What's the best advice you would give to your younger undergrad self?
I'm currently doing my BBA in finance, and I'm curious about what you would have liked to know back then, now that you have experience.
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Avoid associating yourself with complainers at work if at all possible. There’s always that peer who bitches about everything. At first you’ll feel glad that you have someone to commiserate with, but over time, that person will be a really bad influence on you and cause a lot of negativity in your life that will spill over into your personal life. They’ll often make you believe that the boss and other members of the team or the customer is being unreasonable.
I speak from experience having worked at 2 BB’s and middle market banks. It’s the same everywhere: each place has somebody who is looking to bring you down and make you miserable like they are. Avoid that person or at least don’t participate in their complaining. It will help you stay a better person.
Thank you for this tip! I do think that's not something you would realise at first...
I didn’t realize it at first. I thought it was cool, as analysts we all blow off some steam over lunch or happy hour. I started venting some of my concerns to the boss and ended up having to leave the bank because I was deemed as someone who doesn’t fit the team.
At the end of the day, most bosses want yes men. Even if they say that they want everyone to have a voice and are open to suggestions, that has never been the case for me. Every single time I have not agreed with a boss on a deal, management style, or anything else, it has always been met with suspicion that I am not a team player, that I don’t value the boss’s experience and knowledge, or that I’m trying to sabotage my boss in some indirect way. Once I stopped rocking the boat, I was rewarded with promotions and pay raises.
It's interesting to get this point of view. Not doing excessive waves ended up being a better option for you even if your opinion wasn't taken into account. Thanks for sharing this!
Priority list:
GPA
Applying to, securing, and succeeding in relevant work experiences
Mental health
Being a hardo with what clubs you are in and whatnot
You don't need to be a leader in 3 clubs. Guess how many times I've been asked about a club once I got my first internship? That's right! Zero.
Thank you for your comment! You mentionned the importance of doing relevant work throughout my career path. Which entry level-job/internship position should I focus on in order to become a sucessful portfolio manager one day? I'm planning to complete my MSc finance right after my BBA, I'm hoping this will give me more opportunities.
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