College Experiences That Helped a Principal at Meridiem Ventures Succeed
Bryan emphasizes the importance of recognizing when a chosen major isn't the right fit, pivoting from architecture to the more general political economics which allowed for a "much more broad sort of undergraduate experience". This flexibility enabled Bryan to explore different career paths and take accounting electives, ultimately preparing them for a public accounting job unrelated to their major.
Career Exploration, Flexibility, Adaptability, Accounting, Political Economics
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Bryan Noon
Principal
Meridiem Ventures
UC Berkeley
UCLA Anderson - MBA
Economics, Political Science, American Studies
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Consulting & Related Professional Services
Consulting
Video Highlights
1. Recognizing early on that the initial major (architecture) was not the right fit and switching to a more general field (political economics) provided broader opportunities.
2. Choosing a major that allowed for flexibility in course selection, enabling the interviewee to take accounting classes as electives, which prepared them for their first job in public accounting.
3. Being open to career paths that may not be directly related to the chosen major, as the interviewee's political economics background led to a career in public accounting.
Transcript
What did you do in your undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
The most important thing is that I recognized early on that my undergraduate major, architecture, was not the right fit for me. It was a very specific field that required a precise career goal.
I switched out of architecture after about three semesters and went into something more general: political economy. This allowed me a broader undergraduate experience and set me up for different career paths without needing to define anything specific.
Of course, you have to be open to the fact that a general major may not lead to a very specific job. For me, it actually led to a job unrelated to my major.
I ended up working in public accounting right after my undergraduate studies. Fortunately, I was able to take accounting classes through the business school because my major allowed them as electives. This flexibility within my major helped me prepare for my first job out of college.