Caroline McMinn

CNS 120
First Informational Interview
For my first informational interview, I interviewed Cynthia Keller Macdonald. She is a
friend of my parents and I rew !p with her two children. She is a director at Standard " #oor$s
in New %or& City, '!t she wor&s from home. I had no idea what her (o' entailed and I am now so
happy that she was my first interview.
Cynthia went to )ic&inson for !nderrad thin&in that she wanted to 'e a special
ed!cation teacher. *hen, her senior year she too& an acco!ntin class and loved it. She
rad!ated witho!t &nowin what she wanted to do. +er mom ot her a (o' at ,verloo& +ospital,
the local hospital in my town where she and I 'oth rew !p and she wor&ed manain the
hospital. She loved wor&in at the hospital and decided to et her masters in +ealth Care
-dministration from )!&e. She then contin!ed wor&in manain a different hospital for . years
!ntil she left 'eca!se she didn$t li&e her 'oss. She interviewed at S"# and ot a (o' as a
financial analyst in the Corporate and /overnment sector of the company. Specifically, she
wor&s in the 0S #!'lic Finance section !nder non1profit companies and overnment. She
creates ran&ins for hospitals and !niversities that are 'ased on financial records and other
factors that correlate to how m!ch interest the company has to pay their 'ond holders 2essentially
how li&ely the company is to pay their 'ond holders 'ac&3. 4eca!se of her 'ac&ro!nd in
hospital manaement, she is a'le to do her (o' very well. She has had the same (o' for more than
20 years.
I learned so m!ch from this interview. First of all, I had no idea that a (o' co!ld com'ine
health care with '!siness and I am thrilled to find an area that can do 'oth. *his fact was the
most val!a'le piece of information that she provided me with. Cynthia also said that her favorite
part of her (o' is the independence that comes with it. She is iven a list of hospitals and
!niversities to write reports for d!rin the year. She wor&s from home so she does not have a
'oss loo&in over her sho!lder at all times. Independence is a very attractive 5!ality for a (o' to
me 'eca!se I am a introverted person who li&es my independence and alone time sometimes.
She also said that another 5!ality that is necessary is li&in n!m'ers. She went into her (o' with
very little 'ac&ro!nd in finance and was ta!ht how to read financial records at her (o'. She
ass!red me that this s&ill can 'e learned. #!'lic spea&in is also another important s&ill for this
(o' as 2 analysts from S " # !s!ally o to one company meetin with 10 to 12 manaement
representatives. She said that it is important to 'e a'le to as& the diffic!lt 5!estions otherwise
the companies will simply tell one what yo! want to hear.
*his area of wor& is definitely an area of interest for me 'eca!se it alins with my val!es,
'eliefs and personal interests, as well as my M4*I res!lts. +ealth care administration was one
of the career areas that were s!ested for my personality type. I really li&e helpin people and
I$m also interested in '!siness as well. *his career com'ines the two. I definitely thin& that
Cynthia was an e6cellent so!rce of information 'eca!se her (o' so!nds li&e an area that I am
now interested in 'eca!se of her help. She also sent me some of the reports for 7a&e Forest and
S!mmit, New 8ersey 2where I am from3 so that I can see what a report act!ally loo&s li&e.
I want to find o!t m!ch more information a'o!t this field of wor& 'eca!se I thin& that it
com'ines '!siness9manaement with health care. Cynthia told me that I co!ld call her aain if I
wanted to and I thin& I am oin to sometime later in the semester to find o!t more a'o!t S"#
and other companies li&e it. I also want to &now more a'o!t the locations where I co!ld wor&
'eca!se I pro'a'ly wo!ld not 'e a'le to wor& from home when I (!st start wor&in. ,verall, I am
so e6cited a'o!t this field of wor& and I can$t wait to e6plore it more.
*han& yo! note sent via email:
)ear Cynthia,
*han& yo! so m!ch for ivin me the opport!nity to interview yo! a'o!t yo!r (o'. I learned so
m!ch a'o!t a field of wor& that I had no idea e6isted; I$m really loo&in to com'ine the medical
field and the '!siness world and I thin& that health care administration miht 'e the 'est way to
do (!st that. *han&s aain for yo!r time and tho!htf!l responses; I$ll see yo! when I come
home for fall 'rea&.
Caroline