Koushank Ahuja (IMC22)

Senior Strategy Analyst, U.S. Businesses at Prudential Financial

Tell us about your career path. How did you get where you are today?

I joined Medill right out of undergrad. After graduating from Medill in December 2022, I joined Prudential Financial in January 2023 and have been there ever since.

What are your main responsibilities in your current role?

I work as a part of the strategy team for U.S. businesses. As a part of my role, I work on projects related to strategic initiatives and investments that we make. I work on researching consumer, industry/market and competitor trends to drive longer term business strategy. I work on projects that help assess strategic partnerships and organic/inorganic growth opportunities. I also help build a lot of the material that our executives and senior leadership team uses to maintain growth and continue to innovate.

How did the Medill Integrated Marketing Communications Full-Time program prepare you for your career?

I believe the skills that I learned during IMC have helped in every project that I have worked on. From research to data analysis to strategy, the courses I took have built a strong foundation for me. Additionally, I get to work with so many different teams, and the skills that I gained through team projects at Medill have helped me bring the best version of myself at Prudential Financial.

What did you do during Immersion Quarter?

During Immersion Quarter, I worked for The Kraft Heinz Company. As a part of their growth strategy team, I worked on an omnichannel path-to-purchase project. I got to research and understand consumer trends post-pandemic to recommend some digitally-enabled advertising solutions to reach TKHC consumers at the right place and the right time. 

What is a class or experience that stuck out in your mind and why?

My work with Proctor and Gamble through the Product Innovation class was something that I enjoyed the most. I got to work with people who have varied sets of skills and experiences and learned a lot while working with leaders at a Fortune 500 company. Additionally, the experiential nature of the class was quite impactful and has helped me immensely in my current role.

How has Medill Career Services helped you?

I got a lot of help from Medill Career Services, especially from Neil Golden and Akeya Porter. From how to tailor my resume to interview tips - both of them brought vast amounts of knowledge that was very helpful to me in my job search process. Also, the entire team at Medill was personally invested in the success of the students so they helped each student with tailored strategies on how to get jobs.

How can your industry be more inclusive and representative of society?

I think the financial advisor industry overall has an age gap. Financial advisors are retiring at a faster rate and less and less younger folks are joining the industry. I believe programs that can help bridge the gap could help the industry be more inclusive and representative of society.

What advice would you give to someone considering the Medill Integrated Marketing Communications Full-Time program?

Try different classes, work with different people on every project. Take full advantage of the professors and their extensive corporate background to learn as much as you can. Enjoy your time and make some great friends.