New Monkey. Need Help

Hi Friends.

I need advice on breaking into the finance industry. Before I go into details, I will first provide some background information on me, which you may find useful in tailoring your advice. To start, I studied biomedical engineer in undergrad because I originally wanted to be a doctor. I changed my mind (for various reasons). I then decided to pursue my JD because, in all honesty, I played soccer in college and didn't want "grow up" (just yet) and law school provided a 3 year hiatus between "the real world" and "school." I did very well, but quickly realized that I loved my business and financial principals classes the most. After graduation I worked for a large VC/PE firm, but learned, little to nothing, because despite it's size, the management was, for a lack of better words, very disorganized.

I want to find a job in finance but not sure what area would suit my attributes and interests. That is, I love working with people. In my humble opinion, I am a great networker and truth-be-told, I often use my "female attributes" to open the doors, but never close them. I save that for my brains. Sorry for my blunt honesty, but it's more or less a man's world, and I'm not afraid to admit this fact.

Second, I am a competitor. I played professional soccer and thus, thrive on competition. The idea of a compensation-based salary excites me more than scares me.

Third, I lack a traditional "finance" degree; however, I am a quick learner, and I picked up the basics via law school business classes and my self-tutorials. Moreover, with my JD, I acted as in-house counsel for my PE firm, which helped acquaint me with the financial jargon--at least as it pertains to PE and VC.

Fourth, I need variety. I need something fast-paced. But most importantly, I need a job that will mentally challenge me.

In all honesty, I feel a bit overwhelmed, so I would greatly appreciate any advice and/or suggestions--i.e. what type of area I should I pursue, how do I bolster my current resume, where the hell do I start?

Thank you in advance!

 
Best Response

Perhaps you should think about a career in investor relations. That's the first thing that came to mind for me - you should definitely see what the more experienced monkeys have to say.

I think you should provide us your school's relative ranking in finance - what we usually refer to as "target" (banks actively recruit there), "semi-target" (less recruiting, good alumni connections), and "non-target" (state schools with no recruiting, community colleges, etc).

Also, experienced monkeys might want to comment on how likely it is for her to nab an associate position in banking, given that she has a JD and what sounds like some good experience - again, I may not be the most well informed in this area.

Good luck...

in it 2 win it
 

I first thought about S&T but wanted to wait to hear from others. I don't mind a challenge, but can you suggest some starting points? I warmly welcome any advice! Thank you!

Sarah Ashley
 

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