Just Like Me

Just Like Me: What exactly do you do?

Vincenzo: I am a Sales Representative for a well recognized orthopedic company. I specialize in selling total joint replacement(knees and hips). I work in the operating room during these surgeries to provide a value to the doctor. When it comes to the instrumentation for a total knee and the implant details, we need to be an expert. When not in the Operating room servicing the surgeons who use our product, we are out in the field cultivating new business. Sales are all about growing, bringing in more business, and making more money. Making relationships and increasing customer loyalty is huge in this business. I have been in this business for about a year now.

Why do you enjoy what you do?

I enjoy what I do for many reasons. One reason is because I am selling a device that is proven to significantly change someone’s life. I see the patients coming in and they are in so much pain and can barely walk. After a total joint replacement, the patients are pain free and walking again. I find this to be very rewarding. Also, I love sales! It’s competitive! I am very passionate about my products and I enjoy the chase of bringing on new business. I love communicating and working with new people everyday. I also like the flexibility of making my own schedule.

What lead you to this career? What advice do you have for other young professionals that you have learned through your experience?

I knew once football ended that I wanted to be in sales. My uncle is in pharmaceuticals. However, these companies are downsizing a lot. So I decided to prose medical device sales instead. This was not an easy task in the beginning.  I had no experience and everyone told me that I wasn’t going to find a job in this field without sales experience. So I just keep on applying and applying and finally I got an opportunity to be interviewed. After 5 interviews, I got the position. The best advice I can give is: be patient!! This is something that I lack! When you want something, work your butt off, but do not rush things. If you work hard, things will fall into place. Getting a job in this market can be very frustrating. It was for me! Other advice I can give is : before you get a job and work for the rest of your life, do the things that you want to do. Travel! Have fun! I had an opportunity to play football overseas, but I wanted to start my career and make money.  Yet now looking back, I feel as if I may have missed out on a opportunity to travel Europe and play more football–the game I love and have dedicated so much of my life to. So in sum, be patient with yourself and remember to look for something you enjoy and will fulfill you! I was lucky to be pleasantly surprised in my career change..maybe you will be too!

Being that you played football for Syracuse University for 5 years, what has sports taught you and become an asset for you in the business world?

Sport teaches you hard work, how to prepare, teamwork, and how to overcome adversity. To be successful, there is no question that you have to work very hard and put extra time in. I truly believe that you get out of it what you put into it! Preparation is key! In college football, the game is 50 % mental. Studying and knowing your opponent and play book is critical. Same in sales; you need to know your product inside and out! You know the saying, “There is no I in team?” Football has taught me to sacrifice for my teammates. To do whatever is necessary for the best interest of the team. One must also transition this skill into the business world. In order to have a successful organization, you must have a strong team! Also, I save the best for last: perseverance!!! The measure of a man is not when things are going well, but how he reacts when in face of adversity. Football has taught me how to overcome adversity and to persevere. This is not an easy thing to do. Blood, Sweat, and Tears! College football was physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. The environment is never comfortable. It taught me how to dig deep and face challenges. This transitions into the business world every day. Every doctor does not immediately say, “Yes, Vincenzo I will buy your product.” In fact, most say no. This creates an opportunity for me to keep fighting the fight, sell more products, and never give up.

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO?

I am a graphic designer and marketer. I currently live in NYC and am juggling 3 jobs that I love. My first job, (the only full-time one) is a Marketing and Creative Services Coordinator. It is a website and email subscription called AskMelissa.com. It is a lifestyle resource that offers best-kept secrets all around NY and now expanding Nationally. For AskMelissa, I do a lot of graphic and web design and basically work on anything involved in creative and artwork. I also do a lot of coding and some marketing as well. It is a start-up company and therefore everyone does a little bit of everything. It is fast-paced, motivating, young, and always changing.

My second job is as the graphic designer for a company called Dream Water. Dream Water is a new product launched in NY (and eventually Nationally and Internationally). It is the first water to help people relax and fall asleep. I design the logo, corporate ID, packaging, bottles, POS materials, collateral, ads, displays, spec sheets, deck, and more. This water is now available at every Duane Reade in NYC and is growing fast. It is very exciting and has a huge amount of growth potential. Every day there is more design work to do, and as we grow and evolve the opportunities are endless.

