Education
B.A. in Psychology, Certificate in Industrial Organizational Psychology – University of Northern Iowa (2017)

What do you do in your current position?
As a member of a Leadership Development Program I get to rotate to different areas of Principal Financial Group every 6-9 months. So far, I have been able to create a new hiring process, take part in interviews, and recruit on college campuses. In my next rotation I will learn about the retirement business and help a leader make changes to new client onboarding. What I love about my job is that I get to keep learning and growing as a leader and as a person.

How did your major help prepare you? 
Studying I/O Psych has really helped prepare me for my job at Principal. I believe that understanding people is a key to success in any job, particularly leadership positions. As I rotate to different areas and need to learn about teams and add value, understanding human behavior is immensely helpful. My major also taught me to always be asking the question “what does the data say?” which can be so beneficial.  

Most memorable part of your studies?
I was able to be a TA for Dr. Gasser and complete a thesis project with Dr. Butler and those are by far my favorite experiences within my major. Both allowed me to stretch my leadership ability and provided a healthy challenge. And both gave me a lot of confidence going in to my career.

What advice would you give future panthers?
For any major I would say you don’t need to know right now. Take some classes and see what you like. If you’re interested in I/O Psych, take a class and decide if it fits with your interests and career goals. Even if it doesn’t end up being the right path for you, you’ll learn so much that will help you wherever you end up. If you are passionate about I/O Psych I would say go for it. As long as you can market yourself well, it is a major that can be beneficial in so many industries. In my opinion, the world needs more I/O psychologists!