Kettering University

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The mobile professional - Page 2

“Rather than spending countless hours on the road commuting to and from an office or client sites, I use that time to get the job done. Furthermore, it allows me more opportunity to spend time at the customer’s location, thus deepening relationships and providing better opportunities to solve problems and support our clients more efficiently,” she said. “And it has allowed me to spend more hours with my clients while serving as the Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout den mother, and home room mom over the years. Managing mobility takes focus and discipline but provides incredible benefits.”

For Leslie Morgan ‘81, who is also a mobile executive for the organization, there are challenges one must overcome to adjust to this sort of professional role. “When I was at General Motors, it was a very hands-on environment. But when I came to IBM and became a mobile professional, I encountered less face-to-face time with colleagues and had a challenging time my first year adjusting to this role,” she said.

But now some eight years later, Morgan couldn’t envision a different way.

“During my co-op at Kettering/GMI, I rotated through many company departments to achieve a broad view of the business, which taught me about how everything in an organization works together. It taught me the importance of collaboration and gave me a multi-dimensional approach to work, which I feel is very important as an IBM executive who works in a mobile environment. This sort of experience is great, but it’s not cut out for everyone. It takes discipline,” she added.

“The Kettering/GMI co-op and educational experience and the collaborative projects and work environment definitely made the transition to a mobile executive much easier,” Selfe said. “Learning practical skills combined with theory and how to collaborate with others are dimensions that Kettering excels at while other schools do not,” she added.

According to all of these executives, those with desires to become a mobile professional must remember one thing: balance.

“This sort of experience requires great discipline,” explained Nemesi. “In some ways, it can become addictive, since you are always available through mobile devices. So it’s really a two-way street,” she added.

But the benefits are tangible, she noted. The company saves money on office space and training expenses, among others, and responds to customer inquires immediately with the right professional. In addition, mobility helps retain high quality professionals in the workforce when they are unable to relocate and for senior professionals approaching retirement, offers a wonderful transition while retaining the professional, who might work longer given the flexibility of mobility.

Ultimately, it comes down to the right person for the job. For Nemesi, the Kettering co-op experience provides graduates who are exceptional examples of how a mobile professional can indeed help the company succeed while allowing the flexibility necessary to keep family happy. 

 To learn more about IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com/sandbox/homepage/version-b/.