Megan Koos
Travelers
Hartford, CT USA
"Do the tough thing first...the more you put yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable, you’ll get more comfortable with it."
Career Roadmap
Megan's work combines: Business, Numbers, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Gain work experience before going back to school to pursue a graduate degree. You will bring real-life experiences to the classroom and be able to apply your learnings directly to your role. Career progression is not linear, it is a journey that can take you in many directions before that promotional opportunity. You own your career, so take advantage of opportunities to learn as much as possible and gain different experiences early in your career to build your network and your resume.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
International Business/Trade/Commerce
University of Connecticut
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
University of Connecticut
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Attended the University of Connecticut—started out as an undeclared major, but after studying abroad in Italy, she discovered her interest in business.
2.
Received her bachelor’s degree in international business management.
3.
At her college graduation party, she met her parents’ neighbors, who worked for Travelers Insurance and encouraged her to apply for one of their entry-level positions.
4.
Started working in Travelers’ global sourcing organization right out of college, a position that let her work with companies all over the world.
5.
Participated in the Operations Leadership Development Program (OLDP) through Travelers, which enabled her to work a different position at the company every year for almost five years.
6.
Decided to go back to school to get her master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from the University of Connecticut.
7.
She is now the director of operations at Travelers, supporting the company’s anti-fraud efforts and influencing the day-to-day operations of the entire organization.
8.
Is a classically trained pianist and plays in a band in her free time—emphasizes the importance of having a creative outlet for yourself and allowing that to positively impact your work.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I don't want to go to my manager for help on this.
How I responded:
As a first-year manager, I wanted to show that I was capable of handling things on my own. In hindsight, this was a bit defeatist. I ended up finding a peer mentor outside of work that I could talk to and get advice from.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I had back surgery in order to alleviate some serious health and pain issues I had been having. I had to take a lot of time off.