It’s an honor to introduce, Abhishek Paul. His journey and advice to current students prove to be a strong example of what you can accomplish during your time at Binghamton and beyond. His experiences are a source of inspiration, showcasing the potential for growth and success.
Major(s) at Binghamton University: Industrial & Systems Engineer
Career Cluster: Engineering & IT | Affinity Group: Student of Color
What activities and clubs/organizations did you participate in during your time at Binghamton University? This could include on-campus employment, research, volunteering, study abroad, student organizations, etc.
Abhishek was involved with many different clubs and organizations while at Binghamton! They include Theta Tau Professional Fraternity (Community Service Co-Chair/Chair), Binghamton Bhangra (President), Institute of Industrial Engineers (Vice President), and Profit Rhino Case Competition (2nd Place / 20 Teams).
Did you complete an internship while attending Binghamton University? If so, what skills did you gain?
Yes, Abhishek interned with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Please see his experiences and skills gained below!
Supply Chain & External Manufacturing (Sophomore to Junior Year Summer Internship)
*Skills Gained: Lean Six Sigma Application, Manufacturing, Modeling & Simulation, Data Understanding & Cleansing, Corporate Communication, Cross Department Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Presentation
Continuous Improvement Intern (Junior Year to Senior Year Internship)
*Skills Gained: Applied Analytics & Statistics, Technical Reporting, Root Cause Analysis, Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), Data Understanding & Cleansing, Corporate Communication, Cross Department Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Presentation
How did your experiences outside the classroom influence your career development?
My experiences outside the classroom influenced my career development greatly. Outside of the classroom at Binghamton, I learned how to lead large organizations and execute various initiatives through my experiences with Theta Tau, Binghamton Bhangra, and the Institute of Industrial Engineers. As a Brother of Theta Tau, I lead various community service initiatives from book drives for local elementary schools to hosting DJ competitions for charity. As President of Binghamton Bhangra I led an organization of 25+ members to perform at events to hosting our own dance competition. As VP of Institute of Industrial Engineers, I created and implemented strategy that resulted in receiving the National Gold Award for Student Chapter Recognition. These experiences taught me the power of organization & strategic planning, honed my leadership, sharpened my time and project management skills, provided me with execution experience, and helped me uncover hidden abilities in areas like marketing & sales.
My internship experiences helped provide me the business context of what I was learning in the classroom. Once I had the business context of what I was learning in class, it completely changed my how I approached class and learning. I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could from my professors and peers to solve real world problems. From taking masters level classes as an undergrad (ISE 431 Industrial Engineering in Healthcare), to competing in Case Study Competitions against the best and brightest from the School of Management; I looked at every opportunity as a way to learn, grow, and hone my skills.
Why did you select your major at Binghamton University? What experiences or factors influenced your decision?
I selected my major, Industrial and Systems Engineering because I have a passion for making things better. To me, that was what Industrial and Systems Engineering was all about; providing the tools and methods to help increase efficiency and effectiveness. I didn’t know about industrial and systems engineering before my freshman year of college. Thankfully, at Binghamton, we didn’t pick our major until the end of freshman year. We first learned about the different majors through the freshman engineering courses.
What class at Binghamton University was the most influential to you and why?
There are a few classes at Binghamton University that were very influential. I’ll highlight 3 of them.
Human Factors with Professor Khasawneh. Professor Khasawneh taught us the importance of design and introduced me to Lean Six Sigma in Human Factors as a Sophomore. He recommended we take a Green Belt Course as it would provide us important methods and skills for our career. I immediately signed up soon after. This set me apart from other students and allowed me to get my first internship at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals that following summer.
Enterprise Systems 311 by Professor Emerson was one of the best classes for my career. In this class we would have weekly case studies where we had to analyze and present a solution to our peers and a set of judges. The judges would rip us apart during and after our presentation. It was a very difficult class. However, looking back, it was one of the best classes at Binghamton. It honed our presentation, problem solving, and critical thinking abilities.
Senior Design Project with Professor Henenlotter & Professor Poliks. This class provided me the opportunity to lead a team to solve problems for BAE systems. Here we had a real-world problem where we worked with BAE staff to understand the problem and develop a solution for. This was my first real world modeling and simulation project, and I loved it. I loved seeing the current state, envisioning the solution, and then bringing that solution to life. This ultimately led me to my first job outside of college, as a Modeling and Simulation Engineer for Northop Grumman.
What would you say is the most important skill in your field and how do you use it in your current position?
The most important skill in my field is problem solving. The art of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues. Problem solving is used daily in Data Science. Whether it’s gathering requirements & data from the customers, building models, to addressing data or model quality issues, I rely on my problem-solving skills to help guide my decisions for an optimal outcome.
How can Binghamton University students develop this skill while in college?
Solve problems. Whether it’s in an organization, class project, or an internship, there are numerous problems out there that need to be solved. The only way to develop this ability is to put in the repetitions like one would go to the gym to gain strength.
If you were hiring a new graduate for your company, what skills and experiences would help this candidate stand out?
Real world experience leading & solving problems.
What tools and resources were most helpful to you during your job search?
The Binghamton Career Center & the ISE Department were very helpful during my job search. I highly recommend working with them to identify opportunities and craft your job applications.
What is your advice for interviewing for positions within your field? How can recent graduates stand out?
Utilize the STAR Method when interviewing and build a Data Science Portfolio.
What is the best piece of career advice you have received?
Be careful who you take advice from; not all advice is equal. I have found it is best to take advice from people who have successful experience in the area they are giving advice for.
Is there any additional knowledge or advice you would like to share?
Find your Ikigai. This is a Japanese concept of finding the sweet spot (Ikigai) of what you are good at, what you love, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for.
