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Ana Avila (IE ‘23), a trailblazer and a proud scholar of the MS in Supply Chain Engineering (MSSCE) program at H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) shares her experiences regarding her first job and provides some insight for fresh graduates on accustoming to the new work environment, managing personal finances and expectations.

Hailing from Panama, Avila pursued her Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply chain at the Technological University of Panama. Along this remarkable path, she nurtured her skills and expertise through invaluable experiences at renowned organizations like GlaxoSmithKline and Grainger.

Avila currently shines as a Business Operations Analyst in the Global Production Planning department at Dell Technologies, contributing her talents to shape the future of supply chain operations.

Avila’s dedication towards academia was further bolstered when she was awarded a scholarship to pursue her master's degree at Georgia Tech. Like many of her peers, Avila navigated the intricate path of securing her inaugural job with unwavering determination.

Avila shares some tips, tricks and insights on how recent graduates can make the most out of their first job:

• Create a list of companies they’re interested in working with

• Having an open-minded approach and emphasizing that fresh graduates secure multiple learning opportunity

When prompted for insights into prudent financial strategies tailored for recent graduates, Avila recommends:

• Studying the market average salary for the position that you want

• Be aware of their self-perceived value and the prevalent industry norms

Finally, when inquired about her networking strategies, Avila suggests:

• Create a list of probably attendees and conduct research regarding their research and background

• Strike up a conversation with them regarding the interests, which will ultimately forging meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships