We recently interviewed Casey Weihart who graduated from Penn State World Campus in 2018. He gives some excellent advice in the interview and you will see that he has stayed very active. Casey is opening to connecting with other Penn State alum and you can find out how to connect with Casey in the interview.
| What year did you graduate from Penn State World Campus? | 2018 |
| What major and option did you pursue? | Bachelor of Science in Business – Marketing & Management |
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What was the class that had the biggest impact on you and why? |
The Project Management course I took with PSU WC was inspiration for the header of my resume that ultimately landed me quality work years later. In PSU WC’s course, a light bulb went off that the job I had in submarines in the Navy for 10 years could be best paralleled to THIS civilian career; known for its rigorous attention to detail. In fact, I was unknowingly using a number of PM tools / best practices as an ANAV (Assistant Navigator) on submarines before I found this course. The PSU class more or less served as an eagerly completed review which opened my eyes up to my professional future. |
| When faced with a challenging course, how did you get through it? | Being offered the nuclear program by Navy recruiters after nearly acing the Asvab exam… I proudly admit I failed Statistics the first time while pursuing my PSU bachelors. This was my proof to the world that knew me to be a smart man, that my degree was a challenge albeit online. Tenacity and grit; extra time dedication to difficult areas – these were the tricks I employed when the Nittany Lion curriculum got tough. |
| What have you been doing since graduating? | I jumped around a bit at first in a number of roles in/around finance. I tried sales in a few forums, I tried accounting even. In 2019, PlanMember Financial Securities found me. Today I am called Senior Project Manager for a firm of over 700 people. |
| Do you have any tips or words of wisdom to share with current Penn State World Campus students? | It’s so easy to drag education out for any number of reasons; money, lack of direction, zest for a current lifestyle. There is nothing like completing your degree and stepping out into the world with your Nittany Lion socks on. In a west coast interview – I wore my socks into an interview and the candidate I was up against was there, younger and wearing his USC socks. Don’t ever give up, half-ass or walk away from what seems like an impossible interview; you are tested from the moment your headlights hit that parking lot until your break lights aren’t visible on the horizon. Stay sharp! Today that USC Grad works with us at a far inferior position.
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| Tell us something interesting that you have been doing since graduating. | I volunteer whenever I can; I am constantly looking for ways to improve myself and learn; I am in talks w PSU to pursue my graduate degree; in doing so I’d be the first in my family. I have been labeled by my peers as a ‘mover and shaker’ – vying for an executive position on the succession of my baby boomer era C-Suite. In just 3 years at PlanMember I am approaching receipt of a direct report who will project manager for a few departments while I maintain our IT and Executive Strategic Portfolio Management and establish a PMO for us.
If you are aspiring to be a project manager: be ready for becoming the champion of accountability in as tactful manner as you can fathom. Each of your senior constituency will need you to find the communication methodologies that work. You’ll need to be consistent, reliable, and timely. Go get your PMP and volunteer with your PMI chapter; stand out from the crowd and you’ll find yourself ascending the corporate ladder faster than your peers. |
| Are you open to connecting with other alumni on LinkedIn? | I am. You can reach me at: http://linkedin.com/in/caseyweihert |