Developing with Dell Technologies: Juan Pablo's Experience in Dell's Finance Development Program
Juan Pablo F. | Senior Analyst, Financial Analysis | Texas, United States
Originally Published: June 12th, 2024
My name is Juan Pablo Flores and I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. I moved to the US around four years ago. I did my undergrad in management at the University of Texas at San Antonio, but I did my first two years in Monterrey and then transferred. I got the opportunity to do an internship here at Dell, and then I moved to Austin. I’m in the Finance Development Program at Dell and serve as a recruiter for the Latino Connection Employee Resource Group. In my free time, I love to watch movies, read, and work out.
From College Grad to Passionate Professional
My last year of college, I didn’t have a straight answer of what I wanted to do. I was clueless. I knew I wanted to do something based in communications, but I didn’t know where. When I did my internship, I learned about the Finance Development Program and how it is four rotations for six months. You get a taste of everything, and that’s what really caught my eye.
I remember a lot of people told me, “You’re basically going back to college because you’re still taking exams.” I think the exams were helpful to continue that mentalism of always wanting to learn and challenge yourself. It’s kind of like a mini-MBA experience. I know will stand out from my peers on my resume. I’m really glad that I did it.
The biggest aspect of my career journey has been development. During my internship, I was nervous at first because I didn’t have any previous experience working at a big company, but everybody was super helpful and wanted you to learn. Every question I had was answered. I really enjoyed that about my internship, and it made me want to come back.
Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
Once I started the FDP, I learned about myself, developed new skills, and strengthened the skills I had. The four rotations are a great opportunity to understand what you’re good at, what you’re bad at, what your strengths are and how to focus on developing your weaknesses. From day one, they really encourage you to get out of your comfort zone. Instead of only applying for roles that match your strengths and interests, they tell you to do the exact opposite. It’s only six months, so if you hate it, you know it’s not for you.
During my third semester of the program, I was rotating in ISG Special Pricing. I was told that it was a really demanding role because I would be in charge of approving or denying deals for sales reps. With English being my second language, I decided I wanted the challenge of having those conversations with the sales reps and seeing how I would handle it. I was nervous going in because I thought, “Who am I to approve client deals for the company?” I’m a management major, I don’t have a finance degree (you don’t have to be a finance major to be in the FDP!). In the end, I fell in love with the role and the team. The managers were super supportive, and I learned a lot about the company, myself and my skills.
In that role, I had the opportunity to work on an automation project for my manager. That gave me a lot of exposure, and I realized I like working on projects, which helped me choose my first post-program role. I presented the project to senior vice presidents, vice presidents and to the global team. The automation I created is still being used even after I’ve left the role. It’s insane the impact I had in six months, the responsibilities they gave me and the exposure that I got. It’s one of the things that I’ll always remember in my career.
The FDP Mentality
FDP gives you a mindset of thinking, “How can I be impactful on my team?” You’re there for six months, so you only have that time to stand out and do good work. Now that I’m in a role full-time, I have that mentality of wanting to do more, work more and learn more.
You also get good at working with a team and communicating because you complete case studies, an impact project and a simulation where you have to work with a team. There are also pillars (networking, community service, development, etc.) you can join that give you exposure to being a project manager and delegating tasks.
I really encourage you to go out of your comfort zone. You don’t have the opportunity to go for a role you think you’re going to hate after the program because you’ll be in it for at least 18 months. In my case, I did that twice. I never thought I would do Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), but I wanted the challenge and to know if I would like it or not. So, I went for an FP&A role, and I enjoyed it. It wasn’t my favorite, but I’m glad I did it. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Not every company gives you the opportunity to move between so many different areas – you have Investor Relations, Treasury, Tax. There are so many areas you can go into for six months.
Next, read about Nova's experience in the Finance Development Program.
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