Alumni Spotlights
Kyle Martel '06
Full Name and Class Year: Kyle Martel '06
Major at EC: Business Administration with specializations in Marketing and Management, minor in Art
Current Position: Contract Specialist for the U.S. Department of Energy
Tell us a little about your career field?
I work in contract administration and procurement for the Federal Government at the Department of Energy. Headquarters Procurement Services is responsible for all contracting, financial assistance and related activities to fulfill the Department of Energy’s missions of energy security and technical innovation through its business relationships.
What are the challenges of your career field?
Laws, policies, and regulations that affect our procedures and processing of awards are constantly changing. The customers we serve are the Department of Energy program offices so we are always striving to improve our customer service. Time management is also a major challenge. New requirements are assigned to me on a daily basis and I need to remain flexible – I must constantly switch projects due to more urgent requirements.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your career field?
The opportunity for advancement in contracting is very rapid. In two years I have already advanced several GS (General Schedule) levels and am on pace to earn a Contracting Officer’s warrant in four years. There is a great need for certified contracting professionals – many Government contracting employees are scheduled to retire in the next several years. I am able to maintain a very healthy work-life balance. The Department of Energy (as well as many other Government agencies) offers an alternate work schedule. I work nine hour days so every other Friday I am off. On the downside, there is an adjustment period when first learning how the Government operates – I’m still learning all of the Government acronyms, which differ by agency. Also, the volume of work may be overwhelming at times, especially at the end of the Federal Government’s fiscal year, which is September 30. My agency has also not yet widely adopted a telework policy.
If someone wanted to get into your career field, what advice would you have for them?
Anyone who is hoping for a career in contracting should be very organized and detailed-oriented. I manage hundreds of contracts at once and need to work efficiently to process new awards. Many Government agencies, especially in the Washington, D.C. area, offer internships in the contracting field.
How did your academic life prepare you for graduate school or your career?
My heavy course loads and full activities schedule at Elmira required me to excel at time management, something that is essential in my current position.
What have been the highlights of your life and career?
Maintaining friendships with EC classmates, completing grad school, moving to the Washington, D.C. area and constantly exploring and trying new things.
What hobbies, activities, community service, foreign travel, etc. are you or have you been involved in?
I still play a great deal of volleyball (was a four-year member of the JV team at EC) and stay active. I have taken up Bikram yoga and also enjoy running, spinning, and Pilates. I also sell baked goods at a farmers market in Alexandria, Virginia on Sundays. I also like to travel to meet up with other EC alumni!
What are your fondest memories of your days at Elmira College?
Mountain Day, Midnight Breakfast, Holiday Banquet and Ball, Survivor Saturday, Octagon Fair, Reunion, playing volleyball, attending hockey games, touring Cowles Hall in 2005 with SAC, living in a Tompkins archway double with Nikki Wright ’06.
Were you involved in any clubs/organizations/teams/activities?
So many! The Octagon, Student Activities Board, Student Alumni Council, Octagon Fair Committee, Reunion, student worker in Alumni Relations and Sports Information, Big Events, JV Volleyball, Iris, Student Athletic Advisory Board, EC Ambassadors.
Which class, club, activity, individual, organization or team do you believe best prepared you for your career?
Dean Peggy Arnesen ’63 thrust me into several leadership positions in SAC early on during my time at EC. Her trust and support gave me the confidence to take on new challenges. Working as the chair of Octagon Fair for two years at EC really helped me realize how many working pieces need to come together to pull off a successful event. Staying organized and in constant contact with the participants made the event come together more smoothly.
Did you take advantage of Elmira College’s Term III or Junior Year Abroad travel opportunities?
If so, how did that experience affect you? I studied in Australia my sophomore year and Egypt and Greece my senior year. The culture and history of each country I visited were vastly different. I enjoyed studying the history of each country in-depth and journaling my experiences.
What advice would you give students about preparing for graduate school or careers?
I pursued my MBA right after graduating from Elmira. In my case, it was the right decision. It helped me secure a Government position that I would not have been qualified for with only a Bachelor’s degree. Try to complete as many internships as possible. It will really help you narrow down what type of professional environment you’d like to be in and can also count as work experience. This will give you an edge in today’s increasingly competitive environment.
Do you have a favorite quote that embodies your beliefs or values?
