Internship Spotlight Saarthak Uppal Applied Business Analytics Major Continuous Improvement Analytics Intern • Merck • Rahway, New Jersey At Merck, Saarthak is developing analytics solutions that improve visibility into global clinical trial operations while gaining firsthand experience with enterprise-scale business intelligence. Saarthak’s Internship Experience What does a typical day look like? A typical day includes collaborating with cross-functional teams through Microsoft Teams meetings, using Merck’s internal AI platform to support my work and building analytics solutions that improve visibility into clinical trial operations. As a Continuous Improvement Analytics Intern, I also developed a Power BI usage analytics solution from the ground up to help leadership understand how internal reporting tools are being used across the organization. The project analyzes more than 6,500 user engagement events across more than 10 Power BI reports and presents executive-level insights through KPI dashboards featuring heat maps, data bars and traffic-light indicators. What has been the highlight of your internship so far? The biggest highlight has been the opportunity to network with professionals and leaders across the organization. Being surrounded by experienced leaders and learning directly from them has given me valuable insight into how a global company operates. The willingness of people to share their experiences and career advice has made this internship especially meaningful. What is something you learned that surprised you? One thing that surprised me was how many different career paths exist within analytics and business functions. Before this internship, I thought of roles such as business analyst or product analyst as broad positions. At Merck, I learned that professionals often specialize in areas such as clinical operations, ancillary supplies, quality improvement and other highly focused functions. It showed me how diverse and impactful analytics careers can be within a large organization. How did William Paterson prepare you for this opportunity? My on-campus job as a Technology Consultant at the Global Business Finance Institute (GBFI) Innovation Center gave me hands-on experience solving technical problems and working with emerging technologies. I am especially grateful to GBFI Associate Director Peter Caiazzo, who mentored me throughout my time at William Paterson, encouraged my interest in AI and business analytics, and consistently helped me prepare for interviews and professional opportunities. My coursework also provided a strong foundation in analytics and business concepts that I have been able to apply throughout my internship. How did you find this internship? I found this internship through LinkedIn. How will this experience help you achieve your career goals? This experience has strengthened both my technical and professional skills while giving me exposure to enterprise-scale analytics in the pharmaceutical industry. It has increased my confidence, expanded my understanding of the many career paths within business analytics and reinforced my goal of building a career where I can use data to drive meaningful business decisions.
