Business Matters

by Rebecca Barrett

Transitioning from college to a career can feel like being chucked into the deep end of a pool.

But for Nitya Patil, a member of Oregon State University College of Business Class of 2022, it’s as if the wind is at her back.

Patil is receiving a double major in finance and business information systems and has accepted a position in asset and wealth management at JP Morgan in Chicago.

“It felt like I was being set up for success through all of my college milestones,” Patil said.

College of Business faculty have been a resource, checking in and reaching out, making her feel connected and confident.

“The College of Business has an amazing career success program with instructors who walked me through steps on managing life and gaining a job post graduation,” she said.

When Patil began college, she intended to study pre-medicine, but business soon caught her attention. Her older brother was a business major and inspired her to pursue a finance degree, which seemed to fit her strengths. Then, she added business information systems for a double major.

“It is a booming major at the moment with lots of career choices,” Patil said.  “I was setting myself up for success.”

Patil has explored other interests at Oregon State, becoming involved with the Indian Student Association sophomore year. The organization celebrates Indian holidays and festivals with campus events and socials, including Indian Night, which is a showcase of talent, entertainment and food.

“It was incredible to see such passion and excitement within the Indian community here in Corvallis,” she said.

Another outlet for relieving education stress has been the OSU Bhangra team. Bhangra is a Punjabi dance, and Patil joined freshman year with zero dance experience. It helped her to branch out and meet new people.

It also helped her learn time management as she balanced her studies with social activities and work. She made a weekly list of all her responsibilities and stuck to it.

“After finding a method of organization that worked best for me, I was able to handle so much more and have fun while still learning and growing,” she said.

Patil pushed herself, completing two internships. At VentureCapital.org, she gained experience as an investor liaison, providing feedback on investor pitches and helping CEOs improve their efforts to gain funding. She made connections with people from all over the U.S. representing various industries.

“The people I have met have been great mentors and leaders,” she said.

One of the best pieces of advice she received is to network.

“Connections are everything,” Patil said. “Knowing people even in industries that do not directly correlate to your major can score you an incredible job opportunity and you can learn so much.”

Patil’s other internship with Key Bank gave her additional experience in the finance industry and resulted in a job offer. But she wanted to return to Chicago, where she grew up before her family moved to Oregon.

“I had high faith that other opportunities would align further with my goals and aspirations,” she said.

Taking the risk to decline the offer soon led to an offer from JP Morgan that aligned with her goal to relocate to Chicago.

“It feels like I am going back to my roots,” she said. “I am ecstatic to see what the city has to offer.”