Full name?:
Mallory Jeanne Morris
Position / Job title?:
Technical Sales Consultant (for a company involved in the research, development and manufacture of separation sciences products – with a focus on chromatography)
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to go to Medical School and be a Pediatrician. This was my dream and plan until I was a senior in college. My plans abruptly changed one day when my adviser asked me why I wanted to go to Med School and the only answer I could come up with was “because I like kids.” To me (and her), that was not a good enough answer. Sure, liking kids is a great reason to be a Pediatrician, but to be honest, there are lots of jobs out there that involve “liking kids.”
2. Fast-forward several years/decades. How did you land (or create) your current position?
My husband is an Officer in the United States Marine Corps, and we moved to our first duty station last August. I knew when and where we would be moving several months ahead of time (which I hear is rare in the Marine Corps), so I researched and applied for many positions before landing my current job.
Even though I ditched the Med School plan, I still completed my bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and went on to Graduate School at the Florida State University where I received both a Masters and Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry. I don’t tell you this to brag, but to give you some insight into the type of job I was looking for. I am a research chemist and have worked in a lab for the last 4 years. I wanted to do research in a lab again, plain and simple.
Only one problem: Pensacola has approximately 3 places/companies, which have that type of position and unfortunately they ain’t hiring! I was not going to give up that easily, so I expanded my search to the greater Florida area and found the perfect position: Florida Technical Sales Consultant. After several months and a handful of interviews later, I was offered the position.
Now that I have worked for the company for several months I have since learned that I was up against some very well qualified candidates. I attribute me being offered the position over the other candidates to my scientific background, professional personality, and the hard work I put into researching the company, position and employees before applying. I knew I wanted to work for them and that I would do a good job; this must have been evident during my many interviews.
3. Did you have to take on internships to get there? How important in general, do you think, are internships?
For my current position, I did not have to complete an internship. However, I did complete an internship while in Graduate School and I think it was one of the most beneficial experiences of my whole career. Internships set candidates apart from one another during interviews. Internships show that you are dedicated to learning more about your field/craft and less about the pay….because let’s be honest, most internships pay squat!
4. Tell us what a typical work day looks like for you. What is your job REALLY like, both the glamorous and not-so-glamorous parts?
First, I will tell you what my position actually is. As I said, I am a Technical Sales Consultant. My job is to make on-site visits to customers who work in the field of separation science. I specialize in liquid and gas chromatography analysis as well as sample preparation and solid phase extractions.
Every day is different, so I will give you a glimpse of a typical week:
Mondays are my “office days.” An office day consists of me contacting customers to set up appointments for the week ahead or to follow up with customers from the previous week. I also send out quotes for products, place orders, and even research particular methods or applications to provide to the customer.
Tuesday – Friday I visit customers. I go to 2-3 labs a day. While at a lab, I talk to the scientists or users about their research and try to get a general sense of what their goals are as well as their equipment and capabilities. This gives me a better idea of how I can assist them with anything from method development to column selection or product pricing.
My territory of customers covers all of Florida, some of Louisiana, and parts of southern Alabama and Georgia. This is a HUGE territory. This means that I have to do a lot of traveling. Traveling sounds awesome at first, and trust me it is; but eventually spending 2-3 nights a week away from home gets old very fast. I miss my husband when I travel and I feel guilty as a wife that I am not there to cook and clean for him. It is very difficult to balance this job with a family and any type of home life. However, this job is perfect for me and my husband during this period of our life and I really enjoy what I do. When I found this job I thought to myself: If I can’t get a research position in Pensacola then by darn I will get one in every research lab in this entire state!
5. What is the biggest career mistake you’ve ever made?
When I was in college, I resigned from a job via text message. This was not professional and I regret it to this day. My boss at the time was also unprofessional and we’d reached a point where I felt uncomfortable around him. This is no excuse. I should have put my big girl panties on and faced him like a woman.
6. What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to other career-minded women?
Do not ever compromise yourself or your beliefs for a job or promotion.
7. Let’s talk about work/life balance. What does that mean to you? Is it important?
Work/life balance is of the utmost importance to me. With my current job, I struggle with this daily. It eats at me constantly because I feel like a failure as a wife that I am not there to cook and clean for my husband every night. This is stupid. My husband knows that I love him and it is 2014 so my ability to be a good wife is not by any means measured by cooking and cleaning for my husband.
We are slowly balancing this life together. Just last week my husband cooked and cleaned for me. We share pet responsibilities and do each other’s laundry. It was difficult to accept at first that my husband is capable of these tasks, but I think it has really lifted a lot of self-inflicted stress from my shoulders. Life as we know it will not cease to exist in the Morris Household if I am not there. Whew! It feels good to say that out loud. Having a career and being a wife are not the only things I have to balance. I also want to be an athlete, have time for friends and be a good daughter. If there were a few extra days in the week I think I could manage it all. I am happy with my life and I know that I put 100% into everything I do, which at the end of the day makes me feel well balanced.
8. On that note, do you think women can have it all? Both the baller career, and the happy family?
Absolutely! If you and your spouse are supportive of one another, you can both have baller careers and a happy life together. When my husband told me he wanted to join the Marine Corps, I was very supportive even though I knew that would limit my job possibilities. To me, having a happy family is number 1 and number 2 is having a baller job.
9. If you could look into a crystal ball and see 20 years into your future, what would you want to see?
I would like to see a couple of kids in my family and my husband and I very active in their school and athletic careers.
10. Do you have any career role models? Who are they?
At my last job, the lab was dominated by strong female role models. They kindly took me under their wings and helped guide and encourage me onto the path I’m on today. They all have happy families and are experts in their fields. I hope that people see how dedicated they are to work, family and friendship and when I have reached that point in my life, I hope to have women just starting in the field to look up to me.
11. What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received – career-related or otherwise?
Do what makes you happy. Do not work because you have to, but because you want to.
12. Parents love to say, “just wait ’til you have to face the real world…” When you were in college or high school, what did you think the “real world” looked like? What is the difference between what you thought and reality?
I think one reason why I have such a good handle on the real world is that I started working at a young age. I was never really handed anything. I started working when I was 15 and have been ever since.
13. Should you work for the money, or do what you love?
Money is nice and it sure can buy you a lot of things, but it does not buy happiness. I know this is cliché, but it is super true. You should always do what you love! However, in my situation (being a Marine wife), I might not always be able to find a job that I love. If this is ever the case, I will find a job that I can do and not be miserable so I can still help provide for my family.
14. How important is money to you when considering a job?
Money is somewhat important to me. I have spent a lot of time and money on my education and have worked really hard to get where I am. I feel that I should be compensated well for the knowledge and experience I bring to a position.
15. What is the single most important factor of a job?
Respect. You have to work at a place where you are respected by your boss, your peers/colleagues, and even the customers. If there is no respect in a position then there will be no room for growth.
16. If you married a millionaire husband and didn’t have to work, would you? (Be honest.)
Heck no! But I do honestly believe that I would be busier than ever because I would volunteer, take classes to learn new skills, and force my knowledge and skill sets on anyone that would have me around.
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