On November 7, Student Sponsor Partners had the privilege of hosting a virtual College and Career Panel with partners in impact at Jefferies. Our panelists offered their stories, how they turned to finance and equity, as well as provided sage advice.
Zoe Snow, Equity Research Associate, shared that her path was tightly wound with a group focused on Women in Finance. She reminded students of the multifaceted skills that lead to success, saying, “do not underestimate soft skills.” Zoe talked about being relatively new out of college and how, as one learns the technical skills to reach their potential, one can rely on “written and oral communication and team management." Recognizing that you function as a part of a team is crucial in the time it takes to feel confident in your technical skills in any new role.
Logan Schuh, Equity Research Associate, describes what he calls a nontraditional transition to his current position. Logan recalls needing to find the proper funding for college, enlisting in the army, and eventually going to Cornell University. A student asked for advice on how to be successful, to which Logan responded with the importance of, “adapting to change, being resilient . . . don’t be afraid to take calculated risks. Getting out of the army was a big risk for me because it was all I’d ever known, but if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here now.” He guided the students attending to welcome an acceptance about any career path: “you don’t have to have it all figured out, nobody has it figured out.”
Jonmattew Bile, Equity Research Associate in Biotechnology, was studying to get his PhD before recognizing his interest in finance. The road to a role you love takes time, strange twists and turns, and can seem at times hard to find. Jonmattew said, “look at what you find joy in and try to make that a career . . . I like to turn data into stories, that’s what I like . . . if you turn that to a job, you kind of won at life.”
Tracey Johnston, Vice President at Jefferies, explains how she too found her path uniquely. Originally working on Wall Street during the largest financial crash in US history, she quickly needed to pivot. Though she described what it is like to think on your feet and gather skills fast, she also recommended general tips for high school students who want to prepare for a potential career in finance:
- Learn everything about excel and modeling that you can
- Turning data into information is hard to do and very marketable
- Having work experience before you get an MBA makes it more valuable when you do have it
Our final panelist, Ethan Geismar, Equity Research-Data Strategy, discussed what it means to be successful. The first quality he listed was, “a demonstrated curiosity.” He said, “constant eagerness to learn and find what you're good at and find how to acquire new skills.” It may seem simple, but these tips on success and resilience shine through to all industries and even to building character.
Thank you to our panelists for providing such insightful advice to the SSP community!
