Name: Olivia Shamleffer
Class Year: 2022.5 (December 2022)
Title: Associate, Emerging Leaders Program
Organization Name: Fidelity Investments
1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
I’m part of an 18-month rotational program aimed at cross-unit experience building and leadership training, along with twenty other first-year associates who all have liberal arts degrees.
2. 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?
Handshake! I also networked with current associates and alums of the program who went to Holy Cross, as well as more senior HC alums at Fidelity. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do after college, so the rotational aspect of the program really stood out to me – I’ll have on-the-desk experience in four different departments by the end of it. Learning about the historically strong connection between Holy Cross and Fidelity also especially made me want to work there
3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
I was involved with Mock Trial all four years and was co-president for the last two. I also worked in the Religious Studies Department for three years!
4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
International Studies. I wanted to major in something that increased my critical thinking skills and taught me how to write well, not geared toward specific future career paths. I went into interviews feeling extremely confident in my soft skills, even if I didn’t have a business or numbers background.
5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
The ability to think creatively. You learn how to make unique connections quickly, which is a huge benefit in the workplace. Another skill is the emphasis on being curious and asking good questions – it’s the quickest way to seem like the most engaged person in the room in my opinion.
6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?
Don’t be intimated that you don’t come from a traditional business school background! Lean into the unique strengths gained from having a liberal arts education instead of focusing on trying to overcome perceived deficits in technical skills. And, of course, take advantage of the HC alumni network!
