Co-op Role Leads to Full-Time Position at Fidelity Investments

Through careful preparation, Prishaa Mittal, MS’24, information systems, secured a co-op as an IT auditor at Fidelity Investments, which eventually became a full-time position because of her IT skills, professionalism, and strong work ethic.


Prishaa Mittal, MS’24, information systems, demonstrates how experiential learning can unlock opportunities and pave the way for professional growth. Preparation and a successful job search led Mittal to a co-op as an IT audit analyst at Fidelity Investments, which grew into a part-time position as an associate audit analyst and then a full-time job.

To secure a co-op at Fidelity, Mittal used the resources available through Northeastern’s NU Works platform and LinkedIn. She initially explored many roles that aligned with her interests. She tailored her resume for specific positions and engaged in mock interviews. As her search evolved and focused on Fidelity, she networked with alumni on LinkedIn to gain insights into the company culture and expectations. These efforts, coupled with her determination, led to a successful interview and her selection for the co-op.

As an IT audit analyst, she gained invaluable insights into auditing, cloud security, and data analytics, blending her academic knowledge with real-world applications to make a tangible impact. As a co-op, she immersed herself in the audit lifecycle, contributing to areas such as cloud security, IT General Controls (ITGC), and application security. Her role involved identifying risks, evaluating the design effectiveness of controls, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Through her meticulous work, she helped enhance the organization’s overall security posture while gaining technical expertise.

The transition to a financial services environment was not without challenges. Adapting to new terminology and understanding the nuances of audit processes required both determination and a willingness to learn. Mittal benefitted from the support of her team and quickly adapted, thriving in a dynamic environment. Among her notable achievements, she identified vulnerabilities in Amazon Web Services (AWS) configurations during a cloud security audit, contributing to significant risk mitigation measures. Taking on leadership roles such as scrum master and managing client meetings further highlighted her ability to navigate complex responsibilities with confidence.

Mittal’s performance as a co-op led to a part-time associate audit analyst role prior to being hired as a full-time analyst. As an associate audit analyst, she tackled advanced projects such as enterprise risk management and audits utilizing innovative tools like Snowflake, a cloud-based data warehousing platform, reflecting her remarkable growth and the trust she earned through her exceptional performance.

Mittal says the information systems program curriculum played a pivotal role in her success. Courses such as Data Management and Database Design and Designing Advanced Data Architectures for Business Intelligence equipped Mittal with technical skills in SQL, Python, and Tableau, which were directly applicable to her work at Fidelity.

She also emphasized how important networking and proactively learning was to her success. “Every challenge is an opportunity,” she says. “It is important to be persistent and trust the process. Small efforts can lead to big results.”

Related Departments:Multidisciplinary Masters (IT Areas)