Meet Tufts alum and healthcare financier Lorie Lin (A'11), a entry level banking analyst at Brown Brothers Harriman, an elite financial services company in Boston. Featuring insight into the finance industry, networking, and real-world job-life, Lorie's career-success story is certainly worth a read.
I’ve always been interested in business. I’m drawn to business not because I’m interested in crunching numbers all day, but because I’m interested in learning where a company’s value comes from. I just think about iPhone and Apple, for instance; there is an insane, ridiculous Apple cult following, with investors playing 400 dollars for a single company stock. The qualitative and social aspects of business are what I find most interesting.
2. How did your experiences at Tufts help shape your career path?
At Tufts, I was Quantitative Economics major and an Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies Minor (ELS). Hands-down, I learned so much more from my ELS minor than all of my economics classes combined. It’s what made me really consider banking finance and business. Through my classes, I created business plans for hypothetical start-up companies, through which I’d project a company’s financial growth and comprise marketing plans. Much of what I learned was applicable to my internships and current job.
3. Did you have any internships and/or prior work experiences within finance?
I was part of Tufts Financial Group my junior year. The summer after my sophomore year, I interned for a mutual fund company in Shenzhen, China. After my junior year, I interned at Brown Brothers Harriman, and I’m currently working in this same group today.
4. How did you land your job at Brown Brothers Harriman?
One of my ELS professors announced to our class that there was an internship opportunity for an internship at BBH (Brown Brothers Harriman). I applied and was offered the internship, which I did right after my junior year. It was a great learning experience and from there, I kept in touch with co-workers and human resources. Then, I applied for an opening in my group during spring of my senior year.
5. What are your day-to-day responsibilities at the company?
I work in the healthcare corporate banking group. We make loans out to middle-market healthcare companies, which include medical technologies, healthcare services, etc. My job is to analyze these different companies. I write credit analysis reports---almost similar to what I did for my ELS business plans---which contain an overview of the company, an analysis of the competition and the market, financial modeling, and forecasting. As an entry-level analyst, I basically support whoever else needs my help.
6. What is the work climate at BBH like?
The specific team that I work on contains 10 people. It’s a very collegiate atmosphere. You’re working on your own-time---you don’t clock in or clock out---and you take on your own responsibilities. It’s a very professional atmosphere, very business-y. But at the same time, it doesn’t give off a snooty banker vibe. Everyone is so nice and all willing to help; they know I’m the “new girl” on the floor. It took just a couple of weeks to get over the initial intimidation.
7. What are your favorite aspects of the job?
I am really lucky to have been placed in the healthcare group. I find it really exciting to be in healthcare, and I feel like it just adds more value to the work I’m doing. I’m investing in companies that are saving people’s lives every day. There is so much happening with new healthcare initiatives; there are enormous opportunities for healthcare IT and service providers because of the economic climate and new healthcare policies, and it’s been so interesting to monitor what’s going on in the current market. It is rewarding to provide money for companies that are physically helping other people.
8. What skills do you feel are important to succeed at a job in finance?
You should be a math person and just generally comfortable with numbers. You should also be very analytical and open-minded, and be able to find different ways of looking at situations. As an analyst, you are constantly evaluating various companies and situations. I think it’s important to be confident in the work you do, to have conviction and stand behind your points.
I also think it’s important to have good communication and inter-personal skills. Senior level bankers interact with clients everyday; in a business role, it’s all about networking. You could be biggest math and excel whiz, but if you can’t interact and connect with other people, you won’t get that far.
9. Where do you envision yourself in 5-10 years?
I definitely want to go to business school and get my MBA within the next 3-4 years. I am studying for the GMAT right now. I want to stay within business, but I’d also be open to seeing what comes out after business school. For now, I am planning to stay with BBH; I’ve already learned so much in the past few years, and I’d love to keep growing within the company. I am very excited by healthcare, and I could definitely see myself staying there if I have the option. I also like the weird, geeky gadget sectors related to technology. It would be awesome to be able to work in a variety of different sectors.
10. What advice do you have for undergraduates on the job-search?
Put yourself out there and network. When I was a senior, it was the only advice anyone gave us. I was skeptical about it at first, but it really is the most helpful thing you could do as a student. I never realized this until I graduated, but I’ve found that people are so much more willing to help you out if you say you’re a student. If you go to a random networking event and walk up to someone and say that you want to learn more about his/her professional life, they will generally want to help you. My professor was a huge help is how I got my job today, for instance; that’s networking. You just put yourself out there and ask to hear more information. Welcome any and all advice, as you never know when it’ll come in handy. And stay in touch with everyone that you know; you never know when they’ll link you to an opportunity
