College Experiences That Helped A Founder And Wealth Advisor At Buena Vista Financial Planning Succeed
To prepare for a successful career, AK suggests a busy college experience involving multiple jobs and demanding extracurriculars like water polo, forcing prioritization and resilience. This approach, including deliberate choices like waiting tables to improve interpersonal skills, helped develop the ability to "get a lot of stuff done" even with limited time, a skill directly applicable to their career as a Founder/Wealth Advisor.
Prioritization, Resilience, Communication, Juggling Multiple Responsibilities, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
AK Mashhoon
Founder / Wealth Advisor
Buena Vista Financial Planning
Cuesta College and Cal Poly, SLO
N/A
Business Management & Admin
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Prioritize and Juggle Responsibilities: AK emphasizes the importance of effective prioritization and time management skills, honed through juggling multiple jobs and a demanding sport schedule during college. This highlight speaks to the ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines, crucial for a successful career.
2. Embrace Diverse Experiences: AK's experience working various jobs, from waiting tables to accounting internships, showcases the value of diverse experiences. This highlight underscores the benefit of seeking opportunities that develop a wide range of skills and perspectives.
3. Develop People Skills: AK's deliberate decision to work as a waiter to improve his people skills highlights the importance of strong interpersonal abilities. This highlight suggests that actively seeking situations to enhance communication and interaction can significantly benefit one's career prospects.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
I think I made myself so busy in college that working felt easy. I started at community college and stayed for three years. During that time, I worked two or three jobs and played water polo, which is pretty demanding.
We had practice six days a week, often multiple times a day. Saturdays had one practice, but during the week, we'd have two or three. Our workouts lasted anywhere from two and a half to five hours daily.
I waited tables at a breakfast place on weekends and bused tables at a dinner place. I also had an accounting internship and worked in the produce department of a large grocery store. I worked a lot of jobs.
I played sports for two of my five years in college. I think it forced me to prioritize. Luckily, we're pretty resilient at those ages and can function well on little sleep. Still, you have to prioritize and get things done.
I wasn't an A student; I got some A's, but I was a solid B student. I worked a lot of different types of jobs. Waiting tables really helped prepare me.
I'm introverted, but I really like people. I thought to myself, if I want to work on this, I should be a server. Servers are friendly and talk to many people every night. I specifically wanted to become a waiter to get comfortable talking to different people.
Being really busy and juggling a lot of things prepared me. Even if I procrastinated sometimes, it still helped. You have to get a lot done, and sometimes you don't have much time.