Flyin' Solo
This past Sunday and Monday I took a trip to New York City to network and visit with contacts. The trip started out well with timely flights and a decent Philly cheesesteak in the Philadelphia airport. After 5 hours of travel, I arrived at Grand Central Terminal and decided to call my family back in Florida and finally tell them about my trip (prior to that, they didn't know I left Columbus). I came with one bag that contained my suit, laptop, and a few research samples. The point of the trip was to meet some of my contacts in person, buy them some coffee and connect with them.
The trip was a resounding success. I had the opportunity to talk with researchers at Barclays, Goldman Sachs, and KeyBank. They gave me insights to the industry that I had not thought about and shared their story with me. Hearing how others got to where I want to be is exciting. Every person has a unique journey, and I can relate to most of them in one way or another.
Besides researchers, I sat down with someone in FX at JP Morgan. I met him on my last trip to the city and wanted to hear his story. We seemed to bond over the fact that he was from a non-core school and made it to where he is now by seizing one opportunity. He reassured me that while it is hard to get to New York from a non-core, it is possible if you work hard enough and impress the right person.
Overall, the trip was worth it and it’s time to start planning my next round.