Career Path Of A Technology Sourcing Manager At Netflix
Nicole's career path, beginning with a challenging economics major at UCLA and diverse internships—including door-to-door sales and contract negotiation at Disney—led to a non-linear journey through retail, HR, and ultimately, a fulfilling role as Technology Sourcing Manager at Netflix, where Nicole "negotiate[s] deals" with major tech companies like Salesforce and SAP. The experience highlights how varied early career experiences, even those seemingly unrelated, can build valuable skills and contribute to a successful career trajectory.
Negotiation, Career Exploration, Networking, Overcoming Challenges, Technology
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nicole Panzovski
Technology Sourcing Manager
Netflix
UCLA 2016
UCLA Anderson MBA
Economics
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Technology
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Nicole's career path was non-linear, starting with varied internships (painting, Disney contract negotiations, Target retail) and a first job at Target in HR that she realized wasn't for her. This highlights the value of exploring different fields to find the right fit.
2. Her experience negotiating contracts at Disney and other companies (Deluxe Entertainment, Nature Made) directly led to her current role as a Technology Sourcing Manager at Netflix, demonstrating the importance of transferable skills and networking.
3. Nicole emphasizes the importance of building rapport with people, a skill she developed early on in her door-to-door sales internship and now uses extensively in her contract negotiations, showcasing how seemingly unrelated experiences can be valuable assets in a career.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Sure. I graduated from UCLA in 2016 with a major in economics. I initially pursued a business economics major in undergrad, but found the coursework extremely difficult.
I ended up graduating with an economics degree and a minor in accounting. During college, I completed several internships. My first internship as a freshman was with a painting company, where I went door-to-door to sign people up for painting services.
That internship was a significant blessing because it taught me a great deal about interacting with people and building rapport, skills that are crucial to my current role. I then interned at The Walt Disney Company, negotiating contracts for their Parks and Resorts division on behalf of the imaginary team. My final internship at UCLA was with Target, in their retail leadership program.
My background is quite varied. I entered UCLA wanting to study business, but the field was very broad and I wasn't sure what that truly entailed. After graduating, I took on a role as an executive team leader at Target, working in their retail store in HR.
I soon realized that role wasn't for me and wasn't what I was looking for. I leveraged my connections at Disney in strategic sourcing, their contract negotiations team, and moved on to Deluxe Entertainment, then Disney, and later a vitamin company called Nature Made.
I'm currently at Netflix, where I lead strategic sourcing for all of our technology. This involves negotiating deals end-to-end, from initial scoping of technology needs to negotiating and signing contracts with companies like SAP, Salesforce, and Workday. I love what I do, but my career path hasn't been linear; it's been very broad. Majoring in business essentially means figuring things out as you go.