MANAGING YOUR CAREER: INSIGHTS FROM A J.P. MORGAN EXECUTIVE

Banking, Working Abroad, and Career Management. Listen HERE!

It was a pleasure to have Ricardo A. Watson on this episode of Hiring Insights, presented by Top Talent Advocates . Ricardo is a Managing Director and Chief Risk Officer at 摩根大通 and the Chief Risk Officer for their dealer commercial services business within Chase Auto. Ricardo has spent his career in private equity, banking, and global operations with international experiences in Switzerland, London, and traveling across Latin America, Mexico, Eastern Europe and Africa. Ricardo is a graduate of Wesleyan University and has studied at Wharton Executive Education and 英国伦敦政治经济学院 .

Ricardo joined us to provide very practical insights and advice into how to manage your career, and how to pursue opportunities both domestically and internationally. Listen here.

MANAGING YOUR CAREER

For Ricardo, managing his career has required both intentionality and flexibility. With an interest in banking from a young age, having mentors in banking, and then trusting those encouraging him to challenge himself early in his career, Ricardo fostered a drive for continued growth.?

“I wanted to manage that scale, i.e. the hundred people. I wanted a lot of autonomy. In prior roles in my career, I was either supporting a senior guy or had a small book of work that was mine, but there was always somebody over me that guided me so it didn't create my space for me to practice my craft... And the third thing I really wanted was credit approval authority. I wanted to approve deals and own the risk that we put on the balance sheet. As roles came my way at the bank, I used those three criteria in my assessment. And what I realized at JP Morgan, at least, and most people I spoke to, they appreciated that [I] knew what [I] wanted to do.”

Attaining a senior or executive level position requires a healthy degree of curiosity. Being resolute in knowing what you do and don’t want to do, especially when climbing the corporate ladder, demonstrates your focus and intentionality.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE INTERVIEW

We guide our clients through the development of the their tools including: resumes and cover letters, an optimized LinkedIn profile, and pitch deck development. We then begin marketing our clients, which eventually leads to an interview. We dedicate so much time to preparing our clients for an interview because the initial phases of a job search aren’t worth anything, unless you are prepared for an interview. Learn more about our services here.

Do you know who you will be interviewing with? Do your research on them. Perhaps someone in your network can you give you background on their personality. A LinkedIn search may show things you have in common, which helps build rapport in a meaningful way, while also showing preparedness. Do you know as much as you can about the company/firm? The industry trends and head or tailwinds? Research and prepare!

Ricardo discusses whether or not you have the ability to take your role beyond the initial job description? What do you envision that the person sitting across from you has never thought of? ??

No different than Bill George 's reference to not just being the smartest person in the room , but being able to lead with conviction. Listen to our conversation with Bill here. Do you have "it" in you? How do you convey that in an interview? How do you share where you want to take this role? How do you convey that? You have to be able to articulate it, be thoughtful in your response and show genuine emotions. Your level of excitement (or lack of) is obvious to those speaking with you.

Always have prepared questions for the conclusion of your interview.

“You should be asking about team dynamics. You should be asking about, hey what is the culture of the team, how does the team work well together? Asking the person at the table, what are the areas that you're trying to improve on the team?”

INTERVIEW GUIDANCE

We think the hardest interview question is when someone asks you to, "tell me about yourself." You can conquer this question by following 3 simple steps.

1. HUMAN CONNECTION (30 seconds)

Consider starting your response by saying, "on a personal level..." then, sharing the fact that you have lived and worked in multiple cities, that you left the workforce to raise a family or care for a loved one, that you love spending time with your kids or fur baby, that you enjoy reading within a certain genre, that or you love to travel are tremendous examples of ways to build a connection with someone and start the process of rapport building.

2. PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS (45 seconds)

Lay out a few relevant highlights of your accomplishments and connecting those experiences to the job description of the role to which you are applying is essential.

3. GRATITUDE + INTEREST + CLOSING (45 seconds)

It is time to share three essential points-- why you are grateful for the opportunity to interview, why you are interested in this particular position and organization, and why you believe you would be a good fit for the role.

If done correctly and presented in a natural manner, not only will this approach advantage you in your job search, but you will also be making it easier for your interviewer to better understand you and your unique talents and passions.

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

Global experience gives you an edge on most of your competition. Being able to communicate, solve problems, and lead internationally are unique and in-demand skills. It takes a little more than your standard networking to secure an international opportunity.

Often times, these opportunities are going to be presented to you after you have put time into a company. Your leader may see potential in you for something you never considered. Keep top of mind that those small windows of opportunities are going to be scary, but the reward is extremely high down the road.

Domestically, you have to network. Don’t just network when it’s needed. Make it a habit of continually seeking out conversation and connections to stay relevant in industry circles and keeping your name top of mind for opportunities.

“Be ready so you don't have to get ready.”?

COMING UP NEXT...

Stay tuned for our next episode featuring Brian H. Potts , a partner and co-chair of the energy group at Perkins Coie . Brian is also a founder and board chair of The Legal Mentor Network . Brian is a lawyer, an author, an entrepreneur, and a huge advocate for jobseekers. Brian is a graduate of Centre College , Vermont Law and Graduate School , and earned an LL.M. University of California, Berkeley - School of Law .

Thank you to everyone who subscribes to this?newsletter. You can find more information about?Top Talent Advocates?on our website?here, by following us on our LinkedIn page?here, or by emailing us at [email protected]. We encourage you to provide feedback on the podcast by posting comments, forwarding to others in your network, and encouraging others to gain insights into the hiring process for executives and attorneys. Don't forget to listen and subscribe?here. You can also find the transcript for each episode of Hiring Insights?here.

If you are thinking about a career move or want support on your executive branding and social media management, let's have a?conversation. Leverage our network of recruiters, hiring managers, business leaders, and our personalized coaching to get noticed and carve your personalized path to success.

As always, thanks to?Lindsay Hofbauer?and our previous guests: Kristi Stepp of Sigred Group ,?Dimitri Mastrocola?of?Major, Lindsey & Africa,?Bill George?of?Harvard University,?Matt Miller?of?Uptake,?Jennifer Champlin?of?National Association of Women Lawyers?and?Edward Jones,?Robert W. Jones?of?Gavilon Group, LLC, and?Alex Su?of?Ironclad.

?

?