Interview with Professor Margot Palermo

            Professor Margot Palermo is currently the Director of the Undergraduate Business Honor Program at Stony Brook University. She worked for Merrill Lynch, handling multi-million dollar projects involving international corporations. Her fields of specialization are in management and international relations, but not limited to these area. Her interests in proactive interaction with co-workers and people in general, encouraged her to get her Master of Business Administration in these fields.

             In the interview with Professor Margot Palermo, she was questioned for her time working at Merrill Lynch, her career path, and her experiences and opinions in the field of finance. In the world of finance she explains, there will always be something new and interesting around every corner; it will never get boring. She further explained that like accounting, finance can sometimes be repetitive. During her time at Merrill Lynch, she had an abundance of work, managing several projects at the same time. Despite having an abundance of work, she never regretted taking the position of managing those projects. She explained how it was always exciting working everyday with talented and inspiring co-workers; it never got dull in the office. Her interests, admiration, and passion for her field drove her to constantly improving herself and strive to succeed. As she explained it, she did not want to nor can she take days off. She handled so many projects that if she were to take time off, those projects may get delayed. To a regular person, this might be a stressful career path, but for me, it was the perfect job.

             During the interview with Professor Margot Palermo, her passion and interests for her fields of specialization were so intense that it was contagious, in a positive way. As she spoke about her career path, despite ups and downs, she always had a passionate smile on her face. Her description in a day in her life farther sparkles and fortifies my interest in pursuing finance as my specialization. It is a career path that will fit me almost perfectly. The constant surprises and never ending excitement sounds too good to be true, but it was the first time in my life that someone spoke so passionately about their career.

              The interview with Professor Margot Palermo, despite the briefness, was very exciting and encouraging. To be in a job that you would not want to take days off from, would be a dream come true for the majority of society. This interview enlightened my perspective on the field of finance. I am graceful to have interviewed Professor Margot Palermo and for her to take the time to participate in the interview. It was a very inspiration experience that will be a part of me as I pursue in the path for financial field.