Advice I’d give my 22-year-old self

It’s that energizing time of year when a new class of college graduates will throw their caps in the air and embark on a new journey.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of being invited to college campuses to share my experiences with students. And a question I’m sometimes asked is: What advice would you give your 22-year-old self?

Here are five things I’d tell my younger self (my undergraduate degree was in economics from Claremont McKenna College, by the way) or someone interested in pursuing a career in finance or business:

• Build and bend on what you learned in school: Your college experience has given you an incredible foundation of knowledge, but don’t get overly rooted in it. Build on it. If we’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that the pace of change is accelerating, so it’s important to be flexible over the long arc. Prepare for tactics, tools, and business models to change – better yet, help shape those changes.
• Find an early career experience that stretches you to the limit: Seek an opportunity, like a rigorous training program or professional apprenticeship, where you’re busy to the point of almost being overwhelmed. As often as you can, step up to the plate where you can see pitch after pitch after pitch. The more pitches a batter sees, the easier it is to tell balls from strikes, fastballs from curve balls – and when to swing for a higher percentage. Seek to get staffed on all kinds of projects. And sure, you may find a lot of work you’re involved in doesn’t actually come to fruition. But if, two to three years out of college, you can amass hundreds of unique experiences, you’ll discover what you like and, just as important, what you don’t like. There’s a lot to be said for getting the greatest breadth of experience possible early in your career.
• Be mindful of how you “show up”: The impact you have on people will come back and manifest itself in, hopefully, positive ways. Your ability to connect, the way you show up, and your professionalism – all of this travels with you. When we’re young and heads down early in our careers, we may not fully appreciate the importance of interpersonal dynamics – and the personal brand we’re building for ourselves.
• Step up to, not away from, challenges: What we learn from hardship is very powerful and probably much more beneficial than when everything is going your way. Disruption in industries frequently presents the greatest opportunities for young professionals. There’s often a void to be filled – whether to lead, innovate or solve problems. Don’t be afraid to step toward something that is going wrong. These types of challenging situations have allowed me to experience some of the greatest breakthroughs professionally.
• Take a risk and trust that you’ll know what risks to take: Don’t always play it safe. Be willing to take some risks. You won’t know the extraordinary things you can achieve if you choose to stick with what’s comfortable. Embrace discomforting times and the opportunities that come with them.

Congratulations to the Class of 2019. I look forward to the contributions you will make and to the advice you will one day give your younger selves.