The Competitive Finance Industry

 

Sheila Haynes had no intentions of ending up in the financial industry. After changing her major 3 times, she built up the drive and competiveness to start a career in the finance world. She studied at Louisiana Tech University and acquired a Bachelor of Science in Finance in a little over three years. While working at a Hibernia Bank as a teller throughout college, Sheila made the transition out of the banking and into a financial analyst position at CenturyLink.

A Normal Work Week

Whenever Sheila was asked about her daily schedule, she said, “It is very hectic, but at the end of the day it is very rewarding work that I get to be a part of on a daily basis.” She has become well versed in the areas on macro and microeconomics. On a normal day, her responsibilities involve recommending a course of action for buying and selling stocks based on the stocks overall and future strength. While dealing with stocks, business models must be made to assist in predicting future economic conditions.

Certifications for the Job

While getting a good degree is a main priority, certifications set you apart from the next person who is trying to obtain the same job as you. She says, “I took the series 7 and 63 exam to become well versed in investments and accounting. This ultimately set me apart early in my finance career.” There are many high level scholars that work for the Fortune 200 Company so every little advantage you can make for yourself is very useful.

Working for an Global Company

There are not many companies that can say that they are a successful global company and are continuing to grow every year in many different aspects. Sheila explained, “It has its benefits and downfalls for working in such a large company. There are great growth opportunities to rise up in the company, but job security can be an issue as well.” With expanding companies, sometimes employees become more of a statistic rather than known as individuals. “They have amazing benefit packages that include stock options, great insurance, and matching on retirement funds.” Sheila went on to tell me that job relocations was a plus as well. If something were to come up and she had to move, she could easily relocate to another facility the company has.

Training within the Job

Like most jobs that involve certifications and certain qualifications, CenturyLink incorporates on the job training that varies on which department someone is in. Sheila stated, “The programs that are in use are constantly being upgraded and new programs are being integrated as well because of how much they are expanding. There are classes that must be taken within the department, as well as tests to make sure the co-workers are maintaining the certain level of excellence that is expected in the work environment. CenturyLink and IBM also recently made a public-private partnership with the State of Louisiana to bring more high tech jobs to the local area. Sheila went on to say, “This new expansion shows the quality of employer for the company is always increasing. The training and increased demand for positions within the company is a great thing to see.”

Final Thoughts

Sheila underlined a couple main points that I took away from the interview. She made it clear that she did not get her current position over night. It takes commitment and dedication to your field of choice to reach the goals that one might have. Also she noted, “consistency and thinking for yourself are big things as well. An employer wants someone who can be held accountable and can make independent decisions for themselves.”

 

 

Cody Haynes, guest blogger

 

 

One Personal Trainer Makes Technical Communication Personal

Jadarius Willis Boot Camp

Personal Training is a wide-spread, rapidly growing industry. With obesity levels on the rise, many people are attempting to combat weight gain with a healthy change in their lifestyle. For many of these people, hiring a certified personal trainer is one of the first steps of their fitness journey.

Jadarius Willis is a certified personal trainer here in Ruston, Louisiana. Through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), he is certified for both personal training and group training. With this certification, he is currently employed at Anytime Fitness as a part-time personal trainer. Jadarius is also completing his dual degree in Kinesiology and Psychology at Louisiana Tech University.

In a small town like Ruston, aspiring entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity to reach a wide range of people quite easily. In this small rural community, news travels fast and new clients are easily accessible. Jadarius takes full advantage of this in order to promote himself and his growing business.

For Jadarius, word of mouth has been a tremendous help in jump starting his progress. However, he realized very early on that in order to promote his business and launch his career, public technical communication would benefit him the most. He says that telling his friends and classmates about his business has been beneficial, but his Facebook page “has really helped [me] reach the general public and created a wider range of potential clients”. He tries to keep his public page “professional yet fun” to give off an approachable and friendly vibe.

In keeping up with the times, Jadarius has also created an Instagram profile where he can upload photos and videos of his clients and their training sessions. He can announce promotions, upcoming boot camps, or just general availability. “Instagram allows me to advertise my business a bit more than Facebook can” he says. “With Instagram, the use of hashtags can help me reach the entire Instagram community”. People on the app can look up words like “boot camp”, “fitness”, “fitfam”, “training” and more, as well as be able to see Jadarius’s photos. With the Instagram app, Jadarius has been able to use modern technology to communicate his skills and his credentials to the general public.

There is, however, a more business oriented side to technical writing for Jadarius and his career. If a potential new client sees his social media pages and wants to hire Jadarius as a trainer, there are many steps to take before the training sessions can begin. Jadarius says that “first and foremost is the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (Par-Q) which helps expose any contraindications or health issues that would prevent you from exercising”. This and other general health screenings help Jadarius keep a professional feel, while also looking out for his client’s health and safety.

If a client is deemed healthy and ready for exercise, the communication from that point forward is more casual. Jadarius will typically communicate with clients about scheduled training sessions or changes via text, emails, or phone calls. As a trainer, he likes to keep communication “easy-going”, as he feels that a client is more likely to listen if he or she feels like they are being cared instead of just being told what to do. With a healthy client, the most “official” forms of writing is creating workout spreadsheets and charting progress, although the former can be as simple as jotting down a workout in a notebook.

If a client is deemed unfit or not ready for physical training, Jadarius refers them to their physician, and that is where the real technical communication begins. Once a physician gets involved, Jadarius is in constant communication with him or her regarding the health status of the client. Official medical forms must be filled out, proper guidelines must be followed, and records must be consistently updated and shared in order to provide the best service possible for the patient.

When it comes to technical communication, Jadarius has the best of both worlds as a personal trainer. While he is still responsible for official paperwork and medical records, he gets to create a friendlier, more casual environment when working directly with his clients. The result is a wonderful mixture of professional and laid back, and that type of impression makes for a successful career in the fitness industry.

 

Keely Davis, guest blogger