Career Path of an Analytics Executive at a Nationwide Financial Firm
Nick's career path was "very, uh, winding," beginning with a chemical engineering major that transitioned into a political science and Italian double major, culminating in an internship at the Mexican Embassy focused on environmental policy. Following an MBA and initial client-facing roles at a mutual fund company, Nick transitioned into customer strategy, ultimately leveraging data science skills to achieve greater effectiveness in the analytics world.
Career Exploration, Data Analysis, Career Development, Overcoming Challenges, Executive/Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nick Perri
Analytics Executive
Nationwide Financial Services Company
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey MBA, St Joseph's University MS Business Intelligence & Analytics
Spanish & Other Languages, Political Science, American Studies
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Data and Analytics
Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. 1. Nick's career path was non-linear: He initially pursued chemical engineering before switching to political science and Italian, highlighting that career paths are not always straightforward.
2. 2. The value of interesting internships: His internship at the Mexican Embassy, focused on environmental policy, provided valuable experience and shaped his career trajectory. This suggests that students should seek internships that align with their interests, even if outside their major.
3. 3. Combining education and experience: Nick's path involved undergraduate study, practical work experience, and an MBA, demonstrating that combining education and real-world experience can be beneficial for career growth in the analytics field.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? What internships or jobs did you have before your current role?
I took a very winding path to where I ended up. I started undergrad as a chemical engineering major, thinking I wanted to make new cool chemicals and substances.
About three years in, I realized I didn't want to do that anymore and totally did a 180. I ended up graduating with a political science and Italian double major.
I did get a great opportunity with that, interning at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. I got to work on trinational environmental policy around the border area, which was a really great experience.
So I would say if you're an undergraduate, no matter what you're doing, if you can do something interesting, I think it's a better time spent. After college, I kind of started at ground floor at a large mutual fund company in client-facing roles.
Then I went back to school and got my MBA at WP Carey. After that, I started moving into customer strategy, which led me into the analytics world and being more effective through data science.