Alexis Arsenis '20, Rachel Cardarelli '20, and Nicholas Parent '20
Alexis Arsenis ’20, Rachel Cardarelli ’20, and Nicholas Parent ’20 are just a few of the Bryant seniors who have secured great jobs well before graduation.
Launching great careers well before graduation
Oct 17, 2019, by Staff Writer
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Prepared for success, Bryant’s seniors are securing their first-choice jobs in a crowded and competitive job market, well before graduation. Through challenging coursework, support from dedicated Bryant mentors, and an education that emphasizes real world experience, they’ve become impact-thinkers, game changers, and industry leaders ready to thrive in their chosen fields.

“When I first came to Bryant, I couldn't believe how many exceptional people were here and how many amazing things were going on,” says Rachel Cardarelli ’20, who has accepted an offer to join Travelers Rotational Development Program.  “You learn from professors who are leaders in their fields and have so much to teach you, and you make important connections that will help you establish yourself.

“The Actuarial department is so close-knit. You’re really able to build a connection with your professors.”

That combination helped her build a path to success. In addition to the programming and analytical abilities gained through coursework, Cardarelli, an Actuarial Mathematics major with a concentration in Applied Statistics, was aided by a supportive network as she prepared to launch her professional career. “The Actuarial department is so close-knit,” she says. “You’re really able to build a connection with your professors.” One of those professors, Richard A. Smith, Ph.D., recommended her for an internship at Travelers, a leading insurance company.

Cardarelli interviewed on campus for the internship with Senior Actuarial Assistant Zach Suter ’12, who she had met at a case competition hosted by Travelers, and who would go on to be her manager. “Zach was the best manager I could have,” says Cardarelli. “He was always available when I needed help, but he also knew when to step back. He was able to introduce me to a lot of the other employees there as well, which really helped me expand my network.”

"When I toured Bryant, they told me about Archway and how hands-on it was. And that was very appealing to me, because that was exactly the kind of experience that I wanted in college.”

The skills she had developed at Bryant helped Cardarelli stand out in a competitive field. “I wasn't sure, actually, if I was going to get a job offer,” she remembers, “because the internship class that I was in was so good and so competitive.” When the offer was made, she was overjoyed that she’d have the opportunity to work at a company that encouraged her and appreciated her work. “I was so excited when they offered me the job,” she says. “I was ecstatic they had chosen me.”

Hands-on experience

“I really wanted to work at Fidelity," says Alexis Arsenis ’20, who will be starting as an associate financial analyst with the financial services firm after graduation. “I've always heard great things about the company and everything about it just seemed so appealing.”

“My concentrations help me by providing me with diverse viewpoints, and they help me understand where everybody's coming from. That also assists with the decision process, because you can see the full spectrum of what can happen in each new situation.”

Working with the Amica Center for Career education, Arsenis was able to confirm that.  Amy Ames, an Amica Center career coach, introduced her to the company’s Boundless Program, which helps high school and undergraduate women identify their strengths and find their purpose through events, education, and engagement. Kevin Gaw, the Center’s executive director, helped her get in touch with a Fidelity representative to arrange a summer internship that led to her job offer.

Arsenis says her Bryant education helped her excel at the internship and prove that she was prepared to succeed in her field. Her triple concentration in Finance, Marketing, and Analytics gives her the ability to look at issues from a variety of angles. “My concentrations help me by providing me with diverse viewpoints, and they help me understand where everybody's coming from,” she says. “That also assists with the decision process, because you can see the full spectrum of what can happen in each new situation.”

“A big thing that Bryant’s helped me with is being able to ask the right questions. That helps you make sure you’re getting things right, but it also helps you get to the next level.”

As a portfolio manager for Bryant’s student-run Archway Investment Fund, Arsenis has already been able to apply what she’s learned to decisions involving real money. That experience, she explains, will help in her new job. “When I toured Bryant, they told me about Archway and how hands-on it was,” Arsenis says. “And that was very appealing to me, because that was exactly the kind of experience that I wanted in college.”

To the next level

“I was so pumped when I received the job offer,” recalls Accounting major Nicholas Parent ’20 who recently accepted a position as an entry level tax associate with professional services firm CohnReznick. “I told my dad, this is absolutely where I want to work.”

As President of Bryant’s Accounting Association, Parent helps connect students with industry professionals and organizes events and information sessions that introduce students to their future field. “Bryant does an amazing job of getting recruiting companies on campus,” he says, “through the career fairs, through organizations like the Accounting Association, and through other opportunities.”

“Bryant gives you a great education and you meet some amazing people here, but they’re also going to help you find a great job, and put you in a good position for your future.”

Those connections paid off when Parent was looking for internships. “I could just email the recruiters directly,” he explains, “because I had already met so many of them on a personal level.” He found an opportunity with CohnReznick, where he was able to show the firm that he had the abilities and communication skills to be a valuable employee. “My accounting classes gave me the background knowledge to take on new assignments,” says Parent. “They saw that I was doing well at handling the work they were giving me, so they started expanding my assignments a little bit beyond usual intern stuff.”

The adaptability he learned at Bryant empowered him to tackle those new challenges head on. “A big thing that Bryant’s helped me with is being able to ask the right questions,” he says. “That helps you make sure you’re getting things right, but it also helps you get to the next level.”

All of the lessons he’s learned and connections he’s made, says Parent, add up to success.  “Bryant gives you a great education and you meet some amazing people here,” he says, “but they’re also going to help you find a great job, and put you in a good position for your future.”

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