Business major Zander Lai cast a wide net when looking for a co-op during his sophomore year, submitting nearly 300 applications online. His diligence paid off with a six-month commercial analyst co-op at Wayfair, the Fortune 500 e-commerce company headquartered in Boston.
Lai, whose concentration is in management information systems (MIS), is part of Wayfair’s new business-to-business account-based marketing team.
“Because the group is only a few months old, I’ve been given more meaningful projects than I expected,” he says. “It’s not just busywork; I really feel like I’m making an impact and helping build this team from the ground up.”
His work has been both technical and collaborative. Lai queries large datasets using the SQL programming language to collect information, analyze performance and identify trends. He has built dashboards to visualize key results and works closely with other teams to improve decision-making processes. He also uses ZoomInfo to develop targeted lead lists and design ad campaigns, supporting Wayfair’s sales development representatives.
The company’s culture, he adds, has been a pleasant surprise.
“There are a lot of young employees, which makes it really easy to connect,” says Lai, who commutes into Boston from his home in Sharon. “My team does monthly bonding events — recently, we went to a Red Sox game together — which makes the work environment really enjoyable.”
Lai transferred to UMass Lowell after one year at the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied computer and electrical engineering. He transferred for affordability and switched to management information systems.
“I wanted something that combined business with coding,” he says. “The more I looked into MIS, the more interested I became.”
On campus, Lai mentors incoming first-year students through Students Trained in Asian American Resource Support (STAARS), a program run by the university’s Asian American Center for Excellence and Engagement (AACE).
“I really enjoy helping others adjust and seeing the difference it makes,” he says.
Lai was determined to get a co-op “because work experience dramatically improves your chances of landing a job after graduation.” He credits the Career and Co-op Center for helping him land at Wayfair as a sophomore.
“I found the co-op process super-helpful, especially as a transfer student,” he says. “They worked with me on my résumé, and I felt that gave me an advantage over other applicants.”
With Wayfair on his résumé, Lai has already noticed a difference as he looks for his next paid career-connected experience.
“I applied to around 300 jobs before Wayfair and got maybe six or seven interviews,” he says. “Now, after adding Wayfair to my résumé, I applied to just 10 positions and already got two interviews at big companies.”
Gain the analytical and problem-solving skills that employers seek with UMass Lowell's business administration major.
“Put yourself out there and connect with people, especially during your first year when everyone is looking to make friends. You should definitely make some friends in your major, since you’ll be with them for four years.”