Author: Reed Andrews

This past month, many of my fellow classmates and I had the amazing opportunity to visit JPMorgan Chase's McCoy Center in Polaris here in Columbus. Specifically, we spoke with professionals working in JPMorgan’s Asset Management segment. Opportunities like this and another company visit to Vertiv really allow the SMF to stand out from the perspective of career prep, and I’m excited to share with you my experience at the McCoy Center.  My first impression of the McCoy Center was that it was absolutely massive.

When I started the Specialized Master in Finance program at Fisher, I expected an atmosphere that would be defined by competition. Finance as an industry attracts many ambitious people, and I assumed that would translate into a high pressure and cutthroat environment. What I found instead at the Ohio State University was something completely different. The SMF program is a community built on collaboration, encouragement, and shared growth. From the first week of classes, teamwork became the very foundation of my experience.

When I started my graduate journey at Fisher College of Business, I quickly realized that success in the job search wasn’t going to come from academics alone. Finance is an industry built on relationships, and the SMF with its new structure and added professional development course is one of the best environments to build them.  Too often networking is framed as transactional or a way to “get a job”. In reality, the most valuable connections I’ve made have come from approaching people with curiosity and respect.

Hello! My name is Reed Andrews, and I recently began my journey as a Specialized Master’s in Finance student at THE Ohio State University. Even though I’ve only been in the program for a few weeks, I’ve already learned some valuable lessons that I believe can help future SMF students succeed. These insights not only apply to graduate school, but also to building a strong foundation for your future career.  1: Be Comfortable with the Uncomfortable The SMF program is full of bright minded students from a wide range of academic, professional, and international backgrounds.