Blog
Alumni Career Advice
Tips for Networking in Finance
By Will Brindisi ’22
April 28, 2023
Tags Finance & Consulting
When I arrived at Hamilton, I knew I wanted a career in finance. So, I spent my freshmen and sophomore year taking as many economics and math classes as possible in preparation for this future. After both sophomore and junior year, I interned at Fidelity Investments in the Institutional Analysis Group.
The experiences I had at my summer internships changed my view entirely on what skills I would actually need for a successful career in finance. I learned that many of the most successful professionals in the financial services industry were not necessarily economics or finance majors, rather they were highly skilled communicators. So, in my final two years at Hamilton, I branched out from the economics and math departments with a focus on improving my written and oral communication abilities.
By senior year, despite having a general idea of my career path, I was overwhelmed with networking and applying for jobs. Like many other seniors, I didn’t know when or where to start. It wasn’t until after I competed in my final NESCAC Swimming and Diving Championships that it finally clicked. I began networking with Hamilton swim and dive alumni (a group I was very close to). I was told to cast a wide net, but I only contacted a small number of alumni. I only pursued close connections with each alumnus I spoke with. Today, I still appreciate the knowledge I gained from those conversations, but what surprised me was the newfound confidence I had developed.
I extended my search beyond Hamilton swim alumni to the broader NESCAC swim alumni network. In doing so, I connected with the person that ultimately helped me land my current job. I spent almost two hours on the phone with her (a Middlebury swim alumnus) discussing career advice, wealth management, and an open role at her company. She even helped prepare me for potential interviews. After that conversation, I immediately applied for the role. That call guided me through multiple rounds of interviews, culminating in an offer just a few weeks later. I immediately accepted and have been working as a financial analyst at Jordan Park full time since graduation.
Finding a job can be stressful, especially at the start of the process. However, here are a few pieces of advice that guided me along my job search:
- If you’re nervous about networking, practice with people you are close to first, then you’ll have more confidence when reaching out to people you don’t know as well.
- Develop your communication skills. Networking, interviewing, and working with a team all center around communication. Technical skills can be learned relatively quickly on the job, but you can really set yourself apart as a skilled communicator.
- The perfect first job doesn’t exist and it’s impossible to know where your career path will lead. Find something that excites you, challenges you, and provides you with the opportunity to learn and grow early in your career.
