ocupational interviews

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Mark Kirkpatrick

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Occupational Interviews

Career Coach: Chris Smith

Occupational Interview #1

Name of Interviewee: Jake Ganderson

Position Title: First-year Foreign Exchange Analyst at Templeton Bank

Occupational Interview #2

Name of Interviewee: Saul Lemoston

Position Title: First-year Foreign Exchange Analyst at Templeton Bank

Occupational Interview #3

Name of Interviewee: Clark Cameron

Position Title: Second-year Foreign Exchange Analyst at Templeton Bank

Occupational Interview #4

Name of Interviewee: Pam Cooker

Position Title: Summer Analyst at Templeton Bank (Accepted offer for Full-time

position)

Occupational Interview #5

Name of Interviewee: Kep Chang

Position Title: Second-year Commodities Trading Analyst at SunTrust Securities

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Occupational Interview #1

Name of Interviewee: Jake Ganderson

Position Title: First-year Foreign Exchange Analyst at Templeton Bank

Type of Employing Organization: Investment Bank

Date of Interview: 11/2/2010

1. What was your career path to arrive to your current position? Does it differ from the typical

career path of someone in your position? If so, how?

I would say that my career path was very atypical with respect to my colleagues who are in

similar positions. I was very blessed in college to be able to participate in multiple internships

with my current employer. Over the course of these internships, I gained exposure to nearly the

full spectrum of clients that we service from individual retail customers all the way to large

publicly-traded corporate clients. In addition, I was able to view the bank’s capabilities from

many different angles including credit risk, retail client-facing, corporate sales, and capital

markets trading. All in all, I was able to gain a breadth of experience before arriving at my

current role in foreign exchange and I firmly believe that the broad base and the in-depth

knowledge that I was fortunate enough to establish allows me to be markedly more effective

today.

2. What kinds of tasks do you do on a typical day or in a typical week?

My specific role is an analyst supporting the sales portion of the foreign exchange sales and

trading group. In this role, my tasks are broken down into two broad categories: prospecting

new FX clients and maintaining and servicing existing FX client relationships. On the prospecting

side, I partner with senior marketers to develop pitch materials which typically include FX group

overviews, currency market updates, and specifically tailored hedging strategies. Existing client

maintenance and servicing include executing derivative and spot transactions, providing

pertinent currency and geopolitical updates, and maintaining necessary compliance records.

3. What excites you most about this job?

The most exciting thing about my position here at my current employer is definitely the thrill of

sitting on a capital markets trading floor. There is never a dull moment on the trading floor and

having the privilege to participate in live trades is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable

aspects of my job.

4. Do you feel that you have succeeded due to chance or hard work? Please explain?

I would say that my early career success has been a product of both assistance from others and

my own personal hard work. My first internship was during the summer following my freshman

year at UF which is not very typical. This internship was definitely a product of leveraging family

contacts to get my foot in the door at my current employer so I clearly have to acknowledge this

contribution to getting my start with the bank. In addition however, I did not let this fortunate

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break go to waste. I worked diligently over the course of both of internships to make it clear

that I was serious about pursuing a career at my current employer and was fortunately awarded

with a full-time position accordingly.

5. What types of advancement opportunities are available for an entry-level worker in this career?

At the analyst level in which I am currently working, the advancement opportunities vary widely

depending heavily upon which group an analyst is in. In my specific role as analyst on the

trading floor, there is relatively promising room for advancement due to the highly specialized

nature of the work I am doing. The next position level for me would be an associate with this

promotion taking approximately two to four years from starting with the bank. Analysts in more

traditional investment banking roles are typically advised to return to business school or pursue

other opportunities after two to three years in their roles.

6. What are some skills that are crucial to possess in order to succeed in your occupation?

Communication is probably one of the most important skills that I use on a day-to-day basis on

the trading floor. Both with clients and colleagues, communication is a key component in

delivering excellence in servicing our clients and achieving flawless transaction execution. In

addition, strong mathematical and financial analytical skills are crucial as far as completing

typical tasks incurred on a daily basis.

7. What training programs are offered by your company to prepare you for working in your

occupation?

My current employer prides itself on a very comprehensive and extensive online training course

offering. Coupling this with the outside vendors that my current employer brought in during the

initial training process for my position, all-in-all I benefited significantly from the multi-faceted

training approach that my current employer utilizes.

