Paul
Associate Consultant, Princeton Office
Education
AMHERST COLLEGE
B.A. in Economics and Political Science, 2004
Activities at Amherst: Editor-in-chief of a political magazine at Amherst for a year-and-a-half
Memories of Amherst: I absolutely loved Amherst and didn't want to leave. While the weather wasn't everyone's cup of tea, I really enjoyed playing in the snow—football games with friends are a lot of fun when it's two-feet deep.
Hometown
Lynchburg, VA
ZS Career Path
Business Associate, 2005
Associate Consultant, 2007
On the work
"My first project at ZS was an alignment with a mid-size pharmaceutical company who needed to downsize their sales force due to a declining market. Because I hadn't been to New Employee Orientation yet, I was pretty fresh, but everyone at ZS is so helpful; I could always find someone to answer my questions or show me a quicker way to do something. I was surprised how quickly I was given a lot of responsibility, which at first was a little intimidating, but it was also a great experience that helped me gain confidence and enabled me to learn much more than if someone had held my hand through the project. Before long, people were coming to me for help with alignments.
"Currently I am working on a market research team, mostly doing PhysPulses (tracking surveys). Our client developed a drug that is indicated by the FDA for many different diseases, giving us several different markets to study. Recently some new competitors have entered one of these markets, which has made our client pretty nervous but has also made things really interesting. We are able to observe how doctors react to new products and give our client advice on how to address the new entrants. Notwithstanding the recent excitement, this project has been a great way to really understand how market research plays out, as some of our tracking surveys have been going on for several years. This means there is already a framework in place, giving us a well-established perspective on the market and allowing us to dig deeply into issues our client faces."
On ZS values
Treat People Right: "In the summer, ZS has a softball team that plays in a local league against other companies. It's a lot of fun and a great way to get to know other ZSer's in a non-work environment. Even though at times the hours can be long, my managers have always been flexible—I never had to miss a softball game because of work except when I was out of town for training."
On life outside work
"I have a lot of interests outside of work. I think it is important that work not become your life. I love to do pretty much anything outside, but especially love cycling, running, camping, and rock climbing. Princeton is a great area for cycling, especially if you head north into the foothills. I often get up earlier on the weekend than during the week so that I can catch a group ride. During the week, I like to run or go to the gym in the evening and often relax at home by playing the guitar—I'm currently trying to learn to sing and play the Howie Day song Collide."
On the Princeton office
"I really enjoy the Princeton office, especially because I'm not a big city person. I actually live in an old farmhouse, which provides a great escape from the chaos of Route 1. The Princeton area still has all the benefits of a big city—you can get to New York or Philadelphia in about an hour pretty easily—and yet also has all the benefits of a small college town. It's incredibly safe, and downtown Princeton is quaint but still has plenty of restaurants and bars, and you are only an hour from the Jersey Shore."