during college. Furthermore, she had to learn many new skills pertaining to the financial field in which she is now working. Meagan’s adaptability helped me realize how even as I can be set in a major, I will still have a lot to learn pertaining to the specific job that I end up having, and I do not have to have a set job that I want because it is bound to change at some point. Overall, I enjoyed talking to my sister, Meagan, in a more professional setting and hearing about her journey to Morgan Stanley, a company I can see myself at down the line possibly.