8. How would you describe your corporate culture? If there was one thing you could change about

your organizational culture, what would it be?

I particularly enjoy the level of respect and kindness that is exhibited by employees at my

current employer. Perhaps a product of its headquarters’ location being in the Southeastern US,

it goes without saying that you will feel warmly welcomed as either an employee or client of the

bank. If I could change one thing about my specific area of the bank relating to our culture, I

would move a larger majority of investment banking teammates to a central location as we are

currently somewhat spread out. Fortunately, it was just announced that this very change will be

occurring in the next 6-8 months.

9. Are those hours typical for most jobs in this occupation, or do some types of jobs have different

hours?

I am definitely very blessed with respect to the hours that I put in here on the trading floor. On

a typical day, I usually arrive around 7:15 in the morning and leave around 6:30 in the evening

and I do not work weekends. So on average, I work between 55-60 hours per week. This is

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really not that bad compared to more traditional investment banking analysts who typically

work between 70-90 hours per week.

10. Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job? Are there any written materials

you suggest I read? Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more

about this field?

I would advise anyone interested in entering the field of banking or finance to make an effort to

always stay updated on current market trends via various media outlets. Watching CNBC,

reading the Wall Street Journal, and tracking specific securities through various online media

offerings is probably the best way to gain knowledge and insight into the world of

finance. Don’t take your college coursework lightly because several employers in this field rely

heavily on academic performance as an indicator of potential future success. In addition, it’s

important to exhibit diversity of interests by participating in extra-curricular activities as well as

excelling academically. When you are able to secure an interview, the best advice I can give is to

be yourself and don’t try to fit a mold that isn’t you. This is the easiest way to eliminate yourself

from the recruiting process because employers know most candidates are intellectually qualified

but really differentiate by observing character and behavioral traits.

My Reactions:

My conversation with Jake Ganderson was very interesting. I decided to interview him because

being on the Capital Markets side of Investment Banking was always something that I considered.

However, after this interview, I’ve realized that I’m more tailored towards the traditional corporate

investment banking route. This route would entail becoming specialized in an industry or product and

helping corporations or other clients with the services offered by those groups. Capital Markets does

seem like a great place to work if hours are a major concern to someone, however, currently, to set

myself up for future exit opportunities, I don’t mind putting in the immense hours that are necessary to

move up the corporate ladder. There are a few things however, that make Foreign Exchange seem very

intriguing. The opportunities for advancement seem to be a little bit more certain. Unlike the traditional

route that I’ve currently signed myself up for, after two or three years, you still have the opportunity get

promoted and to continue working with the bank, whereas in my situation, I would have to perform

exceptionally well to be given a promotion to the associate level. Another important distinction that I

learned was that being on the Capital Markets desk, such as Foreign Exchange, kind of forces you to stay

in tune with the market. Fluctuations in market sentiment or just headlines coming out can really affect

the kind of work that Jake does. Allow this does posses an exciting aspect to the job, I think I would

prefer to be more involved with corporations and helping them find capital and expansion opportunities

by studying their industry. (This is not to say being in tune with the market is not important, but I would

say that it’s not as imperative to be successful.) One final topic that John talked about as being

important was the power of leveraging your contacts to break in. Breaking into investment banking is

very difficult as I’ve just recently witnessed this past fall recruiting season. A lot of good friends of mine

were not fortunate enough to make the cut, and I feel that was hindered them is the fact that they

didn’t have contacts in the industry, or didn’t network enough to make the necessary ones.

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Occupational Interview #2

Name of Interviewee: Saul Lemoston

Position Title: First-year Foreign Exchange Analyst at Templeton Bank

Type of Employing Organization: Investment Bank

Date of Interview: 11/4/2011

1. What was your career path to arrive to your current position? Does it differ from the typical

career path of someone in your position? If so, how?

I would definitely say that my path was atypical. I received my B.S. in Economics from Vanderbilt

University. Immediately after graduation, I worked in retail banking for two years while

attending a two year bible college program. I really enjoyed banking and finance but wasn't sure

what form that would take. I ended up working as the executive director of a non-profit for five

years, before deciding to get my MBA. I wanted to get back into banking and pursue finance full-

time.

