As business executive Brad Smith advised students attending his lecture, the key to career success is to expect ups and downs.
In the middle of starting a new business and after the birth of his only child, Smith unexpectedly had to undergo open-heart surgery after discovering a blood pressure problem.
“That was pressure,” he said.
Smith went on to become a business executive of Milliman Insurance Corporation and serve as president of the Society of Actuaries. Last year he traveled around the globe five times for business and speaking engagements.
Tuesday evening, Smith spoke to a lecture hall full of students in an event hosted by business fraternity Gamma Iota Sigma. He talked about professionalism and how it related to students with his simple pieces of information and anecdotal stories about his career as an actuary.
Smith said the main things employers want to know about potential employees is if they can do the job and if they have integrity and enthusiasm for the job.
“I get up everyday, looking forward to [my job],” Smith said. “I would do what I do now for free, I love it. Find that thing you love to do because it’s going to take that degree of commitment to succeed.”
He described integrity as whether someone can count on a person to do the right thing when no one is watching. If someone cheats for years and gets caught late in life when they have a family to support, then lack of integrity can have serious life repercussions.
The importance of grades is something Smith said he frequently addresses when talking to students.
He said it won’t matter in 15 years what current students’ grades are; it is what they do with those grades. Good grades are important to get in the door with first employers and demonstrate a commitment to excellence, but that commitment must be continued.
“In 15 years, it won’t matter you aced the ACT,” he said. “Your GPA won’t matter — it’s what you accomplished in 15 years. Right now, as you’re sitting here, you’re creating a personal brand and it’s your most valuable asset.”
Smith spoke to the global nature of the economy and how students can set themselves apart. He encouraged students to acquire writing skills, go abroad and never stop learning.
“Your education isn’t ending when you leave Ball State; commit yourself to lifelong learning,” he said. “The people that are successful love to learn. If you stop learning when you get your degree, you won’t be happy with your career. What you do in your 20s will determine the trajectory of the rest of your career.”
President of Gamma Iota Sigma and junior actuarial science major Grant Steffen said in spite of Smith’s success, his life experience was still relatable and inspiring.
“He has had a lot of great experiences,” Steffen said. “He has accomplished the epitome of what we are trying to work for. It was infectious overall because when I see someone doing what I want to do, it makes me want to do that, too.”
