Career Path of a Financial Analyst at Apple
Frank's career path began with formative experiences in high school, working in a restaurant and then a solar panel sales role—which taught the value of "hard work and persistence"—before less impactful college jobs. A pivotal real estate internship and a 2021 Apple internship, "forecasting sales for iPad and Mac in the education business," ultimately led to a full-time position as a financial analyst at Apple in 2022.
Career Exploration, Overcoming Challenges, Achieving Goals, Teamwork, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Frank Gallagher
Financial Analyst
Apple
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
N/A
Finance
Technology
Finance
Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Frank's career path highlights the value of diverse experiences. Starting with jobs in high school (restaurant and solar sales), he gained crucial skills in teamwork, persistence, and sales, while also discovering what he didn't want to pursue.
2. His college experiences, including various part-time jobs and a real estate internship, further refined his time management and interpersonal skills, demonstrating the importance of balancing academics with practical work.
3. Securing an internship at Apple during his college years proved pivotal. This experience provided valuable industry exposure and insights into the financial analysis field, ultimately leading to his current role as a financial associate at Apple, showcasing the significance of internships in securing full-time positions.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you had before becoming a financial analyst.
I currently work in financial analysis at Apple as a financial associate on the corporate FP&A team. My path to this position actually began before college, in high school.
I started as an employee at a local restaurant. That job taught me the value of hard work, teamwork, and working with different personalities. It also clarified that I didn't want a career in the restaurant business, which fueled my pursuit of other opportunities and helped me focus on the future.
From there, I became interested in the solar industry and sold solar panels. My family had solar installed on our childhood home when I was a high school senior. The young man who sold it to us worked for a startup, and I admired his personable and engaging demeanor. My parents also liked him and were happy for me to work for him.
A few months after the installation, I started working for him as a full account executive. My role involved generating my own leads, managing the sales pipeline, meeting with potential clients, and closing deals. It was challenging, but a very formative experience.
Similar to the restaurant job, this sales role taught me I didn't want to pursue that type of sales career, though I might later in my life. It emphasized the importance of persistence, hard work, follow-up, and being a good representative of oneself and the company.
After that, I went to college. My jobs during college were less exciting but still valuable. I worked as a mover, a field supervisor for campus facilities, and at a local golf pro shop. These roles taught me time management and how to balance a busy schedule.
In between my sophomore and junior years, I interned with a local realtor, focusing on local marketing, social media campaigns, and relationship management. That was a good experience.
During the summer between my junior and senior years, I received an internship offer with Apple. In 2021, I interned on the education sales finance team, forecasting sales for iPads and Macs in the education sector. This was during the height of COVID-19, and it was fascinating to see the business performing so well.
After my internship, I served as president of my fraternity, which I loved and which taught me great leadership skills. In 2022, I began working at Apple full-time, and that brings us to today.
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