Resa Mandarino

Describe the path you took to end up where you are now.

The current path I am on has stemmed from a love for math beginning at an early age and has developed through the years, branching out to discover new ways to apply mathematical thinking and problem solving. Having definitive answers to questions has always drawn me to math in school, yet I did not have a true plan for a career until applying for Masters programs after my undergraduate degree. Throughout my schooling I was able to involve myself in extracurricular activities to either advance my skills, like joining the Matheletes in high school, as well as helping teach my peers or students younger than myself through tutoring and structured mentorship roles throughout college.

I attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, not too far from my hometown on Long Island, to pursue a Mathematics degree. Having exposure to a variety of different STEAM programs, and the ability to take courses outside of my main focus, helped to shape a wider view of the opportunities available, and has led me to the world of Analytics. Through the programs available at RPI I was able to complete a Master’s Degree in Business Analytics while also taking classes geared towards marketing to add to my Marketing Minor from my undergraduate program. This combination helped me identify my passion for both math as well as marketing, being able to combine analytics with some creative thinking.

My first job out of college was for a small marketing agency in New York City where I worked on the analytics team analyzing the performance of a variety of digital campaigns and client websites. After a few years, I decided to search for a change in environment and found myself moving to Atlanta, GA to work for State Farm on a new Digital Analytics team where I focused on mobile application performance analytics. Moving away from the marketing world allowed me to learn new ways to apply the skills I gained from college and my first role, expanding my knowledge of different tools and learning a new way of thinking. Recently, I was selected to help form a Search Analytics team to internalize the Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaigns for State Farm. Making my way back to marketing has been refreshing. While now working in a new area of marketing, I am always learning more about the area, but being consistently in an analytics role has kept a familiarity to the work I do on this team. Having these different shifts in my career, as little as they seem, have shown that within the field of analytics, the base knowledge can be applied in more ways than I can imagine.

While I enjoy the work I am doing at the moment, I know I have the ability and the knowledge to apply to a variety of different areas, allowing me the freedom to either move around my company, or explore new opportunities when I am ready.

What does a normal day in your current job look like? What are some cool things you work on in your job?

There is never a dull moment in my current position. Although I am working remotely on my computer all day long, I am often working with my peers and presenting metric updates to leadership and partnering teams. Being a part of a Search Analytics team includes a number of responsibilities. We work closely with a Search Execution team who are behind the scenes managing each search account, ensuring the budget is spent appropriately, and making account adjustments. One of my main responsibilities is to ensure this team has all of the data they need to make informed decisions which included creating visual data dashboards, working through ad hoc analyses, as well as reallocating budget adjustments when needed. In addition to this team, we also report all account and campaign performance to overseeing account teams which includes presenting data updates and insights monthly. The fun part of my position is being able to dive deeper into the data and truly tell a story of the performance. Working with marketing data can be tricky when explaining the metric adjustments, and fully understanding the ins and outs of account adjustments is a critical part to understanding performance. Having a balance between analytics knowledge and skills alongside being able to pick up the concepts of a new area definitely makes my work interesting and keeps me learning constantly.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishments up until now, both in your job and in your life?

My biggest accomplishment has been moving away from my hometown alone. I was able to take on a new adventure and advance my career to new levels--plus I found happiness in the location I choose to live. Taking a leap of faith to move from New York to Georgia was never something I imagined I would do alone, especially without having ventured to the area prior to accepting a new position. Being confident enough in myself to make such a large move has really showcased my growth over time and my ability to follow my own path, without letting other opinions deter my decision.

Describe any challenges you had on your journey to where you are now. How did you overcome those challenges, and what influence did they have on you?

My largest challenge has been myself, my self doubt, my lack of confidence in my skills in the beginning of my career. Growing into myself and truly understanding my worth in my industry has been such a struggle but I have learned different ways to best understand how I can grow.

When starting my career, I never considered that I had a lot of knowledge to bring to a new opportunity. I was completely disregarding everything I learned and assuming I was a blank canvas. Although there’s always room for new knowledge, I did not know how to find ways to grow aside from performing new tasks and learning how we are trained in school. I’ve found that learning new task-based skills is not the only thing I should be learning--but also learning how to develop myself as an individual.

Seeking feedback from leadership has helped me understand the view others have of me and my work. I wanted to start focusing on developing my work skills; however, the conversations began to shift towards personal development. Asking for feedback allowed for an avenue to hear about my seemingly minor accomplishments that had a larger positive impact than I imagined, alongside helpful guidance for personal and work improvements. Simply asking for guidance has completely changed my view of my skills, and it made me reflect on the work I completed, how I present myself, and guided my focus to continuous improvement.

I have realized that sometimes the biggest challenge to overcome--and something that can be blocking your growth--is simply yourself and your view of what you can accomplish. By having consistent conversations about personal performance and seeking guidance for growth has helped me understand so much more about myself than I would have imagined when starting my career.