My third job is graphic design for a new brand called Whole Soul. It is a self-help brand launched by a psychologist that offers books, products, website, blogs, and anything inspirational to help people through those difficult times in life. For Whole Soul, I do book cover designs, web design, product design, logo work, and overall branding. It is very smart, helpful, and a great place to be.

WHY DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO?

Graphic design and web design is very quickly growing field and there are numerous opportunities always. It is very fast, very exciting, and very motivating for me. I see results quickly and the payoff (emotionally) is great. I really love what I do and think NY is exactly the right place to grow, learn, and experience this field.

WHAT LEAD YOU TO YOUR FIELD? WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCE?
I’ve always been good at Math. The Quadratic Equation and Binomials. Derivatives and Hyperbolas. I see them and they just make sense. I also have a pretty good memory, which made studying for Science and History tests easy for me. So, everyone thought, “Dania will be a doctor, or scientist. Maybe a mathematician or a lawyer.” But I am not. I believe exactly the opposite. That just because you are good at something, does not mean you should pursue it. Instead, pursue the things you love. The things that inspire and motivate you. The things that make you happy and fulfilled. This is what design means to me. Design is an opportunity to express your creativity. To find solutions to problems “your own way” instead of “the only way.”

I studied Advertising and Graphic Design at the University of Miami. I graduated Cum Laude and received numerous awards including one for being a rising advertising talent. I loved learning about space and color. About creating balance and symmetry. About how objects relate and the history of art. About how opposites can create harmony and too many similar things can create chaos. I was fascinated.

Most people wrongly assume that design means a façade. A form of decoration. The typography, the lines, or the colors of the shapes. But to me, nothing could be further from the truth. Graphic design is the meaning of that creation that encourages and is conducive of growth. I knew I had found that thing that I love and should pursue. That thing that motivates me and makes me happy. My solutions…visually.

Just Like Me: WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO?

KF: I run a boutique fashion PR firm called blink PR (www.blinkpr.com), representing new designers, trendy products, and talent in the fields of art, music, design, lifestyle and hospitality. The company is based out of Miami, Florida with a showroom in New York City. Blink PR specializes in media placements in top tier publications, online blog outreach and web site exposure, fashion show production and general event presentations, press release drafting and distribution, and press kit creation, as well as celebrity product placement and endorsement

WHY DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO?
I wake up every day with a passion for using fashion as a form of art. The art of styling is something I do on a day to day basis. I am an entrepreneur and express the passion I have for what I do by managing my PR showroom. I handle fashion products, talent, staff, clients, and love to multitask and juggle different aspects of writing in PR and attending and organizing social events

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST OBSTACLE THUS FAR IN YOUR EARLY CAREER? WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCE?
No matter what anyone tells you about not succeeding in starting your own business from scratch is not true! Follow your dreams and push forward- nothing is impossible especially if you have a passion for what you do. My biggest challenge has been balancing work with my social life and personal time. Running a business is time consuming, but balance is key.

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO?
My name is Taylor Iascone, Syracuse University Graduate, currently living in Boston, MA. I have a degree in Hospitality Management, working at Berklee College of Music as a Data/Budget Manager for the Facilities Department.
My career path started to evolve, first as my role in a group senior thesis project, secondly as my opportunity as a selected recruitment. I was the layout/design manager for a 142 unit facility. This immediately sparked my interest in the Facilities Management Industry. After 6 months of careful research and development of our Facility I was selected by ARAMARK to join the Facilities Management Team in Boston, Ma as a Service Response Manager. Hard work paid off. From there I took a job with Berklee College of Music to pursue my career in Facilities Management.
My current job as a data/budget manager involves the following: I administer all energy/utility data, coordinate internal physical moves within the college, analyze and control the operating budget (12 million budget), organize and regulate all incoming invoices, regulate spending within our capital budget (3.5 million budget), providing resolutions to immediate facility related service requests, maintaining a work related relationship with Berklee Staff/Faculty, and working hand in hand with the facilities director.