2. What kinds of tasks do you do on a typical day or in a typical week?

As an associate in investment banking, I am largely responsible for running a process. Running

the process successfully entails a number of quantitative and qualitative responsibilities

including financial analysis, modeling, writing, editing, and managing junior bankers within the

deal team. I would be in charge of delegating certain tasks to the analyst, while putting together

and overseeing that the marketing materials that go out to clients are ready and include all the

necessary information. Although the tasks might be somewhat similar to those of the analyst,

more responsibility is placed on an associate, and the margin for error shrinks considerably.

3. What excites you most about this job?

This job represents a great challenge. You have to be proficient in a number of skills and

transition between them seamlessly at a high level. It is a fast-paced, high intensity environment

that provides significant responsibility early on in your career.

4. Do you feel that you have succeeded due to chance or hard work? Please explain?

I think it is probably a bit of both, but I wouldn't call it "chance." I have definitely worked hard

and endeavored to position myself for success. However, there is a large element of opportunity

involved for which I cannot claim full credit. There are a lot of people that are intelligent and

hard-working, but often the difference seems to come down to receiving and capitalizing on a

few important opportunities.

5. What types of advancement opportunities are available for an entry-level worker in this

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career?

I think this career is probably one of the very best in regards to creating future career

opportunities. You often have the ability to move up within the company, attend top business

schools, or transition to industry within an excellent resume and high credibility in your

analytical skills.

6. What are some skills that are crucial to possess in order to succeed in your occupation?

Good attitude, strong work ethic, humility, strong analytical skills as well as excellent verbal and

written communication skills.

8. How would you describe your corporate culture? If there was one thing you could change

about your organizational culture, what would it be?

I think Templeton has a very collegial culture. People are very friendly and willing to help in

order to achieve team goals. I would like to see the bank be more conscious of developing a

recognizable brand within the broader investment community.

10. Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job? Are there any written

materials you suggest I read? Which professional journals and organizations would help me

learn more about this field?

Learn as much as you can about the position. Invest the time in doing a personal inventory of

your skills and interests to determine if this is something you really want to do. There are

significant tradeoffs, so you want to be sure. Research firms thoroughly, because they vary

widely in a number of ways, and you want to find the right fit for you, because that will provide

you the greatest opportunity to be successful. The Vault has some pretty helpful guides, but

talking to industry professionals and people that are currently doing the job you are considering

is probably the best way to learn.

My Reactions:

Right from the get go of this interview I knew that it would provide me with a different outlook

view as to how people decided to get into banking and what is considered a “typical” route. I thought it

was incredible that, after being out of college for so many years, doing various things such as private

banking and bible school, Saul was still able to break into investment banking. This really resonated in

me the power of perseverance and hard work. If someone truly wants to make a career out of

something, they have to pursue it with tremendous work ethic. Another thing that Saul mentioned was

his take on Templeton’s corporate culture. I witnessed firsthand this culture, and couldn’t agree more.

Templeton employees really do their best to provide a working environment that promotes a “one-

team” feel. Everyone looks out for each other and is willing to help with whatever they can. Because of

this, I’m very glad I chose to accept my full-time offer with Templeton, and couldn’t see a better place to

kick off my investment banking career. Another very valid statement that I really didn’t consider was

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when Saul said to do a personal inventory of your skills and interests to determine if this is something

you really want to do. I liked this in particular because it’s something that has resonated throughout this

entire course. It’s imperative to really find a career that you will enjoy to be a part of. If you can’t

stomach the long hours, or the intense stress that comes with dealing with multi-million dollar

transactions, then investment banking is probably not for you. It can be very easily interpreted that a lot

of work will go into preparing yourself for a successful career in investment banking.

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Occupational Interview #3

Name of Interviewee: Clark Cameron

Position Title: Second-year Foreign Exchange Analyst at Templeton Bank

Type of Employing Organization: Investment Bank

Date of Interview: 11/13/2011

1. What was your career path to arrive to your current position? Does it differ from the typical

career path of someone in your position? If so, how?

When I graduated from UF I first went to work for an asset manager, who managed assets

for Pension Funds and Endowments. I worked there for a little over a year and then came

over to the STRH Leveraged Finance group as a lateral hire. This is slightly different than

most undergraduates that go into investment banking, but in the year I graduated the job

market was pretty rough so I took what I could get with the idea that I would go into

investment banking once the job market improved

2. What kinds of tasks do you do on a typical day or in a typical week?

Every week is pretty different, but some of the more typical tasks that you’ll find analysts

doing, particularly in the syndicated and leveraged finance group are screening potential

transactions, preparing pitch materials, working on offering materials for High Yield

offerings or Leveraged Loans, executing transactions, answering investor questions, and

performing due diligence on potential underwriting transactions. You’ll also be responsible

for putting together the financial models, which can take up a lot of the time since they have

to be meticulously accurate.

