Kaitlin Walper
Finance and Marketing double major
Account Manager at Amazon

Why did you declare Marketing and Finance as your majors?
Marketing gave me an opportunity to dive into high-level strategy and study what causes interest in products or services. On the flip side, Finance allowed me to do more analytical, black and white work. The two majors satisfied both my creative and analytical brain.

What is your current position and how did Butler help prepare you for this role?
I am currently an Account Manager for Amazon, where I work with major brands to develop strategic initiatives on amazon.com as well as plan selection, streamline supply chain initiatives, and buy for events such as Prime Day.

Two of the most important skills I learned at Butler include deep diving, which is to getting to the bottom of an issue and solving it, and bias for action, which is going above and beyond the ask without being told. Both of these skills were developed through the Real Business Experience and mandatory internships where I had to take ownership of my path.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Working at a major tech company has given me a wide network and large tool box that I can utilize moving forward in my career, whether that be vertically, horizontally, or to another company. Starting as a small fish in a big pond was one of the scariest but most important things I could do for my career.

What are your long-term career goals?
Long term, I plan on working toward a promotion at my current company, then transferring to a more strategic, internally facing role. From there, I plan on going to work for a nonprofit or company where I can combine my passion for the environment and business. In my idealistic world, I start my own company that utilizes food waste to fill the food scarcity gap in the United States and worldwide! I am a sucker for “passion projects,” and so I’ll potentially take a year to travel, join the Peace Corp, become a spin instructor, or something else that inspires me and gives me a new purpose.

What advice do you have for current Butler students?
Take classes that get you excited about learning. Jobs care so much more about how you learn and your lust to learn than your exact major. Also, give yourself grace and remember transition years are hard. Whether you are graduating soon or going from sophomore to junior etc., be proud of how far you have come and enjoy being surrounded by friends, community, and all Butler has to offer.