Caitlin Fadgen joined the Pittsburgh
Downtown Partnership (PDP) in August 2017 as the Economic Development manager.
She is responsible for the implementation of the PDP’s economic development
strategies, including research and data analysis, business outreach, and
efforts to enhance the public realm through management and place making. She is
also responsible for managing the Paris to Pittsburgh building façade and
sidewalk activation grant program. Prior
to joining the PDP, Caitlin worked for the Sports and Exhibition Authority of
the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) as a Sustainability Analyst.
While working at the SEA, she served as a LEED Project Administrator for the
LEED for Existing Buildings O+M Platinum certified David L. Lawrence Convention
Center re-certification. She also worked for PPG Industries in research and
development prior to earning her MBA and Master of Sustainability from Chatham
University. Ms. Fadgen earned a B.A.
from Washington & Jefferson College and is also a LEED Green Associate.
When asked about her studying skills that she
picked up over her years of school, she had some good advice:
“Every person is different when it
comes to choosing their preferred study environment, but I have always found
that I study best when I am by myself in a comfortable and quiet place with
access to lots of caffeine. I need total silence in order to concentrate or
read anything effectively. I have found that I always retain information best
when I write/type it out, especially when prepping for essay-based exams. For
presentations, I typically write everything out that I want to say in a word
document and then read it several times over (sometimes out loud) so by the
time I need to present, I have it all memorized and I don’t need any notes!”
Ms. Fadgen had several tips on building a good resume. She stressed
that a large part of it has to do with what profession you are pursuing. Finding a job that will help build your
resume with skills for your desired profession will get you far:
“My resume always changes based on
the job for which I am applying. It is important to tailor your resume based on
the position that you want to pursue so that you can highlight certain skills
that are in the job description.
I think that it is important to
note that once you have a job, even if it’s not where you see yourself in 10
years, it is possible to seek out opportunities within your current role that
will help you gain experience for when you are looking for your next job title.
Opportunities for building your resume might not always be apparent or present
themselves in your job, so it is on you to look for those opportunities either at work or through a professional
networking group – there are so many of these groups in Pittsburgh across a
wide variety of industries!”
Caitlin had some interesting insights on
getting the most out of campus events.
She emphasized her go to way of getting the most out of your networking
efforts:
“The number one thing is to have
business cards with you on hand to pass out to the connections that you make. If
you give away your business card, the person who you are talking with is likely
to give you theirs in return. Once you have their card, it is always a good
idea to follow up with an email after the event to say that it was nice meeting
them and if you want, ask them to grab coffee.
A thing to note about having your own business
cards when you are a student – even though you don’t have a job yet, get some cards
printed with your name, major, and your graduation date/year, you can include a
Chatham logo or just make something simple with a pop of color. Having your own
business cards goes a long way.
Don’t be afraid to drink at
networking events."
“Landing an internship as a
college student is a daunting task and sometimes it can be hard to find one
that fits your interests (and that is
paid, too!). I have found the most success in this area by using Chatham’s
network of professionals to land an internship and through contacts that I’ve
made in previous jobs. I believe that the best way to find an internship is
through other people. There are also a variety of local newsletters that will
have job postings and internship opportunities in them - my favorites are Next
Pittsburgh and the Green Building Alliance’s newsletter.”
Being my former co-president of Chatham’s
chapter of a business and sustainability organization on campus, Caitlin may
have been a little bit biased when asked how to get involved on campus in a
meaningful way and to build skills… her answer was “Net Impact!” of
course. She also added:
“I have developed strong skills by
asking for feedback and incorporating it into my work. I also always make sure
someone else reads over things that I do before I submit it even if that
someone is my mother, it’s always best to have more than one pair of eyes to
inspect your work.”
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