As we all know, Langone students live a double life. Work by day, Stern by night. This column will provide a glimpse into the professional lives of part-timers in an effort to motivate communication and camaraderie between and amongst the student communities that call Stern home. Business school is like a game of musical chairs and many students, particularly full-timers, are looking to end up in a different seat than the one with which they started. Part-time students are a great resource for exploring industries and roles without the evaluative pressure of speaking with recruiters. Read on for insights into the lives of just three of your classmates.
Edward Doueihi
Industry: Fashion - Sales
Company: Capelli New York
How did you get hired? I heard about the opportunity through networking and was hired 7 and a half years ago through a few phone interviews.
Why did you choose the company? I wanted a job in NY. I was shooting in the dark. And I'm still here at Capelli.
Please describe a typical day. Start at 9:000 am and normally finish at 6:00 pm. Typical sales day. Read emails and review issues that I need to discuss with my customers (large store chain retailers) who for the majority are based in the UK. Phone calls and emails following that until their day closes. Meet with North America customers for appointments in our NY showroom in the same building. Work on processing orders and requests as well as preparing sales calls to fill the rest of the time.
What do you love most about your job? Talking to new people (buyers – high turnover in the industry) and mostly negotiating with them. It's a lot of fun, especially when you think you've heard it all.
What is the one class at Stern that you find the most helpful towards your role? Most classes have many things that relate to the job. Marketing mostly does as it is sales. I have a lot of great electives in mind, but won't share them as I wouldn't want them to get overcrowded – sorry!
Any advice for colleagues looking to join the industry? Its different than most jobs out there. Very fragmented/niche-y on the sell side. No corporations. Make sure to know as much about the business CEO/owner who you will be working for before committing. Anyway, I doubt any of you would join. Cheers.
Ryan Earley
Industry: Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines
Company: Merck & Co., Inc.
How did you get hired? I have been with Merck for over 5 years. I started with the company just after finishing my undergraduate education at Penn State University. Merck's HQ are located near my hometown so I was able to network with friends and family and through that, I began doing informational interviews while still in college. After I graduated, I submitted my resume to a hiring manager in the Metro NY area. Once a position opened, she contacted me, I interviewed, and I was offered the job.
Why did you choose the company? I knew I wanted to work in the Pharmaceutical industry and I was very familiar with company because of my friend and family connections. I also am passionate about the public health impact that Merck has had with its products, especially its vaccines. Merck does provide a wonderful work/life balance as well and they have been a big supporter in me getting an MBA.
Please describe a typical day: I am a vaccine sales specialist – so my typical day involves face to face interactions with customers. I support Merck's complete vaccine portfolio, so I call on a variety of customers (hospitals, clinics, pharmacists, offices, physicians, nurses, administrators, CEO's, etc). The topics of my conversation are contingent on the customer I am interacting with. I normally have (2-3) 8 am teleconferences a week – these are with internal Merck employees to discuss an array of topics since I work from home. After the teleconferences, I will go see my customers depending on the appointments and priorities I have for that day.
What do you love most about your job? I love having an impact on public health and I am motivated by educating customers and implementing processes around vaccines. I also enjoy interacting with the customers. By selling vaccines, I work with a variety of customers and I like helping each of them manage their business and achieve their goals.
On the job challenges: Working in sales is always a challenge because to my customers, I am the face of Merck. For this reason, my customers will express both positive and negative feedback to me about the company and the products. Healthcare is also always evolving, so managing change can definitely be a challenge at times. And, in sales, patience is necessary because it takes time for customers to trust you and to see the value in the service you provide. Fortunately, I have been able to establish this early on so my relationships with customers are generally positive.
Things you would advise your colleagues that would like to join the industry: I think its important to educate yourself about the industry and the different pharmaceutical companies. (including its culture, its product portfolio, the pipeline, the locations – international opportunities, etc.).
Pamela Koo
Industry: Financial Services
Company: Visa, Inc.
How did you get hired: I worked part-time while I was an undergraduate and established contacts in Recruiting, and set up informational interviews with employees in different areas, to help determine where to focus my recruiting efforts. Once I graduated, was hiredfor a permanent position within the company.
Why you chose the company: At the time, Visa was a private company and had the feeling of a small, close culture, even though it was a global brand with large scale operations across the world. Visa had a reputation for taking care of its employees and I respected the company.
Please describe a typical day: Everything I do relates to the client account I'm assigned to. One of the fun projects I'm working on right now is pilot testing Visa's mobile and remote payments technology (eg. using your cell phone instead of credit card to buy things at stores). My typical day has internal and client phone meetings and I coordinate with other teams to manage other projects.
What do you love most about your job? My management is supportive of my academic pursuits! I'm very grateful because it makes a world of difference in my work/school life. I work with great, smart people, and have access to senior management. I manage a broad range of projects and actually see things I've worked on out in the real world.
What is the one class at Stern that you find the most helpful towards your role? Competitive Advantages of Operations, with Victor Araman, Financial Statement Analysis and (soon) Corporate Finance!
Any advice for colleagues looking to join the industry? Get ready to hear it – "build your network," especially living in this finance-centric area. Secret tipoff: Nepotism exists in any industry. Also, know about the company you want to join. Personally, I always keep in mind that there's someone smarter/better/cooler* than me ready and willing to take my place. (Ok, maybe not cooler, but possibly smarter!)
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