“You can rewrite your own narrative. Mold yourself into the professional you want to be.” - Carmen Stephanie Nuesi

Technology is transforming the way we do business. There are increasingly innovative tools emerging all the time, and as professionals, it’s essential that we move with the times; after all, it’s often human elements that are the biggest barriers to digital transformation. Therefore, for the most promising young talent, it’s crucial that they develop their skills in line with these new technologies.

As technology grows and evolves, so does the talent that comes with it. Carmen Stephanie Nuesi came to the United States from the Dominican Republic when she was 17 years old. When she arrived in the US, she didn’t speak any English; in 2019, she was selected as a Forbes Under 30 Scholar. This year, she was highlighted in the  NextGen 30 Under 30 feature in Hispanic Executive, which champions Latin talent worldwide.

Stephanie, as she prefers to be called, has a background in accounting and financial services. Over the past two years she has worked in banks and accounting firms in New York City and California, and recently, she has shifted to the tech industry. Right now, she is working at Google as a Financial Analyst and is the founder and CEO of Max Up. 

She has come so far because she has always prioritized her development. This is why she seized the chance to participate in a Santander Scholarship, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a leading institution committed to developing innovative leaders to tackle complex global problems, where she developed a wealth of new skills. And now she’s looking to extend these opportunities to others. She explains more in this interview.  

You’re the founder and CEO of consulting firm Max Up. What does your project consist of, how did the idea come about?

Max Up is a career consulting firm that I founded back in 2019. My goal is to help college students and professionals to become the best version of themselves when applying for their dream jobs. I provide coaching for resumé writing, LinkedIn, mock interviews, personal brand and career consultation to people from all over the world. 

This project originated from my experience coming to the US as a non-English speaker. I had no idea how to draft a resumé or cover letter, how to interview well in an American context, and many more gaps in my skill set. I wanted to provide all the resources and information people needed to succeed in their respective roles.

A defining moment for me was sitting down in my room listening to a podcast and the host saying something like: “Maximize… maximize…” and then it all clicked in my head. I wanted to maximize people’s potential every day and that was a moment of realization for me. I made this girl’s dream a reality and I became a CEO when I was 19 years old.

How do you think you and your project maximize people’s potential?

I’ll use my own experience as an example: when I came to the US in 2015, I had no idea where to find the information to advance my career and personal growth. I used to see all my classmates hustling and I always felt like I was behind. In fact, I was behind. I didn’t know how the education, economic, recruitment or job search process worked in the country. 

In many ways, it’s like being reborn. You must learn everything from scratch. It was a scary moment for me. Just like me, there are thousands of students and professionals whose parents immigrated to other countries or sacrificed everything they had to give us the best opportunity in life. There are people out there who feel scared and lonely when facing challenges and adversity, especially when you are the first one in your family taking that path. This is our goal: to provide them with the resources to succeed and create better engineers, better business leaders, better marketers, etc.

What skills do you think every leader should possess?

Every leader should be empathetic, understanding, and create more leaders instead of followers. They should have a comprehensive view of their organization or business, from the daily groundwork to high-level processes. A leader should also care for his or her team and help people around him develop their skills. 

In addition, I would say that digital skills are also very important because we are living in a world that’s evolving everyday and we must evolve with it. That’s why courses and scholarships that enforce digital skills are essential for every student and professional looking to better themselves. 

In relation to digital skills, have you always had the necessary skills in emerging technologies?

Before taking part in this training, my understanding of the importance of technology was limited. However, knowing how to utilize technology to create better products and programs, and how to find solutions to the world’s most challenging problems is something that everyone should learn about.

For this reason, I wanted to get a better understanding of emerging technologies, including the cloud, SaaS, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and more. I’m passionate about data and love to see how technology plays a role in the protection, cleaning, and development of data for organizations. This motivated me to apply for the Santander Scholarship, so that I could bring some of this knowledge to my future roles and career projects.

And now, do you believe that you master them and you can bring some of this knowledge to your career projects?

Surely. This experience has opened so many doors. I had the opportunity to create several projects that were built on different software and programs, which have been especially useful during interview processes, as the initiative, creativity and knowledge makes me an attractive candidate. It also helped me establish different streamlined processes for Max Up, which became a competitive advantage for us worldwide.

In addition, it was key in me landing my opportunity at my current employer, Google. I work for a FAANG company, and as a tech company, we work with technology and data every day. The exposure to the use of cloud security and artificial intelligence helped me better understand the way my employer does business and how I could provide the most value from a finance perspective.

What are your future plans and your next professional steps?

My plans are to keep developing in my career as a financial analyst and continue improving upon different digital skills to provide the best services possible. Because I love having an entrepreneurial mindset, I aim to grow Max Up to reach even more people around the world and to continue helping people maximize their potential. And we will do this by creating multiple programmes geared towards college undergraduate and graduate students, as well as helping mid-level executives with their specific career goals.

Enhancing your innate professional skills and improving those you lack through training will prove crucial if you are to increase your chances of realising your career goals. So that you can develop your professional skills, Banco Santander, as part of its contribution to society, is spearheading the Santander Open Academy, through which it offers the chance to train at the hand of prestigious institutions.

To achieve this aim, it focuses on retraining and continuing education, key concepts to accelerate your career growth through lifelong learning in progressive subjects such as technology, languages, studies, research, soft skills, practice and female leadership.

If you'd like access to a range of training programmes to give you a cutting edge on the job market, check out the Santander Open Academy website and develop the skills your CV needs to stand out and achieve your career goals. This is your chance!