3. What excites you most about this job?

I like that every day is different. I also like that this job is very challenging and not for

everybody. I also like that if you are very good at your job you will be rewarded for the hard

work. People definitely need to take a very long and hard look at themselves before they get

into this industry. This industry will break people down, especially in the analyst role. A lot

of people end up leaving investment banking after their 2 year stint because of the

demanding hours and high pressure environment. I personally like that about investment

banking.

4. Do you feel that you have succeeded due to chance or hard work? Please explain?

Both – I am lucky to have the job I have, but I have also tried to work hard every day, which I

think has helped me be successful within my group. I’m hoping to get promoted very soon,

which will put a little bit more responsibility on my plate, and I’ll be able to have marginally

better hours.

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5. What types of advancement opportunities are available for an entry-level worker in this

career?

If you are very good you can get promoted to associate, which tends to be something

people would like to happen, unless they want to go back and get their MBA to transition

into another industry. However, in this economy, having an offer for a promotion is very

exciting and rewarding. You can always go get your MBA later on.

6. What are some skills that are crucial to possess in order to succeed in your occupation?

You have to be very passionate and enjoy the work we do. Additionally, you need to be able

to handle high levels of stress. I’ve witnessed many colleagues of mine quit and transition

into another industry because they weren’t able to handle the pressure and stress of the

job.

7. What training programs are offered by your company to prepare you for working in your

occupation?

When the new analysts start, they spend the first couple of months going through a training

program. Additionally, the bank offers continuing education on a regular basis, almost

monthly, through an online platform. Also, after going through some regular training, each

specific group within the bank will train the new analyst, teaching them group specific

knowledge.

8. How would you describe your corporate culture? If there was one thing you could change

about your organizational culture, what would it be?

The culture on our floor is not the same throughout the bank, but the culture on our floor is

very intense, yet also very collegial. One thing that I would change would be the level of

communication from the more senior people. It seems at times that things are very “hush-

hush” as it relates to staffing and salaries / bonuses. I would rather the environment be

very open and straight forward.

9. Are those hours typical for most jobs in this occupation, or do some types of jobs have

different hours?

Our group has very typical LevFin hours, averaging probably 90-100 hours a week for

analysts and associates. Different groups will work different hours, in particular, the people

whose jobs revolved around market hours.

10. Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job? Are there any written

materials you suggest I read? Which professional journals and organizations would help me

learn more about this field?

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I would suggest working as hard as you can while you are young with the idea of reaping the

benefits later on in life. There is a trade off that many people will have to take into

consideration. You can enjoy your early 20’s and find a job that works significantly less

hours, or you can push through the demanding hours of investment banking and hope to

reap the rewards that come from moving up the corporate ladder. I would also suggest

reading the WSJ, Bloomberg, and The Economist, as these tend to be crucial for

understanding the finance industry and having a pulse of the market.

My Reactions:

I really enjoyed speaking with Clark. He’s actually an analyst in the group that I will be working in

once I start full time, so getting a better understanding of what he felt the culture and banking life was

like was very interesting. Understanding that the group that I’ll be joining is very intense but also

collegial is something I’m looking forward to. I really like being put into high pressure situations where

my skills and abilities are put to the test. I feel that the sense of accomplishment that comes from

succeeding in those situations is going to be more rewarding than not. After speaking with Clark I really

believe that I’ll be able to succeed in investment banking and in the Syndicated and Leveraged Finance

group in particular. I think that my skills and personalities match up very well. I can honestly say that I

cannot wait to move up to New York and begin this next phase of my career. I think the only negative

aspect of the job that I was able to get from the interview was that there seems to be lack of

communication between the ranks. Of course, as an analyst you’re not supposed to complain, as you are

the lowest on the totem pole, however, being able to have an open lane of communication between the

managing directors and yourself is very important. However, besides that little drawback, the type of

work that Clark described seems like something I’d really enjoy doing. I’ll be screening possible

transactions that will be bringing in revenue for the bank. That kind of responsibility is beyond exciting

for me.

