When he isn’t watching LAFC with his fiancé or keeping an active lifestyle as an avid runner, Paul Fitzgerald ‘12 works as a member of the Marketing Planning and Analysis team at Netflix. Fitzgerald develops strategic insights to support global marketing efforts. He specifically focuses on social analytics, which means helping their Marketing team support their business objectives with their work on social media platforms.
“I enjoy the freedom and responsibility I have at work,” says Fitzgerald, a New Jersey native. “I have the autonomy to pick the projects I work on and the freedom to choose how I approach those projects.”
A variety of different internships, during his time as a student at Rice, helped pave the way for Fitzgerald. Other individuals in his position may feel like they are taking internships that don’t directly lead them to a specific career. However, Fitzgerald proves otherwise.
“I worked in a variety of roles prior to Netflix,” Fitzgerald said. “I was an intern for the Houston Rockets in basketball operations, a wealth management office, and in management consulting with Accenture. While these internships sound very different from each other, the common theme was using analytics to solve problems.”
Prior to leaving on a recent business trip to Amsterdam, Fitzgerald offered advice to current Rice students.
“Don't be afraid to experiment,” Fitzgerald said. “You do not need to follow a linear progression from internship to internship. Follow your passions and don't be scared to admit that you picked a bad internship. Make sure you're always learning.”
Fitzgerald had similar advice for those seniors getting ready to graduate.
“Make sure you find the right job for YOU. There are a lot of factors that affect your enjoyment of a job, including your specific role, your co-workers, your company's culture, your company's industry, and even factors like the commute you have to make or the city you need to live in for your job. Don't be afraid to consider all of those things when choosing where you want to work.”
L Diop, a sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia, is triple-majoring in Sport Management, Managerial Studies, and Kinesiology.