Interview Questions

• Briefly tell us about your current job?
• Briefly tell us about your career path?
• What were some of your activities at Duke?
• How has Duke influenced your success?
• What is the best career advice you would give students today?
• What city and state do you call home?
• What do you do in your free time?
• Where have you traveled in the past 5 years?

Briefly tell us about your current job?
I currently work for McMaster-Carr Supply Company in Atlanta, Georgia. The company is in the Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) industry. You can think of the company as "the Home Depot" for Big Business in the United States. We have five large warehouses located around the US and it is a resilient, stable and fast-growing company.

I've only been here for a month and a half, but the company's environment is fast paced, but with many opportunities for growth. The company treats its employees very well, as shown by the multiple numbers of employees who have been here for many years.

I am in the management development program for recent college grads at the sales desk, and within several months I aspire to be a supervisor at the Atlanta branch.
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Briefly tell us about your career path?
Well, I'm just starting my career, so there isn't much to say here. Keep on reading and you'll find out more about me.
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What were some of your activities at Duke?
When I think of the most significant extracurriculars in college I would name the following organizations: APO, Model UN and Mi Gente. I participated in these organizations at different points of my college career. I really tried to not overextend myself in extracurriculars and made sure that whatever I got involved in I did with full commitment.
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How has Duke influenced your success?
Duke catapulted me to have great experiences abroad, and it gave me a great education. I feel that other colleges may provide similar quality in the classroom, but some opportunities are easier to come by to Duke students because of the reputation our school has. I feel that we have a very good alumni network that has come handy a couple of times, and I'm sure it will continue to come handy in the future as I build my career path.
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What is the best career advice you would give students today?
Make a list of priorities and goals, and make sure that your career path is consistent with both. Impress yourself.
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What city and state do you call home?
I currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia.
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What do you do in your free time?
I love to play/watch/read about/argue about soccer. I've been quite busy getting to know Atlanta and building a niche in the city. Every now and then you can catch me reading a good book.
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Where have you traveled in the past 5 years?
I am a traveler at heart, and I admit I used the opportunities Duke had to offer to explore the world beyond US borders. I was awarded the Mellon Award for Undergraduate Research in Latin America, sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies. Through this Award I studied race dynamics as they are associated to affirmative policy initiatives in higher education in Rio de Janeiro. I believe I did this the summer of my sophomore year.

I also did not settle for studying abroad for just one semester. I went abroad to the London School of Economics my junior year, which was a good spring board to visit several other countries in Eastern and Western Europe.

My last semester at Duke was tough because I had to make some tough decisions about my future. I ended up applying for the Hart Fellowship, which is sponsored by the Department of Public Policy at Duke. This is a 10-month fellowship that took me to Salvador, Brazil from July 2004 to June 2005. I am sure that when I look back a few years from now, this fellowship will stand out as a life-transforming experience. I would encourage Duke graduates to have similar experiences abroad.

On top of that, I usually try to visit my family once or twice a year in Costa Rica, my motherland.
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