Gracen Perdue

perdue_gracen@lilly.com

What was your major at Butler? Have you pursued any graduate degrees post-Butler?

At Butler, I studied International Business and Marketing. I loved having the international perspective of business paired with the technical skills of marketing. I’m planning on pursuing my MBA in the next few years.

Where are you currently working? Where have you worked before now?

Since graduation, I have worked in Marketing at Eli Lilly. Within my first two years, I have been on 3 different pharmaceutical brands in various disease states. I am currently doing Market Research and measurement for a pre-launch oncology drug!

Have you worked or traveled internationally since graduation? If yes, where? If not, do you anticipate going abroad in the future?

Following graduation, I went to Europe for 18 days for a personal trip. On this trip, I visited 5 different countries and loved being able to see and get to know a variety of different cultures.

Through work, I had the opportunity to travel to Germany and work there for a week. This was an incredible opportunity to work in another country and start to understand the different business cultural norms. Following my work week in Germany, I did a solo trip to The Netherlands where I enjoyed the tulip fields and all the history The Netherlands has to offer.

What advice would you give an IB major who is not sure about what they want to do with their major after graduation?

I think the beautiful thing about International Business is the perspective and mindset you build. You are learning a global mindset that is so important in so many different careers and jobs. Take the time to understand how that global mindset could be transferrable to future jobs even if those jobs are not specifically internationally focused. In my experience, these skills as well as my passion and desire for international work has allowed me to advocate for myself and my career leading me to incredible opportunities like working in Germany!

Are there any skills (soft skills, language skills, communications, etc.) that you would advise that IB majors prioritize while still in school?

One of the most important skills is being able to communicate what your goals are and why those are your goals. This is still an area I’m prioritizing and focusing on in my post-grad but being able to clearly articulate what it is you want to do and WHY that is important not only to you personally but also to whatever organization you join is so important. You can start to practice this by advocating for yourself in your classes and building relationships within your network of people who have accomplished what you’d like to accomplish.