I\u2019m pretty new to Holy Cross, but over the course of the fall semester, I\u2019ve had a few opportunities to meet with some distinguished alums working in the finance world.\u00a0 When asking how our program can better prepare HC students for careers in finance, no matter who I talked to, or where they worked, I heard the same response over and over again:<\/p>\n
So, there\u2019s the big secret everyone.\u00a0 No matter what else you do to prepare for your finance interviews, number one on your list should be reading the Wall Street Journal<\/em> every single day.\u00a0 No excuses.\u00a0 Every alum I spoke with, no matter their age or title, promised me that in any interview they can tell within the first few minutes if the candidate reads the Journal<\/em> regularly.\u00a0 Those who do, engage in educated conversation about what is going on in the industry and can provide well informed answers to questions about market trends and statistics.\u00a0 Those who don\u2019t tend to have brief and unsuccessful interviews.<\/p>\n I have compiled a few tips they suggest that might make this task less daunting.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to be able to quote the paper cover to cover, but be able to speak intelligently about major happenings in the industry.\u00a0 An easy way to do this is by following articles about a product or company that interests you.\u00a0 The most common examples that they gave me were Nike and Apple.\u00a0 If you can have a discussion about the two companies, who their competitors are, what changes you see in their product lines and how they are fairing in the market, you are proving to your interviewer that you understand the industry and are engaged and interested in the field.<\/p>\n Piggybacking on the last point, it\u2019s important to remember that you won\u2019t be able to retain everything if you attempt to study the enter issue. \u00a0Read enough articles so that you feel comfortable and confident with the material and recent industry activities.\u00a0 If you continue in this manner, eventually you\u2019ll become familiar with the styles and formats of the Journal<\/em> and you\u2019ll be able to expand your reading and retain more information.<\/p>\n One young alumnus, who recently finished his MBA, told me that the way he got used to reading the Journal<\/em> was in the company of his study group.\u00a0 When you have friends to read and discuss the articles with, you are more likely to concentrate on the material and to remember what you are reading.\u00a0 It keeps your mind from wandering and<\/em> it gives you practice discussing what you\u2019ve read.\u00a0 You can bounce ideas off of each other and add insight to what you are learning.\u00a0 It could become your new lunch\/dinner table discussion with your other finance-minded friends.<\/p>\n With all of this in mind, I have two tools for you to consider.<\/p>\n First, Prebusiness has a site that can be really helpful for you: Ewallstreeter<\/a><\/strong> This site brings the important financial news articles and blogs right to you.\u00a0 It’s a free service that has been tailored to meet Holy Cross students’ needs, so take advantage of it!<\/p>\n Second, I\u2019d like to invite all of you to join a Wall Street Journal<\/em> reading\/discussion group.\u00a0 We can meet once a week and talk about what we\u2019ve read, what\u2019s going on, and help clarify anything that might not be clear.\u00a0 Participants can switch off giving updates on the companies they are following and industry changes they find interesting.<\/p>\n Email me if you are interested. Oh, and don’t forget to find us on facebook<\/a>!<\/p>\n Until next week!<\/p>\n Kaithlyn Kayer David Chu I\u2019m pretty new to Holy Cross, but over the course of the fall semester, I\u2019ve had a few opportunities to meet with some distinguished alums working in the finance world.\u00a0 When asking how our program can better prepare HC students for careers in finance, no matter who I talked to, or where they worked, I … <\/p>\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Find a few companies you like and follow them.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Don\u2019t try to read everything.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to go it alone.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Kaithlyn<\/h2>\n
\nAssociate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies<\/p>\n
\nDirector, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"