Alumni Profile: Juliet
Carpet mill sales rep for Bentley Prince Street
BFA in ceramics, class of 1983
When you first came to UIUC did you know for sure what you wanted to do as a major/career?
No.
If not, how many majors/careers did you "go through" during your years here and how did you finally come to a choice?
After U of I , I studied at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, I was working on my portfolio for grad school when I realized I didn't want to teach. So I pursued a career in textiles and furniture in sales
What was one UIUC event, memory, person, class, that made a substantial difference in your career choices?
Dr Raheel, Nancy Fisher, Jack Guttentag all helped me understand textiles and interiors
What was your first job after you earned your degree?
Brunschwig & Ffils, a French residential fabric house in the Chicago showroom in the sample department.
How did you land your first career related job?
Networking
List all positions in order that you have held since graduation up till now (including those not related to your major, i.e. waitress, temp, teacher, etc.). Please provide brief descriptions for clarity if necessary:
- Administrative staff
- Sample room person
- Restaurant ostess
- China department salesperson then silver assistant manager
- Support to Marshall Field Commercial Interiors salesperson
- Office furniture salesperson
- Furniture representative
- Sales
- Nylon fiber marketing
- Carpet mill sales representative
What is your current occupation and how did you come to it?
My position with Solutia meant that I worked with carpet mill reps so I was recommended for the job by a rep who was moving to another territory. They actually offered it to someone else first but my contacts convinced the other candidate that it wasn't a good job so I could have it!
If you changed career paths after school, did you make a conscious choice to make the change, was it forced on you or did it naturally evolve?
I've always sold products that had to do with Interior spaces moving from office furniture to carpet isn't really a path change. The bad economy had resulted in a few layoffs but I always found something better.
What steps did you take in making the transition?
I've always done research before joining a new company. Networking has always been my mainstay.
What advice would you give to an FAA student who might be interested in your current or past careers?
There are so many options to create new materials used in interiors- lighting design, painters, wall treatments etc.
What advice can you give an FAA student who is currently undecided about their future career?
Move away from home, take any job, meet as many people in a field you like and would be proud of. Volunteer in museums or theaters.