American Electric Power was happy to host a cohort of Miami University students to learn about careers in energy as part of its Presidential Career and Leadership series. The series was designed to empower students to explore careers through hands-on learning and connect them with employers and opportunities.
While at AEP’s corporate headquarters in Columbus, the group heard from a panel of leaders, including Katie Grayem, VP of human resources; Kamran Ali, VP of transmission planning & analysis; Tim Wells, VP of sales, economic & business development; Andrew Reis, VP of audit services; and Liam Huang, data scientist.
The group discussed their career paths and tenure at AEP, offering reflections and advice to the students. Katie Grayem shared about the common challenge of breaking into a career early on, noting, “How do I get experience if I don’t have it?”
She recounted her moves from customer service to human resources, and advised students to be flexible on their career journeys, saying, “Stay open to your path and don’t get locked into one thing.”
The leaders encouraged students to explore jobs in the energy industry, emphasizing the need for a talented workforce to help build the grid of the future and support AEP’s business moving forward.
Students were curious about the path each leader took and what an ordinary day looks like for them. Ali expressed the satisfaction in having deliverables every day that are essential to life as we know it. He emphasized the critical nature of energy delivery, saying, “I don’t know if there are many products like this that are delivered instantly when it’s demanded.”
Tim Wells emphasized the importance of exploring opportunities to learn about new parts of a business. He added that you don’t need to know everything about everything, but it’s important to “be willing to dig in and learn from others.”
Overall, the event provided valuable insights into the energy sector and inspired students to consider a future in this vital industry.