If you ever feel that your current job is insignificant, remember that the man who now reports directly to the CEO of U.S. Bancorp still values the first job he had on the UNI campus -- at the pool hall in Maucker Union. “This exposed me to a lot of people at the university and I was able to broaden friendships. It also created many opportunities,” he recalls.

Through this job he became president of the student body portion of Maucker Union. This leadership role enabled him to influence the organization of the union and the impact it had on students. Joseph was able to greatly increase his hands-on experiences while obtaining classroom instruction; indeed this primed him for the management position he aspired.

Joseph also credits UNI’s broad student base in aiding his success. The mixture of people he encountered in college prepared him for the diversity of people in the business world. “UNI was an environment where there was a wide variety of people that came together, all in pursuit of an education,” states Joseph.

After graduating, however, Joseph did not know where his journey would lead him. He remembers, “I was flexible out of the shoot and fortunately found something that really appealed to my strengths.” These days, when Joseph meets with students, he stresses, “You need to be willing to move to where the opportunities are that allow you to accelerate your career path, and you have to deliver to the company for which you are employed.”

Joseph says there are three key qualities that are necessary to help people deliver to their employer. These are the characteristics that Joseph gathered and refined while at UNI. First, Joseph feels you need to have good communication skills, which includes speaking, writing, creating bonds as a mentor and leader, and showing compassion.

Focusing on improving a company or object is also imperative in Joseph’s opinion. This idea was evident when Joseph worked at Maucker Union and is also apparent now in his position at U.S. Bank. He feels “one needs to constantly strive to make his or her business more effective and more important.”

The third element of success in Joseph’s point of view is being a good leader. This means being a good manager, which requires fundamental skills such as understanding where people want to go in their career and letting them know what’s expected of them. “Financial performance, leadership, management skills, strategic implementation, and business operation skills need to be proven.”

Another piece of advice from Joseph incorporates energy and enthusiasm. “When someone puts their hand out in the business world, you need to grab their hand, look them right in the eye, shake their hand, and tell them it was nice to meet them.” Furthermore he feels students need to “push their shoulders back, broaden them, and put a smile on their face” in order to obtain a chance to excel in the business world.

Joseph is a great example to all that UNI prepares students well. With the skills he developed and the education he received at UNI, Joseph proves that students can take their experiences and achieve great success throughout their lives and in the workplace.

Connect with Joseph at (joseph.otting@usbank.com).