Career Path of an Investment Banking Summer Associate at RBC Capital Markets
After an economics degree at UCLA, Jerry pursued entrepreneurial ventures in China and founded Sparkle Sweets, a successful custom candy company boasting clients like Lady Gaga and Dior; this experience, and a subsequent realization that "finance was something that I didn't understand," led Jerry to pursue an MBA at UCLA Anderson, an investment banking internship at RBC Capital Markets, and finally, a role as a Private Equity Associate at Apex Capital Growth Partners.
Entrepreneurship, Finance, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Career Pivoting
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jerry Zhou
Private Equity Associate
Apex Capital Growth Partners
UCLA, 2012
UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA Candidate
Economics
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Jerry's entrepreneurial journey, starting with three startups in China and culminating in his successful custom candy company, Sparkle Sweets, showcases his resilience and adaptability.
2. His decision to pursue an MBA after experiencing limitations in his financial understanding highlights the importance of continuous learning and self-improvement in a dynamic career path.
3. His investment banking internship at RBC Capital Markets demonstrates his proactive approach to career exploration and his ability to transition his skills into the finance industry, which is important for a career in Private Equity.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experience in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
I grew up in LA and went to UCLA for undergrad, majoring in economics with an emphasis in accounting and film. After my studies, I wanted to learn the business from the ground up. I thought the best way to do that was to try doing a startup.
After my studies, in 2012, which was a long time ago, China was booming. I had originally come from China, born in Hangzhou, and came to the US around age three and a half. China was changing so fast, and I wanted to see what was going on.
So I went to China and stayed for a year and a half, trying to do three startups. They didn't work out because of policies, lack of skills, and a lot of inter-team politics. But I think these experiences built me up and formed the foundation for my next startup, Sparkle Sweets, a custom candy company.
I built a production facility here in Pomona and an e-commerce business. I really focused on branding and customization. I implemented a just-in-time, flexible manufacturing business model so we could shorten lead times and create more personalized projects.
I've had the company for almost over nine years now and we've been growing, especially in the customization sector. We've done projects for clients like Coors Light, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, and Dior, among other large names. Every project is different, so it's very interesting. We do everything in-house.
At a certain point, I felt like my skills were the bottleneck for the company's growth, mainly in finance. I studied marketing and improved my branding and operations execution. However, I felt like I didn't understand finance; it was a game our economy is built on.
I wanted to study finance. At first, I considered a master's in finance, but then I thought, since I was spending so much time studying for the GMAT, why not go all in for an MBA and develop myself holistically?
During my MBA, I went back to UCLA Anderson for my MBA. I'm still completing my last year. In my MBA, I was very interested in the finance courses and did very well in them. So, I decided to take a step further and try to enter investment banking.
I started recruiting for investment banking. Last summer, I completed an investment banking internship as a summer associate at RBC Capital Markets in San Francisco, covering technology. It was a challenging but very rewarding experience. I really nailed down all the financial skills and developed myself personally.
Right now, I'm deciding whether to continue into finance, as the companies are doing well. I'm trying to partition my time and see what the best path forward is for me.
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