Career Path Of An Investment Banking Associate At A Global Investment Bank
Trent's career path is unique, combining a Division 1 baseball career with a pursuit of finance; after baseball ended, "the best opportunity was to go and get my MBA," leading to a current role in investment banking after gaining consulting experience and networking in New York. The combination of "summer ball" and "a few weeks...at a real estate firm" provided foundational experience before pursuing a more focused career trajectory.
Career Exploration, Networking, MBA, Investment Banking, Consulting
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Trent Hammond
Investment Banking Associate
Global Investment Bank
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - 2017
UCLA Anderson School of Management - MBA
Finance
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Took Out Loans, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Trent's combination of a finance degree and Division 1 baseball demonstrates the possibility of pursuing diverse interests.
2. His path from consulting to an MBA, driven by networking and career exploration, highlights the value of experiential learning and self-assessment.
3. Securing an investment banking role after an MBA showcases the effectiveness of strategic career planning and leveraging a strong network.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Do you have any internships or jobs you had before your current role?
In undergrad, I studied finance while playing Division I baseball. Many of my summers were spent playing summer ball, which involved about 60 games each season.
I had to find a few weeks here and there to work at a real estate firm to gain an understanding of investing and that thought process. However, I was always focused on playing Division I baseball and then professional baseball, so I wasn't really looking at my post-college career.
Once I graduated, my baseball career was over. I wondered where I could take my financial skills and learn more about what was out there. I decided that consulting and moving to New York would be the best path for me.
I worked in consulting for about three and a half to four years. I found it to be a great opportunity because I got to work with many different clients on various projects, which gave me a broad understanding of different opportunities.
While networking in New York, I met people, including some of my roommates, who worked in investment banking. I looked into their career paths, how they got into it, and the opportunities after banking. Since I had already worked a few years, I saw getting an MBA as the best opportunity.
I viewed Anderson as a great opportunity because they have a strong network. This would help me pursue banking opportunities throughout the country. I went through recruiting this past year and will start in investment banking next month.