As a consulting firm, Protiviti is in the business of helping others. That’s our passion. While helping our clients is always top of mind, we place just as much, if not more, emphasis on helping our employees to grow their careers by providing opportunities to mentor, to lead, and to get engaged. Through Foundations, our entry level hiring program, we aim to deliver a customized series of meaningful experiences and opportunities that help our people uncover the things they are passionate about.
Here’s a fun fact for you: Did you know former Protiviti interns continuously prove to be some of our highest performers at the company? Coincidence? We think not!
Today, we get to meet a former intern and current consultant, Maya. When Maya isn’t spiking a ball on the volleyball court, re-teaching herself to play piano, working out or watching ‘The Office’, she’s bringing her talents to the New York office! A graduate of Binghamton University, she is now a consultant, who mentions that her experience has come full circle – her peer advisor is actually the very first person she spoke to at a career fair! “We had such a great conversation,” shares Maya of that first interaction. “I felt really at home talking with her and it felt natural and comfortable. That conversation was what prompted me to apply.” Now, the rest is history!
This is Maya’s story.
Q&A with Maya
It’s been so long since you and I met at The Intern Challenge training program and now you’re here…full-time! I’ll start with the BIG question…’Why Protiviti?’?
“There’s honestly so many things that made my internship experience what it was. I definitely think that the culture has played a huge role. Even dating back to the intern events, I remember so many people of various levels engaging with us and it was neat to see that interaction. I’ve continued to see that friendly and inviting environment in my full-time role, particularly when traveling for a client. I’ve found there’s nothing better than getting to experience a new city, enjoying a team dinner, laughing and hanging out with your colleagues.”
Having a strong culture is definitely important! Was there anything additional that stuck out to you during the internship?
“Yes! The variety of the work – it gave me an opportunity to not only get a view in to the industry but it also broadened my skill set. During the internship, I was working on an internal risk project for the first half, which was great because I had the chance to be in the office and really bond with my colleagues. The second project I was on provided me with that client-facing experience. So, I feel like I was able to see both sides of consulting and I really enjoyed it!”
We offer so many solutions at Protiviti so variety is the name of the game. Have you seen that diversity of projects in your full-time role?
“I’m pretty lucky! My first project in my full-time role was an Anti-Money Laundering project for a large bank. I was reviewing subpoenas issued from the government and looking at customer data to ensure there was no money laundering going on. That was huge for me coming off campus because I felt like I was really making a difference for the client and I was also getting to tap in to parts of my brain that I didn’t get to use as much in college. I also had two weeks of training on the front-end of the project, so the roll-on was really smooth. On my second project, I’ve been looking at the operational risk management of a bank, which is very different than the first project, but it’s equally as interesting. The work we are doing is providing the client with opportunities to bolster their own framework, so it’s exciting for me to get to help them to do that. In a few days, I’ll actually be able to help present the findings to our client!”
It sounds like you’ve been on some great projects and probably been able to work with a lot of team members. How has this impacted you?
“First, I think the relationships that I’ve been able to build internally at Protiviti with leaders and management has been wonderful. There’s a lot of exposure on these projects and from those, I’ve learned about several new areas such as Robotics Process Automation and some more technical areas. In turn, this has led to some great opportunities for me personally and in the midst, I’ve been able to find these mentors who I can turn to for advice and expertise. In respect to working with clients, I’ve had a lot of exposure to senior management and other high-up leaders in their respective industries. Being exposed to working with them has helped me with my communication skills and how to articulate professionally and it has also allowed me to learn a lot about the value of the work we do at Protiviti. On a more personal note, it’s also been great just to connect with people! On one of my projects I actually found out that our client was also Jamaican, like my ancestors, and their family was from the same area. It’s a small world and the connections definitely create a more exciting experience.”
As you continue to build your career and discover the areas that you’re most interested in working, it’s important to self-educate so you have a well-rounded view. In what ways have you already done this in your first few months of full-time work?
“When I first started at Protiviti, I had some time to do UiPath, which is a Robotics Process Automation platform where you can start to self-train. In the first few days, I was able to create my own bot that extracts stock data to an Excel file, and that has been really interesting to me! I also just started the Lean Six Sigma course through my alma-mater which I think provides you with a skill set that will always be relevant. I think it’s really awesome that Protiviti helps to support you financially through your certification. It’s a wonderful incentive to fuel your desire to learn more. I’ve even been thinking about getting my Certified Fraud Examiner credential, so we will see! Gaining insight from trainings and certifications provides me with a base understanding of “x” skillset. As projects come up working within those areas, I’m able to use my network to try to get involved in those areas.”
What advice would you offer to our incoming new hires?
“Always continue to have a passion for learning. The way you learn in the corporate world is quite different than college. Since I’ve graduated and started at Protiviti, I’ve really learned the value of educating yourself and also building your networks, which they can start doing now!”
You mentioned to me that you play on a Protiviti sports team. Can you tell me more about that?
“I actually play for Protiviti’s volleyball team and it’s been really awesome! Each Wednesday we have games against other companies and we typically do a happy hour afterwards. We recently made it to the playoff round! What I love about the team is that I’ve had a lot of opportunity to engage with people that I don’t typically see outside of their work element. The camaraderie is also great…everyone cheers each other on!”
Rapid Fire
Favorite Celebrity? “Drake! I’ve been a fan since his DeGrassi days.”
Last thing you watched on TV: “My favorite show is ‘The Office’, I literally re-watch an episode almost every day. I also love Ozark!”
Favorite ’00’s jam: “Drop It Like It’s Hot – Snoop Dogg”
Thank you to Maya for sharing her insight! Coming off campus and starting your career with Protiviti is such an exciting time for personal learning and growth — we’re so glad we have Maya to give us all a better view of that experience!
-Cait
