As a junior Career Captain back in 2020, I had the privilege of working with Hannah at the business school’s Career Strategies and Engagement Center. Having the opportunity to learn from Hannah during her time here had a huge impact on my career development, so I wanted to share some of the perspectives Hannah shared with us at this Alumni Speaker series event, hosted by the CSE.
Financial Analysis at Johnson & Johnson with Hannah Davis ‘20, MA‘21
A little bit about Hannah:
During her time at Brandeis, Hannah served as President of the Brandeis Consulting Association, Vice President of the International Marketing Club and Leadership Fellow on the Student Experience Committee. She also completed an internship with the Office of Economic Empowerment for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and helped plan many CSE events and programs.
Hannah currently works as an FLDP Financial Analyst at Johnson & Johnson, the largest and most broadly based healthcare company in the world. During this hour-long talk and Q&A, Hannah answered questions about her time at Brandeis, the job search process and her current role at J&J.
Here are a few topics we covered during this speaker series:
On Balancing the Job Search Process with School
We all know that juggling course work and the job search process is a challenge. As students, it can be difficult to decide how to allocate our time. Here are some of Hannah’s thoughts on how to balance these two important priorities:
“Of course there’s only 24 hours in a day and both are pretty big responsibilities. I personally focused more on school and extracurriculars because I believed that if I did what I was supposed to be doing in school, (building relationships with professors, getting involved in extracurriculars, taking on leadership roles) this would help aid in my job search, which it ultimately did. “
Hannah’s Approach to Job/Internship Hunting
Hannah’s academic experiences translated very well into her professional journey. One of the first experiences she shared was attending an in-person career fair here at Brandeis.
“I remember walking into that room being extremely overwhelmed, and seeing that the tables hosted by the largest, ‘most popular’ firms had about 30 students crowding around them. I scanned the room and I saw the Massachusetts State Treasury Department table. Not a soul was there and the woman looked so incredibly bored, so I actually saw them instead just to see if I could build a relationship there. It ended up being a phenomenal experience and I ended up getting an internship. So I think that just goes to show your job search doesn’t have to be perfect. Really be dedicated and open to all opportunities, not just the one everyone’s talking about. So I highly encourage you guys to seek out diverse experiences as opposed to mainstream big firms.”
More on Networking Events
Hannah went on to describe how frustrating it was to apply to roles without networking and receiving automated rejections without even getting a chance to speak to someone. Her experience at her first career fair taught her that making a memorable impression is always easier when you are speaking to someone face-to-face, as opposed to even the most fantastic cover letter she had ever written. This motivated her to attend more career fairs.
“I also attended a conference through ALPFA, which is a phenomenal organization dedicated to helping students, especially diverse students, get a foot in the door of some of the biggest companies. There’s going to be a conference every summer; Brandeis sponsors a handful of students to go. I think the hardest part about looking for a job is getting your foot in the door, and ALPFA is a great place to do this. What this really drilled into my brain is the importance of networking. I don’t think I’ve ever received a response from a company that I did not network into in my life. After ALPFA, I went through the interview process at JNJ, and ultimately they gave me an offer.
Beyond the Job Search: Maintaining Professional Connections
Hannah’s perspective on networking really resonated with me. After all, it was because of Hannah’s adamant encouragement that I attended ALPFA. Before the conference, I was very nervous that my resume was too sparse, and that I did not have enough experience or career direction to be there. This conference ultimately changed the course of my career, and I have Hannah and the rest of the CSE team to thank for encouraging me to attend.
I asked Hannah for advice on how do I maintain these professional relationships in a sustainable way:
“Once you get into the working world, your time becomes even more limited than when you are a student. Keeping the people who have helped you on your journey up to date on your progress is a great way to stay in contact without asking them for something. It shows your appreciation and keeps you at the top of their mind. What I’ve been doing is updating anyone who’s helped me get to where I am on any major career updates, or even if I have a question similar to the one you just asked, I’ll reach out to someone saying ‘if you can have a few minutes, would you mind catching up over the phone because I’m struggling with this and I’m wondering if you have any advice.’”
Why JnJ?
Casting a wide net at the beginning of your career is a great way to get your foot in the door early on, but when we are presented with multiple opportunities, how do we know which one is right for us?
“You need to be looking for a company that’s the right fit for you as much as they’re looking for an employee who’s the right fit for them. For me personally, I asked every single analyst I spoke to at the ALPFA conference how that company’s mission was reflected in their day-to-day work and JnJ was the only company that could give me a concrete answer. So that was kind of the first indication: this firm seems like their values align with mine. Work-life balance was also very important to me, and they have a tremendous amount of work life balance. Overall the culture at JnJ is a perfect fit for me. “
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Alumni speaker events are a great way to get to know students who have come before you. Learning about the different approaches people have to their personal career journey can help you better understand yourself and clarify your goals. Hannah is someone who had a huge impact on me while we were students together, and she continues to be a beacon of support as I progress in my career.
Thank you for joining us Hannah, we miss you dearly but are so excited for what your future holds!
