Co-op at John Hancock/Manulife Grows Into Full-Time Position
After completing a business analyst and software engineering co-op at John Hancock/Manulife, Nishtha Pandya, MS’24, information systems, has now taken a full time position at the company as a business analyst.
Nishtha Pandya, MS’24, information systems, has begun a business analyst role at John Hancock/Manulife after successfully completing a co-op at this financial services and insurance company.
As a co-op, she served a dual role of business analyst and software engineer, which gave her a breadth of experience that prepared her for her new position. She also launched a support group for co-ops that she plans to continue managing.
As a business analyst, Pandya was responsible for gathering requirements, facilitating communication between stakeholders, and ensuring that project goals were aligned with business objectives. In her capacity as software engineer, she wrote scripts in Perl and Python to automate processes to improve operational efficiency. She also used Databricks to write database queries that supported data analysis and reporting, helping the team make more informed decisions.
She says the co-op gave her the opportunity to gain insights about the company’s operations and culture. She is excited to expand a support group she started when she was a co-op for new co-ops and interns. Her vision is to scale this initiative into a company-wide program that fosters collaboration and creates a welcoming environment for newcomers.
Reflecting on her co-op, she emphasizes the invaluable professionalism she gained in the collaborative and dynamic work environment. She developed strong project management skills and learned that networking and building relationships are key drivers of positive change within any organization.
Pandya embraced the unique opportunity to balance both business analyst and software engineer roles during her co-op. This experience allowed her to develop strong time management and adaptability skills by seeking mentorship and effectively prioritizing her tasks.
As she transitions into a full-time role, her career aspirations are focused on taking on larger projects that have a significant impact on the company. She also plans to expand her technical skills and leadership capabilities. Long-term, she aspires to contribute to the company’s innovation initiatives and eventually mentor new team members.
Pandya says her academic journey has contributed to her professional success as well. Her career aspirations are focused on taking on larger projects that have a significant impact on the company. She also plans to expand her technical skills and leadership capabilities. Long term, she aspires to contribute to the company’s innovation initiatives and eventually mentor new team members.