Last week, dozens of economics and finance students lined up in the basement of Northrup Hall to attend a panel about the reality of working on Wall Street.
The panel included Mark Whitman '89, Mike Ashton' 90, and Nate Coolen '02, all economics majors. Dr. Rich Butler, professor emeritus of economics and now serving as the alumni engagement coordinator, introduced the panelists.
The three panelists offered a lot of advice to students who might want to go into the finance field. They also talked about how to get where you want to be, general advice, and how Trinity helped or hurt them in their career searches.
Mark Whitman told students that a career on Wall Street is extremely draining work and “is not for the faint of heart.” All the panelists agreed that careers in finance can be very stressful and can sometimes lead to substance abuse problems. Mike Ashton advised that it’s important to “know yourself” and know your limits.
Nate Coolen acknowledged that one of the biggest drawbacks of Trinity University is the lack of networking opportunities outside of Texas, but he said that is “one of the reasons we’re here.”
During Q&A, students asked questions about the benefits and drawbacks of attending graduate programs in business and finance and how important undergraduate GPA is when applying to finance jobs. As far as graduate degrees, the panelists seemed to agree that it depends on the program and what the applicant’s career goals are.
Jessica D’Amico, a junior finance major, said that she came to the panel because “I have an interest in finance, so learning about the different sectors I can go into and how to excel in them was a great opportunity.”
Isa Medina, a sophomore majoring in mathematical finance and economics said the panel was helpful for learning “the important things to do before you get” to where you want to be and “what you have to do to be prepared.”
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