ECON Alumni Career Profile
Research and Operations Manager
Ellen McGeoch (Economics/Project Management, '10) shared her experience after getting her MBA and finding work at an innovative start-up, NeuroFlow.
Do you have any advice for students looking for jobs during our current economic downturn?
As someone who graduated during the last economic downturn, I know firsthand how tough it can be to find a job. It's important to remember better days are ahead and to expand your job search to part time, temporary and volunteer jobs. Proving your worth in these positions can often lead to a full time offer and valuable work experience.
As someone who graduated during the last economic downturn, I know firsthand how tough it can be to find a job. It's important to remember better days are ahead and to expand your job search to part time, temporary and volunteer jobs. Proving your worth in these positions can often lead to a full time offer and valuable work experience.
Tell us about your current position.
I was an early employee for the start-up NeuroFlow, which has provided me with experiences that would not be possible elsewhere. Learning and working side by side with the founders of the company has been a crash course in all things business and perseverance.
In my particular role I get to disseminate NeuroFlow’s products and culture in a variety of ways. From onboarding new employees to writing multi-million dollar government proposals, I make sure our passion for behavioral health shines through in everything we do. My absolute favorite thing is hearing patients and clinicians explain how our technology has had a positive impact on their lives.
This sounds different than a typical ECON job. How did your ECON coursework prepare you for your current position?
My coursework has helped me think critically through problems and understand how every decision has an impact on different parts of the business. In econometrics, we learned if an answer doesn’t look right, then something is probably wrong. This has helped me evaluate project outcomes and stopped me from over engineering certain problems. My minor in project management complimented my economics degree by providing tangible scheduling and budgeting skills. Classes in law, technical writing and programming helped me with my communication skills. I am able to convey instructions and ideas in a logical manner while thinking of my audience, which has proved to be a very useful skill.
My coursework has helped me think critically through problems and understand how every decision has an impact on different parts of the business. In econometrics, we learned if an answer doesn’t look right, then something is probably wrong. This has helped me evaluate project outcomes and stopped me from over engineering certain problems. My minor in project management complimented my economics degree by providing tangible scheduling and budgeting skills. Classes in law, technical writing and programming helped me with my communication skills. I am able to convey instructions and ideas in a logical manner while thinking of my audience, which has proved to be a very useful skill.
Which undergraduate experiences (i.e. internships, on-campus leadership, living learning communities, faculty member, etc.) did you find most helpful in preparing you for your current position?
I found the Markets and Society program (now Business Exploration Series) immensely helpful. I enjoyed the cohort model where we all were given a taste of each type of business function while getting to know our classmates. The additional classes on resume writing, interviewing and general professionalism provided real-world skills that at the time weren’t usually taught to freshmen. I felt as though I had a head start when it came to career fairs and interviewing for internships.
What would you recommend if an ECON student wants to work in a startup or a business like NeuroFlow?
Having an entrepreneurial mindset is definitely helpful when working at a startup. This can be conveyed by interning at an early stage company while you’re a student or by starting your own business or consulting company. Even if things don’t go as planned, you’ve gained a ton of experience that can be valuable down the road.
Starting a company is mentally and emotionally taxing, trying it out before you fully dive in is a great way to see if it’s the lifestyle for you. To work in healthcare, it’s important to have broad knowledge and pick one or two things to really become an expert on. There are plenty of free webinars and online classes to beef up your knowledge for both business and healthcare. Never be afraid to reach out to alumni or someone doing something you find interesting, people generally have 15 minutes to chat!
Angel.co is a great place to find jobs in startups. In fact, that's where we post all open positions!
Anything else you want to share with our current undergrads?
I have two pieces of advice that have served me well since graduation. The first is don’t be afraid to try new things! Even if you think a skill isn’t useful or related to what you want to do, it will surely make you stand out as an applicant. Employers are looking for people who are versatile and are confident in trying new things. Plus that seemingly random skill might come in handy one day!
Second, it never hurts to ask. This applies to everything: asking how something works, for higher pay, or something simple like a different desk setup. Even though it might feel uncomfortable at first, it can open many doors and allows you to build confidence in advocating for yourself.
Reach out to Ellen through LinkedIn
