Finance

Grant Lawson

lamontagne — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 13:47:08 +0000

Grant Lawson lamontagne Mon, 03/18/2019 - 09:47

Career Field

Finance

Lean Finance Consultant

Year of Graduation

2002

ABB

“There are many skills you can learn studying philosophy. Critical thinking, written communication, etc. But, let's be honest, people don't normally study philosophy for the improvement of their skills. It's because we are drawn to it, in spite of the fact that the future path is unclear. It's added to my story, something that makes me a little different than most others in the room. Not better but different, which I believe has contributed to finding my way, personally and professionally.”

Amy Elizabeth Bishop

jc78 — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 16:43:40 +0000

Amy Elizabeth Bishop jc78 Wed, 08/29/2018 - 12:43

Career Field

Finance

Financial Assistant

Year of Graduation

2015

Dystel & Goderich Literary Management

I think I always knew I was going to be an English major — even though I deviated for a semester into International Relations. Even beyond my love for reading and writing, studying English gave me the chance to explore worlds and participate in literary conversations linked to larger social commentary. In the Creative Writing track, I fell in love with the precision of language and deepening of craft; the tightness of poetry and well-rounded short story. Finding my way into publishing seemed natural — I was a writer who loved to read, critique, and discover new works of literature. I got lucky with my first (and current) job as the Financial Assistant at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management, based in NYC. I had interned there in the summer of 2014 and continued to work for one of the agents remotely in the winter and then again this summer when I returned to NYC for good. A position opened up in late July and my old intern supervisor emailed me, wondering if I'd like to come in for an interview ... and the rest, as they say, is history.

I am, surprisingly, the only writer in my team of fifteen agents and my degree in Creative Writing has proved useful in terms of an editorial eye and scoping out the bones of a story. As an analytical thinker and poet (both thanks to my English degree), attention to detail and thinking about the larger picture have been invaluable skills at my new job. I never thought I would end up working with numbers, but the opportunities with DGLM have already been incredible.

Indeed, the resilience and creativity displayed by English majors make us ideal candidates for many jobs. Truth be told, our job opportunities are much larger because of our flexibility. Every business needs analytical thinkers, good writers, and people who know how to tell a good story. Talk to everyone who might be able to offer advice, connections, and support: professors, alumni, your peers. Someone always knows someone else who can help. Seek out internships as soon as you can; at least in publishing, that's how many (if not most) graduates get a job. Besides that, they offer useful life experience and job skills. And perhaps the biggest lesson I've learned is to not limit yourself to only things that you think you can do. Chances are, there's a whole lot more out there waiting for you to go and discover it.

Marissa Fariello

jc78 — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 16:22:39 +0000

Marissa Fariello jc78 Wed, 08/29/2018 - 12:22

Career Field

Finance

Financial Services Assistant

Year of Graduation

2011

Me? Work in finance?

If someone had told me at graduation I would someday work in finance — and like it- — that would have been my response (with some laughter and perturbed facial expressions thrown in).

After all, I was a writer! I was going to do something creative and meaningful when I graduated from �鶹��ý�Ŷ�. I set out wanting to either work at a newspaper or a nonprofit. Miraculously, or coincidentally, I met the Editor of a trades newspaper specializing in nonprofit news. He offered me an internship which quickly turned into a full-time position, and I enjoyed my Dream Job for two years as an Editorial Assistant and Reporter.

There wasn't much room for growth at the smaller newspaper, so I moved on as a Human Resources Specialist at a logistics company for a year. During that year I joined the ranks of panicky twenty- somethings everywhere whose "career" wasn't taking them where they wanted to be, and I applied to all job postings I could find.

What I found was my current Dream Job as the Financial Services Assistant at a nonprofit healthcare system. I was surprised at how useful my English degree is in finance, and not just when it comes to analyzing data and writing reports. While everyone else in my department has a background in accounting or business management, I am able to approach things differently because of my liberal arts background. Sometimes I still feel like the new kid on the block figuring out finance-y stuff, but I'm the first person in the office that associates come to when they need to think outside the cubicle for ideas. An added bonus: I am cultivating the social club experiences I had at �鶹��ý�Ŷ� as a member of the Healthy Living and Green committees at work.

(And, of course, I'm still a writer! I just get to write and find meaning for myself now.)

As an English major, you will hear two stories: "You won't find a job," and, "You can do anything with an English degree." In my experience, the latter story is true — if you let it be. Dream jobs come in all different shapes and sizes. Maybe you'll find yours right out of school. If you're daring enough to let go of the idea of who you're supposed to be, maybe you'll find yourself someplace entirely different, and possibly even dreamier, than you ever imagined.