Field Service Engineer, Waters Corporation
Where did you train for your career? Seton Hill University- B.S. in Chemistry
What qualities or skills are important in your career? Deductive reasoning, chemistry, math, customer service skills, troubleshooting, administrative (email, paperwork, etc...)
What is a typical day like in your job? No day is the same. I go to a customer site, troubleshoot what issues they are having with their instrumentation, and address any other problems that they may be having. There's also a good bit of administrative things that I have to do with paperwork, etc...
Was there a particular person or event that influenced your career choice? I was an analytical chemist for many years which eventually led me to this current job as a field service engineer. My college advisor, Sr. Susan Yochum, at Seton Hill was my mentor and led me to my love of analytical chemistry.
What has surprised you about your career? Is it what you imagined it would be? One thing that has surprised me is that I'm still doing chemistry and science, but I'm not in the lab anymore. The science can happen anywhere!!!
What has been the most interesting or unusual experience of your career? How much travel I've done. People think that science/chemistry means sitting in a lab mixing things. It has been quite different than that. Helping to develop and test products involves a lot of customer and peer interaction which sometimes involves traveling to meet with people and traveling to see things in action.
What career did you imagine yourself in as a young girl? As a very young girl I wanted to be an astronaut, until I realized that I get motion sickness. Then I wanted to be a writer.
Do you have any special skills or hidden talents? I am a published poet.
Is there anything else about you and your career that you would like to share? Just to keep an open mind and realize that where you start may not be where you will end up.