Meet Joe Curran ‘12, Financial Advisor for Edward Jones Investments
In one sentence, what does your job entail?
Helping families create and monitor a comprehensive financial plan.
What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?
I learned that Edward Jones consistently gets very, very high rankings for training and employee satisfaction in the financial services industry and otherwise through family connections and community contacts. As a recent college graduate I wanted to make sure that I was working with a company that had a track record of great training and employee satisfaction so that I had the highest probability chance for success in my career, as well as a career that offered me a work life balance that I could appreciate. It was a good fit because I knew it was a career that allowed me the opportunity to balance my passion for finance with my passion for people. It was a career that offered me the chance to help people in my community that needed guidance and I found that very attractive/rewarding.
What were you involved in when you were on campus?
I was a four year member of the Varsity Soccer Program and participated in Holy Cross Goes Unified, as well as various Big Brother Big Sister events/community outreach events.
What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
I was an Economics Major which had an influence on my career path. But, I do not think that it is a requirement or necessity to have a finance/economic based major in order to flourish as a financial advisor in particular if your firm has great training.
What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
People skills and dedication/hard work. Holy Cross is a school that challenges you and expects results. The expectations apply in the work world. People skills are critical. I expanded as a person and was able to integrate with many people I wouldn’t have had I not chosen to attend Holy Cross.
What advice do you have for students on campus today?
Explore different fields and reach out to others/alumni to see who you can connect with prior to your graduation. Learn about the ins and outs of each “job description”, not just what it says on the website. Find a career that you have some sort of passion for and the rest will take care of itself.
