Can’t decide between working in management consulting and in a high tech start-up? Read on.
The analyst role is an entry-level, fast-track position appropriate for recent graduates (in the last three years) with bachelor’s or master’s degrees. Our goal for the analyst program is to hire smart generalists, expose them to all aspects of a software-as-a-service company through a wide variety of work assignments, and help them find out where their passions lie: Product development? Project management? Client engagement? Marketing? Sales? Business development? Then we move the analysts into open positions best suited to them. Our analyst pool represents our future mid-level managers and, ultimately, our future leaders.
As a start-up, we take a bit of a “sink-or-swim” approach to training our analysts. We give them meaningful work from Day One. Though we provide some initial training sessions, most of the learning is on the job. This can be intimidating for people who prefer more passive classroom learning – however, it’s optimal for employees who are entrepreneurial and thrive on “getting their hands” dirty. Analysts are encouraged to seek out guidance and advice from colleagues in the company when they need it – and they have universally praised the willingness of their colleagues to assist them with such advice.
Analysts gain exposure to different marquee clients across different industries and work with influential people in those companies on projects about which the clients care deeply. As part of the Medallia team, Analysts participate in important discussions at client companies right away — much earlier than if they had worked for those companies directly. The access to senior management at client companies is similar to what analysts would get at management consulting and investment banking firms.
Initially, Analysts are assigned to a new client implementation in which they help understand client requirements and configure our application to optimally meet those requirements. Once Analysts have completed an implementation, they are staffed on a variety of projects. Though no analyst position is typical, here are some common responsibilities:
- data analyses, many of which impact the direction of Medallia’s Fortune 1,000 clients
- Responding to client requests for data analysis and reports — on marketing and operations issues, as well as on the Medallia system
- Providing analysis to support new feature development for the Medallia system
- Championing the value of Medallia data with proactive analysis
- client services such as building deep relationships with clients, responding to client questions and requests, educating clients on the use of the Medallia system
- product development that helps shape Medallia’s fast-evolving, best-in-class software products;
- business development:
- In existing accounts through up-sell opportunities
- In new markets by identifying unmet business needs
- representation of Medallia at client and industry conferences.
Medallia makes every effort to staff Analysts on a variety of projects that span different industries: hospitality, financial services, high tech, retail, health care, and manufacturing.
After they’ve mastered the role, Analysts graduate to Senior Analysts (usually after one year) where they are typically given more client-facing responsibilities, including owning the relationship for smaller clients.
Senior Analysts are promoted according to their interests and available openings in the company. Some have gone on to: Product Manager, Client Engagement Manager, etc.
Medallia’s analyst program is ideal for candidates with strong analytical skills and broad interests who want to explore different career possibilities and work across multiple disciplines in a thriving start-up environment.
Education:
- BA/BS or higher from top school
Experience:
- 0-3 years work experience
- Experience in management consulting, market research, investment banking, account management, and/or enterprise software a plus
Skills:
- Excellent analytical skills
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Superior customer-service skills
- Project management experience a plus
- Knowledge of statistical software packages (e.g., SPSS) a plus
- Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills
Personality:
- Highly disciplined and organized
- Intellectually curious, but results focused
- Detail oriented
- Strong initiative
Medallia is a great place to work. The team is both high-performing and collegial resulting in low employee turnover (the management team has been together since inception) and high employee satisfaction. Compensation is highly competitive.