There are many questions that children ask themselves and their parents about jobs. I took the time to interview Anthony Barlas, an employee at Abbott, to get answers to these common questions. They go through everyone’s mind so it’s about time we got some real answers.

What does Abbott, your workplace, do?
We are a global based health care company. Our job is devoted to discovering new medicines, new technologies, and new ways to manage health. We cover things like nutritional products such as our Similac baby formula, medical devices, and pharmaceutical drugs.

What part do you personally play in the processes at Abbott?
I work in the Information Technology management group within the pharmaceutical division. My current assignment is a team lead in business analytics. I support the technology that drives our business decisions, sales, and supply forecasting.

What journey did you take to end up where you are now?
I lived in Indianapolis with my wife and son, and I was working for Praxair Inc. I was looking for career advancement to challenge my skill set. After a year of looking I widened my search to companies that were outside of Indiana. I was then recruited by a head hunter for an interview with an undisclosed company. Once the interview was set up I was notified that I would be interviewing for a job at the number three pharmaceutical company in the world.

Is this the job that you were preparing for in college?
No, it wasn’t. I went to college initially to study accounting. However, the further I continued my studies the more I knew that accounting was not going to be as fulfilling in my life as I would want my job to be.

What benefits does Abbott offer to you as an employee?
Abbott offers my family medical, dental, and vision benefits. It also offers me a flexible 401k package and a pension program. In addition to these benefits Abbott strives to provide me with an excellent work-life balance. Some of the work-life benefits I receive are flexible work hours, the ability to work from home, and being able to take time off to be a part of important family events.

What were you looking for in a job before you arrived at Abbott?
I was looking for a job in computers. I was interested in working with some of the new technologies that became common in everyday life in today’s world. Luckily, I was working for a company that was looking to expand their knowledge in computer networking.

Did you have to compete for your job?
Yes, I was competing for my current job like most job openings today. My first interview that I had with Abbott was a phone interview. That interview screened the number of potential candidates down to three. After that I had to go through two more face-to-face interviews in which Abbott selected the best candidate out of the three. I was the candidate that won and I was offered a full-time, permanent position at Abbott.

Would you go back and change careers if you had the chance? Why or why not?
I wouldn’t change my career because I had an opportunity to change careers earlier in my life. I thoroughly enjoy the work that I do on a daily basis at Abbott. Today, working for a company like Abbott gives you a great sense of accomplishment for what you can do to improve the lives of others.


That concludes my interview with Anthony Barlas. I would like to thank him greatly for giving up his time so children may have answers to their questions about jobs. Now children know what to expect from jobs and what may even happen to them.