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Megan studied abroad as a Junior, here she is enjoying her brief visit to Prague.
Name: Megan Stark
Class Year: 2018
Major: Finance
Minor: Marketing
Position: Analyst Development Program- Analyst Role
Company: Liberty Mutual
I always knew that I wanted to be involved in a career that is dynamic and changing. I was heavily involved in DECA in high school, which, along with having families across the business industry, sparked my interests in finance and marketing. I worked at Wegmans in high school and since liked the interactivity of that job, I knew that in some way I wanted to work with consumers and make an impact on their lives. I heard about the analyst position at Liberty my sophomore year from an older sorority sister and I knew I wanted to apply. I interned at Liberty Mutual that summer and loved it so much I went back again the summer after my junior year and have now accepted a full-time position. I think what makes the program and analytics so cool is that you can be placed into a variety of business areas within the company. For example, although I am a finance major, throughout the course of my career I will likely have the opportunity to work within a variety of types of insurance, such as personal insurance or business insurance, as well as within many departments including finance, marketing, claims, distribution, and many more. In fact, at Liberty, I have worked on an agile planning team as well as a marketing decisions team!
I became interested in this career from much of my family working in a business setting. For example, one of my uncles works in wealth management, my dad worked in audit, my mom worked in finance and now works in human resources. Additionally, I was strong in math in high school and I have always wanted a numbers oriented job that still allowed me to interact with other. When starting the internship and job search, I wasn’t quite sure what aspect of finance I wanted to work in. Luckily, through my experience at Liberty I have found a position that combines my interests!
The view from Megan’s desk during her internship.
I really love my job, so getting up early on those summer mornings, and even having to move away from home, was worth it for me. The people at Liberty Mutual are so friendly and always willing to help you understand a problem or help you crack at a case you are working on. The work that you are doing is challenging to ensure that you are gaining something from the assignment but also, as an intern, often allows you to work across different business units to gain exposure. My intern class was approximately 30 people, and it was amazing to work with so many people who were at the same point in their lives as me. It was definitely nice to have so many familiar faces around the office. There is also a lot of exposure to meeting individuals that are higher up in the company. In my 2 summers there, I attended meetings and presented in front of high-ranking executives. They also have a mentor program that matches you with someone who is a more experienced staff member to guide you through your transition.
The most challenging aspect of the position comes from the immense size of the company. Liberty is a huge company so there is so much information coming at you from a variety of sources and there are always changes going on. At times this can definitely be overwhelming, but in the long run you understand the changes are beneficial.
I think the best advice I can offer to someone considering a similar career is to keep an open mind. I went into my summer thinking that I wanted a specific role and ended up working on a team doing something completely different, and now it’s my dream to work in that area again. Also, take advantage of face-time with people higher up than you and make connections as you go, as that will be super beneficial to you in the long run!
As for Bentley-specific resources that helped me along the way, I mainly used BentleyLink to apply for a bunch of jobs as well as acquired recommendations from professors who have worked at various companies. As for courses, I think CDI 101 was very beneficial in getting everything ready for the application and interview process. In general, the Career Services Office was extremely helpful. As I prepared for the application process, the Career Colleagues were helpful in ensuring my resume and interview skills were up to par.
If anyone is interested in applying for the Liberty Mutual Analyst Development Program or has questions about similar careers, feel free to reach out to Megan as she’d love to share more insight!
