Julianna Brooks, СAPP17, is a market analyst for oil and gas services company Austin Industrial in Houston, Texas.
СAPPMy degree path and everything within UL Lafayette was so important in getting this job and being able to execute on this job,СAPP she said.
The Perfect Job for a Young Economist
While the support she got from UL Lafayette was important, JuliannaСAPPs enthusiasm for economics was an integral part in finding her perfect job.
She handles market analysis and financial analysis, which are "two very fun, very important, very exciting functions within my organization," she said.
СAPPFirst and foremost, as the market analyst, I work with our sales and business development team to analyze market trends and to analyze our internal data,СAPP she said. СAPPIСAPPll take our internal data and I will apply it to external trends.
СAPPI put together pretty extensive reports on СAPPthis is where weСAPPre positioned in the marketСAPP and СAPPthese are certain markets that we are well-positioned to take advantage of,СAPPСAPP she said.
СAPPOn the other side, I do financial analysis as well, but that is so interconnected with the market side,СAPP she said. СAPPIСAPPll take our internal finance trends and IСAPPll do gap analyses and IСAPPll look at what our internal trends look like and I do help report that data to the board, as well."
Julianna works closely with Austin IndustrialСAPPs senior vice president of finance to manage the companyСAPPs forecast and rolling backlog СAPP both of which are tied to the trends she analyzes.
СAPPItСAPPs so great to tie into the external market force as well,СAPP she said. СAPPTheyСAPPre less powerful independently and together they make really powerful insights.СAPP
СAPPItСAPPs the perfect job for a young economist, truly,СAPP she said.
JuliannaСAPPs career in economics started with while she was still a student at UL Lafayette. She utilized her connections on campus to get an internship doing data analysis with Bryson Law firm.
СAPPIt made all of the difference,СAPP she said. СAPPOn one hand, youСAPPre getting real, professional experience but then youСAPPre also able to bolster up your resume as well as get credit for it. I mean, it was just an all-around wonderful experience."
Economics Over Burritos
Julianna also met some of her favorite people in the economics program at UL Lafayette. They bonded over burritos after classes.
СAPPOn Thursdays, we would go to IzzoСAPPs and we would get burritos,СAPP she said. СAPPWe went after econometrics class and we talked about economic theories and we were just bouncing ideas off of each other and it was such a blast.СAPP
Econometrics (ECON 418G) is the capstone class for the economics program and one of JuliannaСAPPs favorite classes.
СAPPI found that class to be so exciting because what theyСAPPre teaching in that class is ways of answering questions for yourself,СAPP she said. СAPPThe main basis of the class is learning how to perform regression analysis.
СAPPRegression analysis is the way that most economics papers use to establish trends and it allows us to answer questions about the real world for ourselves,СAPP she said. СAPPIt allows us to take these totally disparate sets of data and it allows us to go find good sources of data.
СAPPThe big end of the class was writing this 20-page paper and you hear about writing this paper from freshman year and youСAPPre always thinking, СAPPOh my gosh, at the end of this I have to write a 20-page paper,СAPPСAPP she said.
СAPPThen you get to it and youСAPPre like, СAPPHow do I get this to fit in 20 pages?СAPP because thereСAPPs so much freedom of creativity,СAPP she said. СAPPThatСAPPs a huge, exciting part of economics: that itСAPPs like hard science with a really good sampling of art and creativity. It gives you so much power to answer questions for yourself.СAPP
Another really important class for JuliannaСAPPs career was Money and Banking (ECON 320).
СAPPItСAPPs definitely the one that gave me the most practical knowledge for what IСAPPm doing today," she said.
This class was so useful that Julianna still has her textbook from the class.
СAPPI have it in my office because there are so many things within the program that I still use on a regular basis,СAPP she said.
An Early Interest in Economics
JuliannaСAPPs love for economics started over a decade ago during the 2009 economic crisis.
СAPPIt was so interesting to me,СAPP she said. СAPPThere was something that just really drew me to it because I was like, СAPPI wanna know why this happened.СAPP Obviously, I didnСAPPt understand it at the time and itСAPPs still such a convoluted issue.
СAPPThe entire financial system is based around people making decisions and itСAPPs not a hard science, itСAPPs all so theoretical,СAPP she said.
СAPPWhen youСAPPre a kid, you always think, СAPPThese people are so much smarter than me,СAPP and there are all of these processes in place so people canСAPPt make mistakes in these situations,СAPP she said, СAPPbut really what economics dictates is that these systems are built around human flaws.
СAPPHuman behavior dictates the way we decide to live our lives and spend our money and run our businesses СAPP and I find that really interesting,СAPP she said.
Julianna found the perfect place to develop her skills in the economics program at UL Lafayette.
СAPPIt is such a bright spot that it is really often times overlooked,СAPP she said. СAPPThe school, the professors, and the people and fellow economists СAPP I could not imagine a better program and one thatСAPPs more grounded in the human aspect of economics.СAPP
