Evelyn Tyan '15 | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

HPA paved the way for career in healthcare industry project management

Q: Could you describe your current position?

A: I currently manage a development team of testers, developers, and business analysts to maintain a legacy system while supporting new development for our client, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). I work as an agile project manager, using both agile and waterfall methodology to perform scrum master and project management duties on a hybrid contract. I am also one of Guidehouse’s Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) subject matter experts.

Q: What do you love most about your job?

A: Having a variety of different experiences with different clients and people, and being able to be whatever the client or company needs me to be or do as a consultant — project management, product management, business analysis, requirements expert, agile coach, and more.

Q: What did you enjoy most about your time at Penn State?

A: I really enjoyed being involved in the different organizations on campus and meeting really great alumni who became my mentors and helped me take my first steps into the real world.

Q: What advice do you have for current students or recent graduates searching for a job in your profession?

A: Build your network—practice networking as much as you can. Having the skill and ability to deliver and perform is a must, but great interactions with clients, peers, and leadership will take you even further. Ultimately your best advocators will be the people you have worked well with who are willing to make the extra push to help you progress in your career. And small talk is more effective than you think!

This profile was published July 2023.