Non finance majors
I go to a very reputable business school but I’m not a finance major and have been building a lot of interest in RE finance (asset management , capital markets , etc ). And my confidence goes down when I see that everyone who’s working in these roles have studied finance . Even tho the job description mostly says any business related degree , I feel like employer would look down on me due to not majoring in finance .
I’d appreciate some feed back on this and if I’m right to worry. I’m not aiming at top firms rather more local firms (mid west ).
GPA > major and no one ever checked my GPA lmao
I'm an economics major. Have been asked before why not study finance; just have a good reason for why your specific major and how you can relate it to real estate. I also took some online courses and made an effort to teach myself to model just in case they are wondering about modeling experience. 99% of the time, though, they didn’t care I was studying something other than finance.
Honestly, often times, a non-finance major will make you more interesting to a recruiter. Just make sure to have your technical finance knowledge down and that’s actually a leg up for you compared to people that have been studying financial topics through their classes, since you’ve demonstrated the initiative to learn these skills on top of your non-finance-related courseload.
Real estate has to be one of the most major-agnostic fields out there.
Go on LinkedIn and see how many people, new and experienced, have a career in real estate without majoring in something adjacent to it.
Tip #1 - network and cold out reach to senior associates, vps, + at firms you want to work at. Ask for 15 min call to learn more about their role and for guidance. Near the end of the call ask if they have any open opportunities and also ask who else they think you should talk to (Referral). Either inside their company or outside. I got all my jobs from networking.
Tip #2 - In order of relevance and resume 'power', from strongest to least strongest, look into these: Argus Certification (from Altus), Tied - Breaking into Wallstreet CRE, Adventures in CRE - online courses.... , then last Udemy Justin Kivel courses (these often go on sale). Do some of these i listed and put them on your resume. They aren't a make or break item.. but it does help provide comfort that you know your excel stuff.
Tip #3 - join your business school's real estate club as a volunteer, help out in events, etc....and put it on your resume.
Tip #4 - Look into your local NAIOP chapter , usually for students it is quiet cheap. Go to their events..network... and put that you're a NAIOP member on your resume.
NAIOP or ULI, since it’s possible that one org is more active than the other depending on your market/sub-market.
It’s a time commitment, but you could always write CFA level 1 to fill any gaps on finance knowledge. Level 1 is likely equivalent to the knowledge learned in an undergrad finance degree.
Have a solid why real estate story, beyond something like it’s tangible. It’ll also be good if you can relate your major to the role. For example if your an English major, you’re probably much better at writing than a finance major. Good writing skills are essential when preparing materials such as OMs and IC memos. Also can’t hurt to do a modeling course to show that you’re putting in the work to develop the necessary skills for the job. It’s one thing to say your interested and another to put the work in to show it. Good luck!
I work for well respected developer in the city that I live in. My team consists of 3 accounting majors (I am one of them), 2 finance majors, and 1 econ major. RE finance is simple man. Network with people, get good at excel, and learn the basics and you'll be fine.
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