Open letter to pros: if you've ever told some fresh-faced college kid that his/her resume is impressive & meant it, thank you.

Not unlike a lot of us on WSO, I am an ambitious college kid. I care about my future. I care about how I look. Deep down, I'm even blessed with a little bit of confidence.

I may have a high GPA, some neat extracurricular activities, and even some honest-to-God leadership experience on that neatly-organized PDF, but I know in spite of my good-to-great grades I've received in my finance, accounting, and other classes at a relatively good university, when it comes to the real world of finance, I really don't know shit. I'm inexperienced. I know you probably know that too.

Consequently, I tend to be slightly insecure about my CV. This phenomena is seemingly never talked about, but I imagine this niche brand of anxiety is relatively common, given how ever-increasingly competitive things are out there.

If you're an MD, VP, or even associate at any legitimate financial institution--big or small, so-called-prestigious or humble, BSD or "just learning the ropes"--it makes this 21-year-old's day when you tell me with sincerity that my one page of qualifications looks good.

Seriously. It makes my day. Thank you. Amidst a myriad of rejections, it makes me want to press on, and that is something I cannot appreciate enough.