Meet Matt and Anna
Matt Quale
Your Penn degree/major/year of graduation:
BSE / ChE / 1998
What career paths were you considering as a senior at Penn?
Traditional chemical engineering roles
What was your first job after graduation?
Engineer for Mobil Oil Corporation
Name one thing you wish you knew as an undergraduate at Penn.
Your major and how you choose to apply it can influence where you are able to live!
How did you get to where you are now?
Hard work, tough choices, and managing my own career!
At what point do you feel you decided on a career direction? As an undergraduate or later?
I am still deciding on career directions, so I guess “later”!
What is the one course you took at Penn that has helped you the most?
In fact, I would say it was the combination of all of the courses, technical and non-technical, that have helped me throughout my career.
Did you go on to graduate school?
No.
What can a recent graduate expect in this field starting out?
Expect to spend a few years learning different roles within the organization and choosing where you best fit.
What do you do day to day?
My days are spent working on projects, meeting with my employees, and setting direction for our project portfolio.
What kind of environment do you work in?
I work in a dynamic research environment where we balance short and long term projects.
How often do you collaborate with others as a team?
90% of my day is spent in collaboration with others.
If you were to hire someone to work with you today, what would be most important factors in your hiring decision?
When interviewing potential candidates I am looking for a well-rounded, confident individual who is excited about what they do.
How much of your lifestyle do you think is dictated by your work?
Balancing work and life is always a challenge while determining potential career paths. The important part is to determine for yourself what sacrifices you are willing to make and not let your employer decide for you.
Where is your field going in the future?
Globalization!
How did a Penn education prepare you for your career or current job?
The broad curriculum including social science and humanities courses and of course very strong technical training have prepared me for a wide range of experiences.
Matt’s Recommended Links:
http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm
http://www.cnn.com
Anna Tiffany
Your Penn degree/major/year of graduation:
BSE in chemical and biomolecular engineering, 2005
What career paths were you considering as a senior at Penn?
I was considering both engineering and consulting.
What was your 1 st job after graduation?
Research Process Engineer in the research engineering rotational program at Rohm and Haas
Name one thing you wish you knew as an undergraduate at Penn.
I wish I knew how to work out of my comfort zone better, whether it be studying abroad (something I regret not doing in college) or taking on something that I don’t know how to do well (such as new responsibilities at work). It’s not something that can really be taught, but the more you do it, the easier it is to do next time. Situations like that come up a lot in the industry, and they are usually the ones that end up being the most rewarding.
How did you get to where you are now?
Hard work, determination, a positive attitude, an open mind, and willingness to try new things/take on new responsibilities.
At what point do you feel you decided on a career direction? As an undergraduate or later?
I decided as an undergrad that I wanted to go into engineering (as opposed to consulting), but I am still deciding what direction I want my engineering career to take.
What is the one course you took at Penn that has helped you the most?
It’s a tie between Material and Energy Balances with Professor Sheih and the System Design Project senior year. My current project is very similar to a senior design project and it involves a lot of mass balancing.
Did you go on to graduate school?
Not yet, but I’m planning to pursue a MS degree upon finishing my rotations (Summer/Fall 2007)
What can a recent graduate expect in this field starting out?
The first thing to expect is to learn a lot. There’s much more involved in chemical engineering and engineering in general that you can’t ever learn in just 4 years. It will be overwhelming at first, but everything settles down and makes sense after a little while.
What do you do day to day?
I am currently doing a lot of mass balances and economic analysis for possible new business ventures. I do some internet research to learn about different equipment and vendors. I also have a lot of contact with customers, vendors, and my different team members. In my previous rotation, I did a lot of experimental lab work and testing as well.
What kind of environment do you work in?
I work in a laboratory setting most days. Occasionally I’ll be in the plant, either one of ours or our customer’s.
How often do you collaborate with others as a team?
About 50% of the time. Although some of the work is individual, I regularly report my findings to my team members.
If you were to hire someone to work with you today, what would be most important factors in your hiring decision?
Technical skills are obviously important, but equally important are good communication and interpersonal skills, as well as a good work ethic and positive attitude.
How much of your lifestyle do you think is dictated by your work?
The only time my home life is dictated by my work is when I have to travel, which is <10% of the time.
Where is your field going in the future?
Today’s fast paced world will always be dependent on chemistry, and Rohm and Haas is positioning itself to be a key player in emerging markets. The chemical industry seems to be taking a turn in the direction of environmentally friendly chemistries. We are working on becoming a key player in these technologies of the future, such as biodiesel.
How did a Penn education prepare you for your career or current job?
My Penn education taught me a lot of the technical skills that my job requires, but it also taught me to be attentive to detail and allowed me to better hone my written and oral communication skills, all of which can set a person apart from the rest in any industry, not just engineering.
Anna’s Recommended Links:
http://www.rohmhaas.com/careers/
