In our new series “Jump-start Your Job Search,” Bostonia brings you short interviews with BU alums who are leaders in their fields, such as banking, advertising, tech start-ups, journalism, or nonprofit organizations.

They talk about how they got to be where they are, mistakes they’ve made, and what they’ve taken away from those mistakes. They tell us what they look for when hiring and offer advice for those just embarking on a career.

Lisa Scales (LAW’87) is president and CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, an organization that annually distributes 23 million meals to 360,000 people through a network of more than 400 partner agencies in 11 southwestern Pennsylvania counties.

Scales earned a degree in social sciences from Seton Hill College and a JD from BU’s School of Law. She is cochair of Feeding America’s produce enterprise strategy committee, a board vice president for Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, and an advisory board member of the Robert Morris University Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management and the University of Pittsburgh Center for Supply Chain Management.

Bostonia: When you went to college, did you have an idea what you wanted to do for a career?

Scales: I was interested in liberal arts, which for me meant a well-rounded education. I wanted to keep my options open to pursue a career that would challenge me and allow me to grow professionally. I thought I would go into teaching, or perhaps become a lawyer.

What lessons have you learned from any mistakes you’ve made during your career?

We all make mistakes from time to time, and what’s important is that we learn from them. We learn as much from failure as we do from success. Typically, even more from failure. What’s important to me is that I own up to my mistakes. I often say to my staff, “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. What counts is how you handle yourself in those situations.”

How did you come to work at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank?

After practicing law for several years, I wanted to do something that would have a greater impact in the world. I guess you could say that I wanted to feed my soul. I was fortunate to meet someone who worked at the Food Bank at just the right moment, when I was contemplating changing careers. That person spoke so passionately about the mission of the Food Bank that it stayed with me, even though it took several years before I would come to the Food Bank. I started here as a supervisor of our urban agriculture programs, and I was also charged with researching the sustainable features of our new building. Over the years, I was promoted several times. I have to say that from day one, I never looked back or regretted my decision to change careers. My career at the Food Bank has been everything that I could have ever hoped for when I was in college and contemplating career choices.

What’s important to consider when thinking about working for a nonprofit?

Most college students I speak with have never thought about working for a nonprofit. It could be that they perceive the starting salaries to be low. Well, they may be right about that, but working for a nonprofit is very rewarding in other ways. Being a mission-driven organization, our employees are passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. Decisions are made based on greatest impact, not dollars and cents. But in many respects, working for a nonprofit is no different than working for a corporation. At the Food Bank we focus on being innovative and adaptable, having a great culture, establishing good processes, and being an employer of choice. Being mission-focused is what sets us apart from a corporation.

What are the qualities you look for in people you hire? What are the deal breakers?

All of the candidates we interview for positions need to possess the technical skills to perform the job. But it’s really the intangibles that set some people apart from others, like the demonstrated ability to work well in a team, taking initiative, being a critical thinker. For me, the biggest deal breaker is great attitude. You can’t teach attitude; it is how you view the world. It doesn’t always come out during the interview, but it’s easy to tell in the first several weeks what type of attitude a person has.

What kinds of questions do you ask during an interview?

I usually ask candidates how they handled challenging situations in their prior job or in school. Knowing how the candidate performed in the past gives me insight into how they might perform in the future, at our organization. I try to solicit specific examples and not ask just general questions. One of my favorite questions is, “What keeps you up at night?” The answers to that question usually provide an insight into the person and what drives them, what motivates them, or what they care about.

What advice would you give for the first day on the job? For the first six months?

My advice for the first day on the job is to enjoy it. There is no other day quite like that. Take it all in, stay in the present, listen, be open to whatever you learn that day, and try to remember as many names as possible. First impressions are important.

Develop a plan for what you want to accomplish during your first six months. It’s your plan. You don’t need to share it with anyone else at work, but write it down. At the end of the first six months, you want to be able to look back and say that you were successful, because you accomplished what you set out to do. Additionally, my advice for the first six months is to learn as much as you can about the organization you work for. Don’t focus just on your department or your team, because you never know where life is going to lead and you may end up in a different department in the organization. And take time to reflect on whether the position and the organization is a good fit for you.

What are some common mistakes that young job candidates make?

Going through a hiring process for the first time can be challenging. A good start is a well-written, typo-free, succinct cover letter that accompanies the résumé. It is surprising the number of cover letters we receive that are poorly written and contain typos. When interviewing, it is important to demonstrate that you prepared for the interview—you did your homework on the organization, visited the website, and have questions to ask about the organization or the job. No matter what, don’t dial back your confidence level. When walking into the room for an interview, be confident that you are a great candidate for the job. If you don’t have a lot of confidence, fake it. As a young job candidate, you need to sell me on why I should hire you.

Who has had the greatest influence on your career (teacher, mentor, boss, family member), and why?

I have been fortunate to have several great role models in my life. The person who has had the biggest influence on my career and my life is my father. I have learned so much from him. He taught me to treat everyone with respect, no matter what situation you find yourself in, to have compassion, to be curious about the world, to ask questions, and to do my very best every day. It is because of him that I have a job that I enjoy and work that is meaningful.

Donate to your local food bank here.

Are you an alum who would like to be interviewed for this series? Email John O’Rourke at orourkej@bu.edu.