Luke Stevens – Partner Operations Specialist

One of the many perks of being a fully remote workforce is that our recruitment efforts aren’t limited to one city or zip code. We can hire the best person for the job, no matter where they live. 

Meet Luke, our new Partnerships Operations Specialist, and the second North Carolinian to join the Knack Pack.  

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Where did you go to college and what did you get your degree in?  

I went to East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, which is just over an hour from Raleigh. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.

What was your favorite class in college?

My favorite course in college was Professional Development and Ethical Leadership. I enjoyed the class because my professor was very knowledgeable and shared experiences from her prior professional career. It was single-handedly the most helpful class because everything was geared towards success after college, from editing our resumes to the mock interviews we conducted. It honed in on practical skills a lot of my other courses lacked. 

How did you end up working with Knack?

I initially found out about Knack through Will (Kelly, our Head of Operations) and followed it for several years. I always loved hearing about the progress of the company, so when I found out that Knack was hiring I jumped at the opportunity. I got the chance to meet Samyr along with the rest of the Business Team, and the rest is history!

What’s one skill you use often that you weren’t necessarily taught in school? 

While some people may consider it a “small” skill, I had a lot of jobs growing up that taught me the importance of having a strong attention to detail. As my job responsibilities have grown over the years, I’ve found it’s helped me to be successful in every role.

What’s something you wish you had learned in college but didn’t?

As a Finance major, I enjoyed all aspects of finance and money management. That being said, I wish that I had learned more about personal finance from people that applied it to their own life, so that I could learn from their experiences and use their expertise in mine. I believe personal finance is an essential skill and should be taught to everyone.

Do you have any advice for current college students? 

It’s never too early to think ahead. Whether there are specific courses you would like to take during college, or even looking ahead to your professional career, I think it’s beneficial to strategize and plan ahead. It gives you something to work towards on hard days, and, eventually, it’ll be smooth sailing.