Have you ever faced discrimination, peer pressure, or gender bias as a woman interested in STEAM? How did you address it and what is your advice to young women who might face the same things today?

Having a strong interest in math has normally come as a positive feature throughout my life--falling into more of a “nerdy” category was the only major identifier that could be perceived as negative to some. I chose to love the “nerd” classifier growing up, embraced it, and connected with people who also fell into the same category most naturally.

A new realization came about when sharing my choice of college and path of study for my future. The main commentary I would receive was regarding the gender ratio of incoming students. At the time, RPI’s freshman class was expected to be 70% male and 30% female, which always came as a shock when mentioned. The reactions I received were always surprise that I would choose to go into such a male- dominated college and field, shortly followed by a comment similar to “oh, that should be fun for you” regarding the much larger dating pool for a young female. I felt, and still feel, this was so derogatory. I honestly didn’t know how to deal with these comments at the time besides laughing them off, mostly because I normally made friends more easily with guys anyway. Now I realize I was put into a category, an expectation, an assumption that I chose a field for the sake of dating--not for the level of knowledge I can gain and to set myself up for a career in the future.

While the STEAM fields have positively seen an increase in interest and involvement of more women, leveling the gender ratios, I know this type of experience is not unique to myself and will persist for some time. The best advice I can give is to speak loud and proud to those comments and immediate assumptions for your choices and career. Be proud of your decision to pursue a male dominated field, not for the boys, but for the material, for your future, for the future of the industry.

What advice do you have for high school age girls who want to go into your field of study (or STEAM in general)? What skills were most beneficial to you on your path? What do you wish you had known starting out?

There are so many different opportunities in the STEAM fields, and with such a variety, it’s difficult to truly understand all of the options available. When I was trying to plan my future, I didn’t have a good idea of the job I wanted; I just knew I was passionate about math and wanted to start there. At the time I was in high school, there was not a large market for Data Analytics, so that was never an option even presented. Now, my field is in high demand, to the point my college just introduced a Bachelor’s degree program specifically for this field that was not even a thought when I attended.

My advice would be to explore your passions, rather than the current job opportunities that can be researched. The world is continuously evolving and new paths continue to emerge, so even if there isn’t a specific job title you can visualize, follow your interests and passions, and opportunities will present themselves. Take time to try new things, drop into a school club to learn more about a new area, talk to your peers about their interests, ask teachers about their experiences and if they have family or friends in STEAM fields that you can learn from.

One thing I am realizing is important in any career is networking. I’ve been told this is so important by so many people, but I never really understood why until I started actively networking myself. This can be as simple as reaching out to someone in your field of interest and asking if they have time to discuss their experiences and share any advice. Networking evolves through each stage of your career, and it can have many benefits including potential job opportunities in the future. By expanding your network, you will be able to learn from a variety of individuals, gain new perspectives, and improve overall communication skills along the way.

What advice would you give someone who is interested in STEAM but not sure what area to focus in?

One simple way to start exploring STEAM fields is to start small: start with the basis of any STEAM area and begin to expand from there. Think about which subjects you’re most interested in, and understand why and what makes it exciting to learn. Think about the application, where you can use the skill, and think outside of the box to your interests outside of the classroom. What type of career are you looking to pursue, what lifestyle do you want? Do you want to be hands on, in the field, or are you more interested in a less active role just using your knowledge?

Ask questions. Ask yourself questions and continue to understand “why.” Focus on areas you enjoy, and understand career choices do not have to be permanent, and everything can change if your passions change. When planning your future, if you come to the point of higher education or new mentorships and are still uncertain, look for opportunities that allow you to explore other areas available while pursuing a general path. Most areas of STEAM have specific concentrations and specialties that do not need to be decided right away. Take those opportunities to explore your options and find your passions as you continue to learn.

Why do you think it is important for women in STEAM to support each other? How can young women support and influence their peers?

Working towards diversifying an industry is incredibly important, and I believe that starts with representation and acceptance. There’s been a constant struggle to find “someone like me” in a STEAM field as a female--especially when the industry, and publicized view of the industry, is so male dominated. Having made it into a STEAM field, I find it so important to encourage the exploration of these areas to help change the world and the perception that these are “jobs for men.” Showing women it is a positive feature to follow their dreams and passions is something the world needs more of, and who better to spread that positivity than other women?

I feel that women grow up with the idea that they need to be the best to be seen and respected compared to the boys, but that ideal tends to unfortunately bleed into a competition against other women as well. I believe it’s important to support other women to help change this behavior and remind each other, we are all working towards the same goal: more confident women in STEAM fields.

Being able to celebrate each other is what I believe helps us grow. Celebrating the smaller moments and accomplishments is so important: it keeps our success top of mind, and helps us focus on our futures. Having a positive view of fellow women only brings out more positivity, and we can learn from each other’s successes and career paths. Take each challenge, whether your own or your peers', as a learning experience--we need to learn and grow together.