Between Two Firms is an interview series accompanying Economics@Work. We ask alumni speakers the candid questions students can’t ask in person. This week’s guest is Brittany Pletscher, who currently works as a Product Manager for Maven, the car-sharing service founded by General Motors. A 2009 Economics and PitE alumna, Brittany talks about her undergraduate years, making big industry switches, and how to keep your cool for interviews.
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C: I’d like to start off by thanking you for taking the time to present in front of everyone for Econ@Work. Were you nervous? What made you want to do Econ@Work in the first place?
B: It was interesting because I’d never presented in a lecture hall, I guess. So that was interesting. When the professor reached out to me, I thought “Wow, this is such a cool class, I wish it was there when I was in school…” Econ is such a prestigious degree, yet you don’t really know the full life-cycle of people graduating and what they do afterwards. You know that your job opportunities will be there, but you don’t know exactly what Econ can offer you until you meet people in different fields.
C: How do you feel, being back at U-M after a few years?
B: It’s great. Every time I come back here, I’m reminded of what a special place this is, and how great it is to have a degree from Michigan. The farther away you get from school, you forget sometimes, but being back here and being surrounded by the intellect that makes this university what it is—it’s an awesome feeling.
C: For all the undeclared students (and for those taking ECON 401 right now!), tell us: why choose this major?
B: The Econ degree from Michigan speaks volumes. It teaches a different way of attacking problems. To graduate especially from U-M’s Econ department—once you enter the real world, you start understanding the respect that comes with that combination.
C: Why Econ versus other majors like finance or business?
B: I would say Econ gives you a pretty broad perspective on how to run a business, whether it’s your own or a large corporation that you’re working for. You have to understand the market impacts that will ultimately affect what you’re doing day-to-day. You can use Econ in a variety of different industries; it doesn’t box you in to the just the finance sector…I went from insurance to automotive, and you could easily jump to something completely different, knowing that your background is valuable in any industry.
C: What made you decide to make such a major career switch?
B: You know, I’m from the Metro-Detroit area, and I know how important auto is for this region. It felt meaningful to me to use my degree to benefit the area I grew up in. I’m glad I went back to auto and saw how it can benefit not only our local economy but how it can push things forward throughout the world.
C: Interviews are pretty nerve-wracking for most of us. Have you ever had any bad or funny interview experiences?
B: Oh yes, I can definitely share a story. I had a phone interview once, and I had the iPhone up to my cheek—and I must’ve been either smiling or pushing the phone against my face, but I kept pressing the mute button. I told the person on the other end, “I don’t know what’s happening!” He definitely knew what was happening. He was laughing, but it was embarrassing.
C: What should students know going into an interview?
B: Just take a deep breath. If you’re being interviewed, you pretty much have the skill set they’re looking for because your resume has already been reviewed. If you absolutely did not fit the role, they wouldn’t have bothered. So just try to let your personality shine and be yourself, because I think a lot of in-person interviews are more about whether you’ll be a good cultural fit within the team, and whether you’ll be able to exhibit the interpersonal skills needed for the job.
C: What’s one mistake you see students making in interviews that you wish you could tell them to stop doing?
B: That’s a good question. I would say that although corporate culture is pretty important, don’t ask too many questions about “Can I work from home”, or “What’s the vacation schedule like?” You want to make it clear that you’re driven and a hard worker, so while all those things are important and will impact your day-to-day fulfillment, I would just say hold off and ask those questions in a follow-up email instead.
C: Speaking of culture and best fit, I feel that alongside learning academically is the equal struggle of learning “work culture” and work politics for the first time. What would you say are some major faux pas?
B: It’s important to pick up on what other people are doing. If it’s a casual work environment, see what other people are wearing first before you show up in ripped jeans. Just understand what the environment is before you make decisions on how you’re going to act. Showing up, being on time, and being courteous are important choices and will go a long way.
C: On top of that, since everyone is learning on the job as they go: if you make a mistake, what should you do?
B: Mistakes happen all the time. People know you’re just starting out, they want you to succeed. If you do make a mistake, being honest is the best policy: even in my day-to-day work, I do have to own up to things and I think it goes a long way if you can explain why you acted in a certain way. People will understand where you’re coming from and will understand your line of thinking.
C: You were a fresh grad once, trying to choose your first job. Based off your own experiences, what are some red flags when you’re trying to make your decision?
B: You’re going to be experiencing a lot of change in a short period of time. So if you’re not super excited about an opportunity, maybe you shouldn’t move across the country for it. But I will also say that not everything’s set in stone, everything can be undone, so if you find yourself in a place where you’re not happy, you can shift your career. I think it’s much easier when you’re in your early 20s than being stuck in a job for many years and then realizing it’s not what you want to do.
C: I feel that even over the last few years there have been strides in the workplace in terms of inclusivity for women. Can you talk about the status of sexism in the workplace today, and how should a young female professional deal with encountering sexism in the workforce?
B: I would say that we’ve gotten to a place in our society where we should be treated equally. The best companies in the world have policies around that, and they’re the companies that make everyone feel welcome and valued at work, so if that’s not ever the case you should speak up.
C: What was one project/accomplishment that was super difficult for you at work, and how did you overcome that?
B: Changing our back-end billing rules. It was something that not a lot of people had deep knowledge on, and there were a lot of things that could easily go wrong while changing those business rules. It took careful planning, and I had to keep a lot of parties informed along the way to minimize customer impact. If something goes wrong, be able to pivot and correct things.
C: Obviously college won’t teach you everything you need to know before you graduate. What are some things that you think students should take the time to learn on their own because they’ll need it?
B: Off the top of my head: 1.) doing your taxes yourself, even though there’s TurboTax! 2.) Real estate. You’re going to have to buy your own place sooner or later. 3.) Investing. Stocks, mutual funds—it’s just a really good idea to educate yourself.
C: What’s next for you? What are your hopes for 2019?
B: I would like to continue to push myself forward at work, continue to learn every day, and push GM and Maven to become a company that’s at the forefront of technology.
C: Lastly, before anyone graduates from U of M, what should they make sure to do?
B: Step on the Block M in the Diag! It doesn’t matter anymore.