While having a familial connection is wonderful, it is by no means required to land a job. And to prove this, let’s take a step back for a moment…
Many of the major financial firms are named after people: Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Morgan Stanley to name a few. If our family theory was correct, then you would expect, accounting for marriages and name changes through the years, that about 40-50% of the employees would have the same last name as the founders of the firm. After a four second check in LinkedIn, that theory is disproven. Now that we know that you don’t need a relative in the business and that non-family members can and do get hired, the real question is, how do YOU get hired? This brings us to the second part of the title: You just have to find one. An Aunt [or Uncle], that is.
“But how Chris?” is what I am sure you are thinking, and thank you for asking. The solution to your question is something that you do every day without even thinking about it. Think about the last meal you had. Was it with someone else? If it was, did you sit there in silence just staring at each other, or did you speak? I’m guessing there was a conversation going on. Whether it was philosophical or sophomoric, you were conversing, and that, my friend, is the answer to your question: The Conversation!
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| Source: Raphael Love, Instagram |
I can see the confused look on your face, and that’s OK (and no your laptop camera isn’t on). You’re wondering, “How is a conversation going to solve my issue of no relatives in the business?” Well, when you break it down, all a relative is in this situation is an advocate inside the firm, and anyone, as long as they know and like you, can be an advocate. Think about every person that you have a good relationship with, and I would bet with 100% certainty that you have had at least one, but likely many conversations with that person. It is those conversations that build the bond that makes one person want to go out of their way to help another. Familial bonds are there at birth, but bonds are built between unrelated people every day. This bond is what will make your new found Aunt or Uncle want to help you.
The best people to help you are your fellow Jumbos in the industry, really any industry that you want to work in. How do you find us? (Yes, I am a double Jumbo.) Your best bet is to use LinkedIn and the ‘Find Alumni’ tool. Going too deep into the how will make us miss the point of today’s conversation: talking to people is the answer to our problem.
You’re now thinking, “OK, so I talk to people. Haven’t you just disguised Networking as a Conversation?” Yes, yes, I have. But did you notice that this is the first time that scary word popped into your mind? I’m guessing it’s because I mentioned LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an amazing tool that makes the job of connecting so much easier, but when using the tool, people have looked past the real goal – having a conversation with an interesting person that will likely create an opportunity – and have turned it into – networking is the pain I must endure for the sake of getting a job. At their underlying core, they are the same thing – talking to someone to make things happen –but like most things in life, it is all about how you look at the problem. As you can imagine, I’m all for the first point of view, and not as much of a fan of the second.
Now grab a burrito from Anna’s, sit down with a friend, and happy talking.
Chris Di Fronzo is the Director of the Tufts Finance
Initiative, and a double Jumbo – BS in Mechanical Engineering, and MS in
Engineering Management from The Gordon Institute. Before coming back to Tufts
for the 3rd time, Chris started his career in the software industry,
and most recently built his own financial services business, while simultaneously
building and leading teams in the financial industry.
