William Eagan ‘22, a Merrimack College senior, recently pursued an internship at Hologic® this past summer as a Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) intern. William is majoring in business administration with a concentration in corporate finance & investments and a minor in economics. His past internships include working at Charles River and at Mucci Capital Markets Lab. Additionally, William is involved in the Merrimack College Financial Group, the Merrimack College Investment Fund, the Merrimack College Fixed Income Fund, and plays a few intramural sports.
Congratulations on your new position. Thank you for meeting with me. Can you tell us a little bit about why you chose to work there? What makes this company a great place to work?
I am fortunate enough to be going back to work full time. Hologic’s mission statement is about improving and advancing women’s health. They centralize around healthcare equipment, cancer screenings, and promoting women’s health, which caught me right away. The culture there was fantastic, I enjoyed meeting the team I worked with and others in the company. I knew I could really flourish there.
Can you talk us through the process of finding and applying for your internship?
I found the position on LinkedIn. I encourage people to network. I’ve met people who said networking is a waste of time, but meeting people, not just to find jobs, but seeing how they are doing, is so important, especially as people have been locked inside. Step out of your comfort zone. If you don’t know much about the company, then research it. You don’t know what you are doing until you try it out and research.
I did have an Interview. It was on a snowy day, and I met with the VP of Finance and two managers. I really enjoyed it. I did some research prior to the interview. You know about yourself, but it’s important to know about the company as well. And as I was doing research and interviewing, I knew I wanted to work here. Overall, I thought the process was smooth, and I heard back within a few weeks of my application.
How did you prepare for the interview? What was it like, and do you have any tips on interview techniques or questions?
I looked at their recent financial reports. Merrimack isn’t a big school, and you have to stick out in an interview. If you show that you took time out of your day to do the unexpected, do the research and do the work, it sticks out to employers.
Is there any advice you’d give to other students looking to break into this company?
Unfortunately, they just closed their internship hiring window. Every winter they open the door to finance and engineering students. I applied through LinkedIn and had done research through the company website. As I was interviewing, I knew right away I wanted to work there, and I’m glad they wanted me as well.
How did the O’Brien Center help with getting prepared to apply, with the interview or with the job search?
I attended the Professional Development Retreat (PDR) while I was interviewing for a full time job after graduation. It was so close to the time of my interview, and the retreat provided great resources and group sessions that prepped me on opening, closing, and what to say in between. I learned a great deal about interviewing, such as the elevator pitch.
In general, how did Merrimack contribute to your career development? What resources did you use?
I don’t think I’d be where I am without Professor Mary Papazian and Professor Fan Chen. I met them freshman year, and they keep pushing me to pursue my dream. Their guidance has been so important to where and who I am today. They took me under their wing, and without them I wouldn’t be where I am now.
What surprised you about your internship experience? Were there any situations that came up that you were unprepared for?
My internship was different from what I expected. My first assignment was to handle operating expenses. I had a sheet and tracked changes over the year. I really enjoyed doing it. It was really cool. As an intern there’s a sense of the unknown, asking to venture out and try something new. No idea what the future held.
What skills have you developed working for this company and what do you wish you had known prior to starting the internship there?
I encourage everyone to develop their Microsoft Excel skills or any Microsoft skills, if you can. I encourage all students to be unafraid to try software systems like Clik. I learned a lot in Clik and Excel, and I wish I knew more before I started. One of the people on my team was an Excel wizard and gave me a cheat sheet. As an intern, part of the job is improving efficiency and bringing tangible skills that not everyone has and is important when you’re applying.
Any campus shout-outs to folks who have helped you along the way in getting you to this point?
Mr. Paul L. Mucci P’07 and his wife Joyce Mucci P’07- their donations are what started the investment fund that allowed me to learn the skills I have today. I’d also really like to shout out to my parents.
Speaking of your time at Merrimack, how did you grow in your time here? Were there any influential clubs, jobs, professors, or moments for you?
In mid-December 2018, I was debating whether or not I should attend a Merrimack financial group event. I sat in my room and debated but ultimately decided to go. I went, and the rest was history. That moment propelled me to where I am today. I have had so many influential professors and clubs throughout my time here.
