’09 Grad Taps Network for Successful Job Search
Brennan Pothetes graduated from UO as an economics major in 2009. When he departed from UO with a diploma in hand, he was quickly greeted by a grim-looking job market. Knowing that he wanted to further his education, he applied and was accepted to Portland State University’s Master of Science in Financial Analysis (MFSA) program.
While attending graduate school, Brennan also worked part-time at PSU’s recreation center in an accounting role. He knew he wanted to continue working during school as a way to gain real-world experience. During this time, he was attending the Career Center’s Job Search Group for recent graduates and learned that 80% of jobs are unlisted, but can be obtained through networking. Although the idea of reaching out to others in this way seemed daunting at first, Linda Favero encouraged him begin tapping into his personal network and to expand from there. With her encouragement, he began conducting upwards of four to five informational interviews a week at the height of his job search.
“The biggest thing you learn from [informational interviews] is that they teach you industry buzz words and lingo. You also learn what they’re looking for, what made them successful and how they got there.” By utilizing his personal network of mostly friends and family to ask for referrals, he was able to connect with professionals who could offer him insight about his field of interest and give him a better idea of the industry. In one particular interview, a financial executive took the time to work through his resume line-by-line, inserting industry lingo and highlighting attributes important in the financial industry.
One of the many individuals whom Brennan met with was an employee with Standard Insurance Company – the largest private employer in downtown Portland. This person eventually became his mentor and introduced him to several financial and accounting professionals within the company. Then, upon completing his master’s degree, he came across a job posting for an Internal Auditor with Standard. He quickly applied and let his network with Standard know he was interested in the job. One of these individuals gave Brennan’s resume to the hiring manager, which gave him an advantage over other applicants. His willingness to put himself out there paid off, and he is now an internal auditor with Standard Insurance Company. “I love it! It’s exactly what I wanted to do! I get to work with wonderful people while gaining a lot of experience.”
Brennan says the transition from college to a career involves learning to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-life application. It is also “making technical information more readily-understandable to anybody… that’s something I’m still working on today.”
Along his path to success, Brennan frequently contacted the UO Career Center in Portland for guidance and assistance with his job search. “Here’s my shout-out to Linda! The biggest thing she does is to create a structure and pathway to success. She can really get you fired up!”
Brennan was able to fight the recession he faced by creating a strong network of professionals who provided him with guidance and information to help him succeed. If you would like assistance to prepare yourself for informational interviews or for other career guidance, give the UO Alumni Career Services of Portland a call at 503.412.3701 or email careerpdx@uoregon.edu. If you would like to share a recent career accomplishment, please email: ayni@uoregon.edu.