WHY DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO?
Benefits of this job are that I get to work hand in hand with many different types of people and learn about them. I meet new people every day. Higher Education is a friendly working environment, which relieves a lot of the everyday stress. I also fully enjoy dealing directly with all construction projects and seeing the campus grow.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST OBSTACLE THUS FAR IN YOUR EARLY CAREER? OR WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCE? The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was being overworked and never accepting that ‘no’ is an answer. It happens to a lot of us, but I’ve learned that it only makes you stronger. If you challenge yourself and make mistakes, the only problem you should focus on is how to fix them. Then once these problems or obstacles have been overcome you tackle the next task. What most young professionals are scared of is making mistakes. Don’t be afraid. The life lessons you can achieve are endless. This will lead you to bigger and better things…

Paola Mora, RD
Profession: Nutrition and Dietetics
Title: Registered Dietitian

What do you do?
As a Clinical Dietitian at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY I provide in depth nutrition assessment and follow up for patients at high nutritional risk. Develop care plans including discharge recommendations, which may include instructions on appropriate diet therapies to patients/family in both English and Spanish. I actively participate as a core team member in interdisciplinary coordinated patient care program and on committees for the development and revision of nutrition related policies and procedures. Moreover, I assess patients to determine level of care and implement care plan in patients of moderate or potential risk as well as act as a source of nutrition care expertise to MMC staff and associates.

Your education?
BS in Nutrition Science from Syracuse University. New York Presbyterian Hospital Dietetic Internship Graduate, and Ambulatory Nutrition Fellow. Passed Registered Dietitian Exam March 09. Starting New York University’s Masters Program in Nutrition and Dietetics with a concentration in Clinical Nutrition in the Fall of 2010.
How did you get started in this line of work?
Word of mouth. I was approached by a fellow New York Presbyterian Dietetic Internship Program Graduate regarding an opening at MMC.

What inspired you to choose this career (why of all the careers in the world was this the ONE?)
I became interested in the field of Dietetics through what I believe to have been a chain of events as well as one of those “right place at the right time”†moments. Throughout my development as both an adolescent in high school, I found it imperative to eat well and exercise regularly as well as relax often. Around the time that college was coming into the picture I was interested in the field of Psychology. I knew I wanted to work with people as a means of helping all of those around me in whichever ways I could.
I began incorporating nutrition into my desired field of study while at SU by enrolling in challenging courses with topics ranging from diet and disease to weight management and eating disorders. It was during this process, that I found my true calling and began feeling the need to educate people as well as help them understand the imperativeness of dealing with these fascinating and yet rapidly growing issues. Consequently, I became a Nutrition major Psychology minor my sophomore year at SU and have devoted my time ever since to learning even further about these topics as well as the effects that they’re having on society today.

What do you LOVE about this job?
At my current job, some of my co-workers are also my close friends, which makes for an environment conducive of constant learning as we are all willing and able to discuss questions and concerns related to in-patient nutrition care. As a Staff Relief Dietitian I am able to further develop my knowledge in both Nutrition Support and Nutrition Education. I continue to learn more about Enteral/Parenteral Nutrition in both Surgical and Critical Care Floors while also devoting much time and effort to diet education within both Cardiac and Psychiatry Floors among others. Furthermore, Montefiore Medical Center provides tuition reimbursement for my Master’s Program. What I love about my career aside from all I’ve mentioned before, is that it’s a growing field. I stay current with research in areas such as weight management and nutrition in disease. Moreover, I’m constantly involved in learning of new research and findings within the dietetics field in regards of how health and wellness affects our communities today and will affect out children in the future.

Describe your typical day
My days most definitely always begin with a cup of coffee and breakfast, of course. I typically come in at 9am, get settled in my office, catch up with my co-workers and then verify the coverage/unit assignment spreadsheet. This schedule allows me to determine which floors I have been assigned to cover due to either someone being on vacation, sick leave etc.
Having determined the floors I’m to cover, I proceed to check our electronic charting program for nutrition consults placed by either MDs or RNs on these units. Directly following, I assess the amount of follow-up assessments due by printing the Clinical Workload Report for each unit from CBORD (electronic patient database). Once I know what consults and follow-ups are due, I’m off to the floors.
On each unit, I proceed gather the information needed in order to assess in-patient nutrition status based on comprehensive dietary recall (via patient/RD interview), past medical history, admitting diagnoses, co-morbid diseases (via paper medical chart), biochemical and anthropometric data (via electronic medical chart). I then develop individualized nutrition care plans for in-patients in accordance with hospital screening criteria. When completing a follow-up note, I then evaluate the effectiveness of prescribed nutrition care plans in conjunction with medical treatment as well as management for continuation or revision. Once having completed all due notes, and filling them in each patient’s individual chart along with discussing with the medical team regarding changes in prescribed nutrition plans, I return to my office to chart completed evaluations in our electronic patient database.
The next day, follows the same pattern. The neat part is, because of my position as a Staff Relief Dietitian, everyday is different in terms of patient population, nutrition risk and plan of care.

