College Experiences That Helped A Finance Operations Functional Owner At PowerSchool Succeed
Angela recommends customer-facing roles as excellent entry-level positions, citing her own experience where "it helped so much just learn the ropes of corporate America culture," and allowed exploration of various career paths through internal job postings and mobility programs. This approach, combined with a company's internal upskilling initiatives, provides a strong foundation for career growth within a chosen industry.
Customer Service, Career Exploration, Internal Mobility, Corporate Culture, Entry-Level Positions
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Angela Sedlukha
Functional Owner, Finance Operations
PowerSchool
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento - Master of Business Administration
Medical, Sciences & Related, Business Management & Admin
Technology
Operations and Project Management
Pell Grant Recipient, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Entry-level customer-facing roles offer valuable experience and exposure to various aspects of corporate culture and different levels of interaction.
2. Internal mobility programs and career development opportunities within companies allow for skill development and advancement into roles like management or analyst positions.
3. Starting with a basic entry-level position in a field of interest allows for exploration of different career paths and gaining insights into various roles and responsibilities within the organization.
Transcript
Q10: Entry-level positions
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider? Customer-facing roles are a great way to start. They really help you get your foot in the door and provide experience in a little bit of everything.
From what I've seen, you're usually interacting with people at very different levels depending on the issue you're trying to resolve. The entry-level processor role I had when completing my undergraduate studies helped me so much in learning the ropes of corporate American culture, how to work in an office environment with different people, and how to navigate office politics. That's also something key to know.
It also gave me the opportunity to really explore the many different career paths I could choose. In my education, I never really saw, "Here are the different roles that you can pursue." So, I would start off in customer service or the installation billing department.
When I was at Blue Shield, I was able to look at our internal job postings and see how many other roles there are. I would think, "What do they do? What does this person get to do? What does this team get to do, and what are they responsible for?" It really gave me more access and insight into that, which was great for exploring different paths.
From my experience and what I've seen in corporations I've worked for, many have internal mobility programs and career development to upskill current employees for management or analyst roles. If you have a company or industry you're fascinated by, definitely start with a basic entry-level position and see what you can find while you're there.
Advizer Personal Links
linkedin.com/in/angela-sedlukha