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well” – Jeff Bezos (founder, president, Chief Executive Officer, and chairman of the board of Amazon.com)
Major at EC: Business Administration with specializations in Marketing and Management, minor in Art
Current Position: Contract Specialist for the U.S. Department of Energy
Tell us a little about your career field?
I work in contract administration and procurement for the Federal Government at the Department of Energy. Headquarters Procurement Services is responsible for all contracting, financial assistance and related activities to fulfill the Department of Energy’s missions of energy security and technical innovation through its business relationships.
What are the challenges of your career field?
Laws, policies, and regulations that affect our procedures and processing of awards are constantly changing. The customers we serve are the Department of Energy program offices so we are always striving to improve our customer service. Time management is also a major challenge. New requirements are assigned to me on a daily basis and I need to remain flexible – I must constantly switch projects due to more urgent requirements.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your career field?
The opportunity for advancement in contracting is very rapid. In two years I have already advanced several GS (General Schedule) levels and am on pace to earn a Contracting Officer’s warrant in four years. There is a great need for certified contracting professionals – many Government contracting employees are scheduled to retire in the next several years. I am able to maintain a very healthy work-life balance. The Department of Energy (as well as many other Government agencies) offers an alternate work schedule. I work nine hour days so every other Friday I am off. On the downside, there is an adjustment period when first learning how the Government operates – I’m still learning all of the Government acronyms, which differ by agency. Also, the volume of work may be overwhelming at times, especially at the end of the Federal Government’s fiscal year, which is September 30. My agency has also not yet widely adopted a telework policy.
If someone wanted to get into your career field, what advice would you have for them?
Anyone who is hoping for a career in contracting should be very organized and detailed-oriented. I manage hundreds of contracts at once and need to work efficiently to process new awards. Many Government agencies, especially in the Washington, D.C. area, offer internships in the contracting field.
How did your academic life prepare you for graduate school or your career?
My heavy course loads and full activities schedule at Elmira required me to excel at time management, something that is essential in my current position.
What have been the highlights of your life and career?
Maintaining friendships with EC classmates, completing grad school, moving to the Washington, D.C. area and constantly exploring and trying new things.
What hobbies, activities, community service, foreign travel, etc. are you or have you been involved in?
I still play a great deal of volleyball (was a four-year member of the JV team at EC) and stay active. I have taken up Bikram yoga and also enjoy running, spinning, and Pilates. I also sell baked goods at a farmers market in Alexandria, Virginia on Sundays. I also like to travel to meet up with other EC alumni!
What are your fondest memories of your days at Elmira College?
Mountain Day, Midnight Breakfast, Holiday Banquet and Ball, Survivor Saturday, Octagon Fair, Reunion, playing volleyball, attending hockey games, touring Cowles Hall in 2005 with SAC, living in a Tompkins archway double with Nikki Wright ’06.
Were you involved in any clubs/organizations/teams/activities?
So many! The Octagon, Student Activities Board, Student Alumni Council, Octagon Fair Committee, Reunion, student worker in Alumni Relations and Sports Information, Big Events, JV Volleyball, Iris, Student Athletic Advisory Board, EC Ambassadors.
Which class, club, activity, individual, organization or team do you believe best prepared you for your career?
Dean Peggy Arnesen ’63 thrust me into several leadership positions in SAC early on during my time at EC. Her trust and support gave me the confidence to take on new challenges. Working as the chair of Octagon Fair for two years at EC really helped me realize how many working pieces need to come together to pull off a successful event. Staying organized and in constant contact with the participants made the event come together more smoothly.
Did you take advantage of Elmira College’s Term III or Junior Year Abroad travel opportunities?
If so, how did that experience affect you? I studied in Australia my sophomore year and Egypt and Greece my senior year. The culture and history of each country I visited were vastly different. I enjoyed studying the history of each country in-depth and journaling my experiences.
What advice would you give students about preparing for graduate school or careers?
I pursued my MBA right after graduating from Elmira. In my case, it was the right decision. It helped me secure a Government position that I would not have been qualified for with only a Bachelor’s degree. Try to complete as many internships as possible. It will really help you narrow down what type of professional environment you’d like to be in and can also count as work experience. This will give you an edge in today’s increasingly competitive environment.
Do you have a favorite quote that embodies your beliefs or values?
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well” – Jeff Bezos (founder, president, Chief Executive Officer, and chairman of the board of Amazon.com)
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