What advice do you have for someone considering this line of work (schools to attend, books to read and any process stuff, etc.)? Buckle your seatbelt! Being a responsible and organized individual who puts much effort into all that you do while being a perseverant and independent person who strives to get everything done and make sure that each and every element of what you represent is up to par are some very important qualities within this line of work. Being a go-getter, the one who always works hard to make things happen and wont rest until everything is done to the best of your abilities is just as important. You must love to help people, educate others and most importantly learn from others; have a passion for giving advice, being patient and open-minded are all essential qualities as a professional in this field will need to develop these skills in order to work with parents, children and other professionals. Additionally, you would have to devote time and effort to dealing with large amounts of people.
In order to become a commendable professional within the field of Dietetics, not only will you need a strong base as is an education in Nutrition and Dietetics but you will also require large amounts of experience in the field. You will need at least a BS degree in Dietetics, Foods and Nutrition. Furthermore, acquiring experience through a required and ADA approved Dietetic Internship Program is needed prior to taking the Registered Dietitian exam as this fieldwork will prove pivotal for your development as a professional within the field of Dietetics. What is more, in order to remain competitive in the field you should consider continuing education such as graduate school in order to focus on a particular area of Dietetics while also considering completing required coursework for specializations such as CDE (Certified Diabetic Educator), CNSD (Clinical Nutrition Support Dietitian) etc. For those considering this career, log on to www.eatright.org, the website for the American Dietetic Association. This is the largest group of nutrition professionals. The amount of information on this site, for launching your career is outstanding.

What are must have traits for this career?
The role and responsibilities of a practitioner in the field of Dietetics include various factors; being a teacher as well as a role model are two features that I trust are key elements. Patience is also crucial a well as having a sense of understanding and open mindedness when it comes to the people one has to work with on a daily basis. Moreover, effective listening and communication skills such as speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others, having the ability to counsel and advise people, give health care instructions, plan and give information as well as provide help are also vital. Important workplace skills include social perceptiveness, coordination, persuasion, instructing, problem identification, information gathering and organization, implementation planning, solution appraisal, identification of key causes, judgment and decision-making and time management among other things. I also believe that sense maturity, patience and perseverance as well as the ability to interpret situations subjectively and objectively (“looking at the big picture”) are imperative components. Being passionate about the field, being resourceful and having knowledge of other general areas that may affect people, being open-minded and of course being organized are also some of the other elements that I hold to be very significant characteristics that an experienced professional should have.

What are the challenges of the job?
Montefiore Medical Center emphasizes problem-solving outside nutrition that enriches my knowledge in disciplines like psychology, social services, medicine, nursing and physical therapy and can sometimes become very challenging as opinions tend to differ from person to person regarding patient care.
Moreover, at times, managing time wisely in order to complete the required workload can prove to be difficult particularly during weekends when often 2-3 dietitians cover the entire hospital.

What is the growth in this career (is there a high demand for it? is there a ladder to climb)? It is my most firm belief that the demand for Registered Dietitians will continue to grow exponentially within both the Pediatric Nutrition and Geriatric Nutrition areas. As we all know, Childhood Obesity affects approximately 1/3 of US children and change begins through education. Throughout the next years there will be great need for RD’s in the community nutrition area as well where it is imperative we make changes in order positive impact or children’s food choices and exercise habits through in school nutrition and wellness programs. Moreover, as people continue to live longer, the need for assessment of adequate nutrition intake among the elderly will become even more important. For example, the active involvement of an RD in the Nursing Home is imperative as a means to preventing Malnutrition, Lean Body Wt Loss and Pressure Ulcers as well as assessing adequate Tube Feed regimens, working with Speech Therapists for modified consistency diets etc.
As with many other professions, there is most certainly a ladder to climb and the way to do it is through hands-on experience, research and continuing education.