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Occupational Interview #4

Name of Interviewee: Pam Cooker

Position Title: Summer Analyst at Templeton Bank (Accepted offer for Full-time position)

Type of Employing Organization: Investment Bank

Date of Interview: 11/7/2011

1. What was your career path to arrive to your current position? Does it differ from the typical

career path of someone in your position? If so, how?

I was somewhat unique in obtaining my current analyst role at Templeton Bank in that I had no

previous work experience in the financial services industry. My academic path in contrast was

very typical or standard, if such a thing exists in the investment banking sphere, working

towards both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in finance currently. I interviewed at three

competing investment banks last spring in the hopes of obtaining a summer analyst internship

and received one from Templeton, directly leading to my offer to come back and work full-time

this coming summer.

2. What kinds of tasks do you do on a typical day or in a typical week?

The role of an investment banking analyst is to assist the senior bankers above them in

executing financing decisions for a corporate client of the investment bank. Daily tasks for the

job include developing slide decks and other presentation materials, either internal or external.

An analyst is also responsible for developing cash flow models and current financing

considerations.

3. What excites you most about this job?

Investment banking is exciting because of the size of the deals in contention. An average deal

size for STRH would be in the neighborhood of $500MM USD and some of Templeton's

competitors would likely average approximately $500-1000MM USD. This makes every decision

that much more critical and valuable, leading to unmatched intensity and perfection throughout

the industry.

4. Do you feel that you have succeeded due to chance or hard work? Please explain?

I believe that I've earned my success up to this point. In that I've been fortunate and blessed to

have the opportunities but have successfully enacted and worked to earn these opportunities.

5. What types of advancement opportunities are available for an entry-level worker in this

career?

The contract at STRH stipulates a two-year contract with the option for a third-year of analyst

work if both parties agree. After the duration of the analyst position, the bank may extend an

offer to come on as a full-time associate and so on through vice president, director, managing

director, and group head.

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6. What are some skills that are crucial to possess in order to succeed in your occupation?

Critical skills of an investment banker are common to most entry-level business positions:

attention to detail, desire to go above and beyond, strong analytic and independent thinking.

Investment banking is renowned for the brutally long hours and is considered a gateway to most

upper level business positions, from buy side corporate, venture capital, or senior investment

banking.

7. What training programs are offered by your company to prepare you for working in your

occupation?

The two-year program begins with a 2 to 3 month training program ranging from accounting

standards to modeling practice.

8. How would you describe your corporate culture? If there was one thing you could change

about your organizational culture, what would it be?

Templeton is a balanced organization that focuses on competing at the highest level while still

maintaining a work-life balance. Templeton also emphasizes service to the community through

multiple philanthropic opportunities. Templeton is known as the "investment bank of the

North," and personifies these ideals through and through.

9. Are those hours typical for most jobs in this occupation, or do some types of jobs have

different hours?

80-100 hours a week for a high level investment bank is pretty standard. Templeton tends to be

on the lower end of hours worked as compared to other Wall Street I-Banking firms. 130 hour

weeks are not uncommon.

10. Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job? Are there any written

materials you suggest I read? Which professional journals and organizations would help me

learn more about this field?

Becoming an investment banker is a huge commitment; however, the residual benefits after

your analyst tenure are seemingly unmatched. The financial times, the mergers and inquisition's

website, the Wall Street Journal, basically anything that is finance related is critical in learning

and comprehending the industry.

My Reactions:

I choose to interview a friend of mine that actually participated in the same internship program

that I did. I wanted to get out of her key take away, as well as learn about some different aspects of

investment banking that I didn’t consider. I also wanted to see her reasoning for wanting to go into

investment banking. What really stuck out for me was her list of skills to possess to be successful in this

career. When she was done listing them, I couldn’t help to think that she essentially covered every skill

there was. This was kind of eye opening and scary to think about. Entering into this industry I really want

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to be as successful as possible, and being able to possess all of the skills that Pam mentioned will be very

difficult. What I liked about this though, was that it implies room for improvement. Either I will be able

to possess all those skills to the necessary standards that investment banking entails, or I will ultimately

fail and have to find a different career. After speaking with Pam, all I could think about was how am I

going to ensure that I succeed, and what is it that I can do now to start preparing myself.

