Darionne Williams

How did you get your current job, and what kind of work do you do in your role?
I tailored my LinkedIn profile and found the position through the Jobs tab. I originally interviewed for a different position but was referred to the accounting department. In my current role, my team and I handle accounting operations when our company funds commercial and personal loans.

How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you or give you unique insight for the “real world” of work?
Applied Humanities really helped prepare me for working with people with a plethora of different backgrounds. Being able to effectively communicate with everyone from customer service all the way up to our Chief Accounting Officer has made me stand out.

What is a benefit you see now in studying your area of emphasis and the Applied Humanities?
I actually fell in love with accounting while taking the required survey of accounting course. Couple that with what I learned in the business courses, I was able to understand what my company did and was able to ask thoughtful questions during my interview which is why I was referred to the accounting department and landed the job.

What advice would you give to Applied Humanities students as they approach graduation?
Build up your Linkedin profile, Handshake profile, etc. and use the knowledge gained from all your courses to show that you can stand out with not only technical knowledge but highly sought after skills like critical thinking and effective communication. Network, network, network. Even when you land a job, talk to your superiors. I played cornhole with my boss' boss' boss then added him on LinkedIn. You never know what you can learn and where it might lead!

With hindsight, what do you appreciate about your Applied Humanities education?
I can say for certain that the different perspectives I experienced during my Applied Humanities education made me a better human. I now look for what I can learn from others not like myself, with a different cultural background, a different educational background... you can learn a lot from people's life stories. This challenge was only prompted by my Applied Humanities education.