Networking to Success

From applying and attaining an internship, to securing a job, to graduating early, Quenna Keating ’19, ’21 MSL has consistently used her networking skills to forge ahead of the crowd.

MMU: You recently got a job at UFG Insurance, working within actuarial science—congrats! What interested you in UFG?

QK: I am working in commercial underwriting at UFG. It’s been about a year since I started, which is very exciting! What attracted me to UFG was their culture and benefits. UFG has a very open, fun, and learning environment. They offer great benefits including tuition reimbursement which has allowed me to earn my masters in strategic leadership at Mount Mercy. Altogether, UFG is just a great place to work.

MMU: Tell me a little about what you’re doing for the company. What does your day-to-day look like? What are a few of your favorite things about the company/job?

QK:  My day-to-day job differs every single day. I enjoy this part of my job because I get to learn something new every day and don’t get settled into my work and end up bored. I enjoy the analytics that go into it, as well as the problem solving and relationship building. I am also a part of my region’s Champions group, which puts on different team activities, food days, snack weeks, and after work outings. I like how the company cares about your career growth as well as work life balance.

MMU: How well do you think MMU prepared you for the job? What skills did you learn at MMU that transferred to UFG?

QK: MMU helped prepare me for this job in many ways. First, teaching me the basics of resume building, network building, and interviewing. This allowed me to get noticed by UFG. MMU also taught me the value of leadership, time management, responsibility, and work ethic. MMU always pushed me outside of my comfort zone to help me be the best that I could be.

MMU: What tips do you have for others who want to find a job before graduation?

QK: My advice to others is to start building your network early on and search for internships. Internships not only give you legitimate experience and connections when job searching, but it can also turn into a job opportunity like mine did. I was an intern at UFG in the summer of 2018. Following my internship, I was offered a full-time position. I was able to graduate a semester early, which allowed me to start my job earlier.

MMU: In what ways did MMU help with securing the job with UFG?

QK: While attending MMU I took advantage of the career services office. They helped me tremendously throughout my 4 years with job shadows, resume building, mock interviews, job interviews, and so much more. I also had the pleasure of having Terri Wendler as a professor and mentor. She has helped me immensely with business communication, relationship building, job searching, and confidence boosting. She was, and still is, always there to lend a hand and help me when needed. I value the relationship we have created over the years.

"She has helped me immensely with business communication, relationship building, job searching, and confidence boosting."

MMU: Did you partake in extracurricular activities at MMU that helped you gain skills needed for a career? How did these actives help?

QK: I was a part of the women’s basketball team my freshman and sophomore years. This allowed me to make connections with a lot of people and practice the skills of leadership, work ethic, time management, and teamwork. These are all skills that I use in my job every day, so having previous experience with these skills has been helpful.

MMU: What are you plans for the future? What do you hope to accomplish at UFG to move you forward?

QK: In the future, I would like to move towards a managerial position. I would like to finish my master’s degree first to gain the knowledge needed for the position. UFG offers a lot of leadership and career building courses that I am currently apart of, which excites me for the future with them.