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#MyRichmondFed explores the diverse career paths and people currently working throughout the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and National IT. In this feature, we caught up with Bhagya Nair to learn about her experience as an early career colleague. We asked her five questions about being a Discover Analyst and getting involved at the Richmond Fed. Read her responses below.

When did you first join the Richmond Fed?

I joined the Richmond Fed in the summer of 2021 during my junior year of college as an intern for National IT — a nationwide team delivering technology solutions and support across the Federal Reserve System. I joined the Cost Modeling team for our Strategy and Planning line of business. Although working with finances and cost calculations was new to me, I was welcomed by my team and got to assist with large-scale projects and was offered valuable work opportunities. I was encouraged to share my opinions and ideas and really felt like an asset to the Fed. The positive work culture and opportunity for talent mobility is why I decided to continue my career at the Richmond Fed as an analyst in our Discover program. 

The Richmond Fed’s Discover program is a two-year rotational program in which recent college graduates work full-time in two different departments. Can you describe your current role and the skills you’re developing in your second year of the program?

I’m currently a business analyst on our Audit department’s Solutions and Innovations team. During my rotation, I created visualizations of audit data and provided recommendations based on my findings. In one instance, I helped our department see the number of work requests each individual on our team received; having that insight helped to better optimize workloads.

I also used this rotation as an opportunity to develop my leadership skills. I was a leader for Program Increment (PI) Planning work which allowed me to help plan and facilitate quarterly PI meetings. Additionally, I’m training and working diligently towards earning my Six Sigma Black Belt certification.

Which has been more valuable in your early career: education or experience from other opportunities or initiatives within the Bank?

Education is valuable to get your foot in the door — at the Fed and other prestigious companies. It also helps increase your comfortability with expressing opinions and contributing to work assignments.

I also use the experiences I’ve gained in my Discover rotations and other extracurricular activities to develop my professional skillset. This includes being a member of the Fed’s Women in Tech (WIT) network, serving on the board for our Discover cohort’s Social Committee, serving as a liaison for our Disability Affinity Community (DAC) and as secretary for Championing Asians and Pacific Islanders Through Advocacy and Leadership (CAPITAL) employee resource network. I’m also a Head of House for the Richmond Fed’s internship program and a mentor to a first year Discover Analyst. Most recently I pursued an experience-based development opportunity that allowed me to work with a small group of individuals to organize a supplier diversity event at our Bank. These experiences have allowed me to figure out where I would like to go along my career journey.

As a member of CAPITAL and in honor of Diwali, you performed a Bharatanatyam dance routine for your colleagues. What inspired you to start dancing? 

I began dancing at the age of six. I used dance as an outlet to express my Indian culture and religion. Through dancing I’ve learned the valuable lesson of discipline and how to overcome challenges. I used the Diwali celebration to showcase my talent in honor of the holiday. I would like to give a special thanks to CAPITAL and our Bank’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for giving me the opportunity to bring awareness to the South Asian community and to further our efforts to celebrate diversity in our workforce. 

What advice would you give to a young professional joining the Richmond Fed?

Network and self-advocate. Through networking, young professionals can create valuable relationships and find mentorship opportunities to establish and enhance their career goals. In addition, young professionals have a unique perspective and should seek out opportunities at our Bank to share their perspective and start building a professional brand. I feel you are your biggest advocate regarding how you present yourself in a professional manner. The people you meet, the network you make and the work you do all contribute to becoming successful in your career endeavors and leaving a legacy.