Uchenna Ogbejesi, enjoys the challenge and diversity of being an IT portfolio analyst. At Yale for the past four years, he considers himself an early career professional, hired into his current position not long after graduating from college.
Uchenna grew up in Madison, Connecticut, attending Daniel Hand High School and completing a BA in Economics at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. He was accepted into IT’s Wolson Rotational Career Development Program and completed three rotations that included stints as an analyst in the Advancement Technology space, Student and Academic Support Systems, and the Portfolio Management Office.
The 18-month program allowed him to gain experience and explore his career interests. Then a full-time position opened as a portfolio analyst, for which he applied and was hired.
Now four years later, Uchenna manages the Quickbase platform and supports IT project managers (PM). The Quickbase platform is where the IT Portfolio Management team tracks financial billing, time tracking, and reporting for projects.
Uchenna will meet with a PM throughout the gating process. In the gating phase, we meet with the PM to discuss and understand their project. All projects have to pass several gates gaining approvals and meeting specific requirements before a final product can be deployed into the Yale environment,” said Uchenna.
Uchenna enjoys the process and working closely with colleagues through the project start, initiation, design, build and close. At any time, he is working to support up to five PMs who are developing or implementing IT projects across campus.
He met with us via Zoom to discuss the importance of customer service and his love of amusement parks.
What was your very first job?
During high school, I was a sales associate at the Levi Strauss outlet store in Clinton, Connecticut. I learned the importance of good customer service. Daily, I had a lot of interactions with the public and realized the importance of developing good relationships. That is a key part of what I do in my current job. Building key relationships with people is essential. I want our clients and colleagues to have a good experience.
What do you enjoy most about working at Yale?
The people! I’ve met a lot of highly talented people here. Many of them have been instrumental in my success at Yale. As I just mentioned, relationships are crucial to working here at IT, and I believe at Yale overall. It’s been great interacting with people who are open and honest about their personal work experiences. Overall, I like getting to know people, cultivating relationships, and making sure I stay connected with them. I’ve also made some good friends here who I see outside of work.
What advice would you give someone starting a job here?
Be open to learning new things and be willing to take advantage of all the resources Yale has to offer. One example is LinkedIn Learning that has great online tools. Also, if you become aware of a project or need, feel open to raising your hand or volunteering to jump in to help solve an issue or fill a need.
Favorite childhood memory?
In the summer, I used to love going to Six Flags New England adventure park with my siblings and cousins. We’d go to the park, hang out and have fun. My favorite ride was the Kingda ka. To this day, I still enjoy the thrill of adventure parks, the rides, and the whole experience.
Fun fact about yourself?
I hold dual citizenship to the United States and Nigeria.