College Experiences That Helped A Senior Investment Manager At A Global Investment Firm Succeed
To succeed in investment management, Vasant emphasizes demonstrating "drive, aptitude, and work ethic," attributes readily showcased through academic excellence and a broad-minded approach to learning; a diverse academic experience, including courses outside one's major, fosters "malleable" thinking crucial for navigating the ever-changing investment landscape.
Drive/Ambition, Aptitude/Critical Thinking, Work Ethic, Broadened Mindset, Academic Excellence
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Vasant Mehta
Senior Investment Manager
Global Investment Management Company
U.C. Berkeley
Johns Hopkins University : M.A. International Economics and European Studies
Political Science, American Studies
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Demonstrate drive, aptitude, and work ethic through academic excellence and extracurricular activities
2. Broaden your mindset by taking diverse courses outside your major to enhance critical thinking and adaptability
3. Actively cultivate and showcase these attributes throughout your undergraduate experience to impress potential employers
Transcript
What did you do in your undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
I think we can reframe the question to ask what key things people look for in this industry. It ties back to the initial question about sought-after traits. There are really three: drive, aptitude, and work ethic.
Drive, or ambition, means someone wants to strive for success. Aptitude is the ability to think critically, process information, and make logical arguments for investment decisions. Work ethic means being willing to do the hard work, even when it's boring, and to push through.
If you're at university, you're already demonstrating these attributes to future employers. You show drive by wanting to achieve more. You show aptitude through your grades and performance. And you show work ethic because you wouldn't be graduating otherwise.
These things are taken as a given, but it's important to keep striving for academic excellence in college. Beyond that, I would also say it's important to broaden your mindset.
For example, I was a social sciences major in political science. If you're in that group, broaden your mind. Maybe take a class in engineering, astronomy, or anthropology from a different social science department.
The more you learn about different skills and subject matters, the more malleable your mind will be. The world is ever-changing, and certainly in investment management, you're confronted with ever-changing situations. The broader your mind and the more laterally you can think, the more prepared you will be for those different situations and to succeed. That's another thing to bear in mind in order to succeed.