Alumni Career Spotlight: Spencer Taylor '16

Elon Grad year??

2016

Your current neighborhood/location?

Charlotte, North Carolina?

What did you do immediately post-grad?

I spent 5 years working in management consulting. My coverage area was the financial services sector, where my group specialized in large platform transformation projects and merger and acquisition integration.?

What inspired your decision to look into/attend business school?

After 5 years of consulting, I felt I was at a professional inflection point - make this my long term career or move on. I spent a lot of time deliberating on where I wanted my career to go, both in the short term and long term. When I landed on a path, I networked with industry professionals on the steps to take to make it happen. Business school was the common piece of advice. ?

What is one piece of advice/something to be aware of for someone considering attending business school?

In my opinion, it’s important to go into business school with a clear objective. For some, it’s an exploratory experience to see what is out there from a career perspective. That’s a perfectly fine mentally, since no one situation is the same.?

My approach was far more targeted. A consulting mentor gave me that advice. By coming into business school with a specific goal in mind, it’s much easier to hit the ground running on achieving that goal. I can’t understate the time and financial commitment, so before you make the decision, you have to be sure you’re all in. I don’t think anyone ever regrets going to business school, so if you’re considering it, do the research and go for it! (Happy to be a resource, if I can)?

What are you doing now (career-wise)?

I work for Piper Sandler’s Services and Industrials Investment Banking group.?

Advice for landing a career in Management Consulting or Investment Banking?

If you’re a few years out of Elon and want to transition into investment banking, business school is without a doubt the most straightforward option. It’s not impossible to network your way into a position, but it’s unconventional and with low probability for success.?

Provide 2-3 tips for alumni looking to excel professionally.

From my experience, it’s important to be open-minded to different opportunities within your organization and to make the most of your situation. My initial consulting engagements were not the most interesting, but I worked hard, built a good reputation for myself, and landed far more interesting engagements for the rest of my time with the firm.?

This is such a cliche but doing the little things well goes a long way. In both consulting and banking, attention to detail is critical. You’re never going to be perfect but minimizing basic mistakes doesn’t go unnoticed. If your manager or organization leadership trusts you to do the basics, you open way more doors for yourself.?

Are you hiring in NC or NYC?

If you’re considering business school as a way to transition into investment banking or private equity, happy to connect on potential opportunities in NC and NYC.?

What is your social media handle and/or website link for other alumni to connect with you?

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/spencer-1-taylor/