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Occupational Interview #5

Name of Interviewee: Kep Chang

Position Title: Second-year Commodities Trading Analyst at SunTrust Securities

Type of Employing Organization: Investment Bank

Date of Interview: 11/10/2011

1. What was your career path to arrive to your current position? Does it differ from the typical

career path of someone in your position? If so, how?

During college, I managed to get an internship with an institutional brokerage firm in New York

where I learned about commodities trading. My internship really got me interested in becoming

a commodities trader and helped me learn a lot about the industry. During my final year at

school, I successfully applied for the analyst program at my current firm, and that’s where I am

today. This sort of path is pretty typical among those who work in my role.

2. What kinds of tasks do you do on a typical day or in a typical week?

In a typical day I price and trade commodity derivative products, which provide risk

management solutions for our clients. I also manage risk exposures in my book and hedge

undesirable exposures in the market. I also assist other members of my team with trade entry

into our software systems, reporting profit/loss, and miscellaneous task on the desk.

3. What excites you most about this job?

I have the opportunity to work in a fast paced and very challenging environment. I also get to

work alongside very bright and motivated people.

4. Do you feel that you have succeeded due to chance or hard work? Please explain?

It takes both hard work and opportunity to succeed in the financial industry. You need to be

capable and willing to seize the opportunity available to you.

5. What types of advancement opportunities are available for an entry-level worker in this career?

Successful entry level traders can work their way to trading books with more complex risk. They

can also advance into managerial roles leading teams of traders. There are also many attractive

exit opportunities for successful traders should they want to leave the bank.

6. What are some skills that are crucial to possess in order to succeed in your occupation?

Some skills that help traders succeed are strong communication skills, attention to detail,

analytical and mathematical skills, patience, the ability to multi-task, great time management

and stress management skills, as well as the ability to grasp and understand abstract concepts.

Being on a trading desk and working market hours means you have to think extremely fast and

go with your gut a lot of times.

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7. What training programs are offered by your company to prepare you for working in your

occupation?

Most large firms provide a course in finance and excel training to new hires, there is additional

training available for specialized products and responsibilities.

8. How would you describe your corporate culture? If there was one thing you could change about

your organizational culture, what would it be?

Corporate culture at our firm is pretty professional and conservative. If I had the opportunity to

change anything I would like for there to me more open communication between employees

firm-wide.

9. Are those hours typical for most jobs in this occupation, or do some types of jobs have different

hours?

My days generally start at 6am and end around 5-6pm on average. Those hours are pretty

typical for people working as junior commodities traders. Traders in other markets have

different hours some longer and some shorter.

10. Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job? Are there any written materials

you suggest I read? Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more

about this field?

Getting a job at an investment bank is a lot of hard work. I would suggest pursuing internships

and studying financial products on your own. There are plenty of television programs,

magazines, and internet sources that provide insight into what traders do. I would suggest

reading books such as Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis and reading financial news such as the Wall

Street Journal. There’s also a podcast by American Public Media called “Marketplace” that I like

to listen to after work sometimes. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/

My Reactions:

Interviewing Kep was insightful because he was able to offer relatively similar information;

however he clearly works in a different bank, in a different location, and a different group. This just goes

to show that the industry is relatively similar across the board in terms of expectations, advancement

opportunities, and rewards. Based off of the interview with Keene, it seems that trading commodities

definitely involves more quantitative skills, as well as quick thinking and execution. Not to say I’m not

capable of doing those things, but I see myself being more comfortable in the product group

environment that I’m going to be working in. Working in his group definitely has its perks, for example,

the shorter hours and somewhat better work-life-balance, but being in his group doesn’t open up the

exit opportunities that I’m looking for. As it seems is the industry norm, communication with upper

management is very difficult. If this is something that is of great importance to a person, they can voice

their concerns, however based off of the interviews conducted, it seems like it’s just the way the

industry works at the lower levels.

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Overall Reaction:

It became abundantly clear to me through these interviews that a person has to do research,

but industry specific as well as research on oneself, to see if this is something they’d want to do. The

resonating theme from these interviews is that you have to have a passion for this kind of work or you

will get burned out. This job is not for everyone; however, if you are capable of progressing forward,

moving up the corporate ladder, and keeping your eye on the prize, this industry is very rewarding and

not just monetarily. Exit opportunities such as private equity, hedge funds, business schools, venture

capital, and essentially anything else, open up for your because of the skills you acquire, the work ethic

that is instilled in you, and the perseverance to push through the downs and turn them into successes.