For this week’s blog I interviewed Yalan Wu who is a Senior Associate at KPMG which is one of the Big Four auditors. We weren’t able to meet in person but I was able to have a phone conversation with her. I also had questions prepared on a word document in which I recorded down her answers. I still do not know exactly what career I want to be in so I decided to interview someone who is currently in the financial services industry. I personally wanted some insight into what I should do to prepare myself to getting a job while in college. The following are the questions I asked and her answers. While I couldn’t get her signature, I took a screenshot of our phone call.
What school did you go to and what was your major?
Barnard College and double majored in Political Science and East Asian Studies.
What activities did you do during your freshman year?
Was part of a student group called the Asian American Alliance. It is a student group welcomes undergraduate students from other schools.
Did you have any internships before or during college?
During freshman year I interned with the NY State Division of Human Rights
What did you do there?
I worked with attorneys who worked discrimination cases which includes discrimination regarding gender, age, and disabilities. We would help bring up and investigate these cases. I personally would help these attorneys document claims.
What did you do to get that internship?
I used my school’s career center to see if there were any internships available for students.
What is something you wish you did during college?
Some advice I have is to explore different things even if you don’t excel in them. Try to take a balance of courses that you need to take and those that just interest you.
How do you prepare yourself to get a job after college?
There is no one way to prepare yourself. A lot of jobs require critical thinkers and those who are responsible.
What is your current job?
I’m currently a consultant in the financial services industry.
What skills do you need?
A lot of Excel skills, data analysis, and problem solving.
What are the hours like?
It varies from project to project and client to client. Depending on what the client wants or demands, you may have to work longer hours to complete a project.
Difficulties of the job?
Difficulties involve having to find ways to solve problems efficiently. Another is getting along with other people. When working on a project, you don’t always work with the same people so you have to find ways to get along and find out how others work.
Any advice for someone who is currently pursuing a finance degree in school now?
Equip yourself by taking all the necessary courses in school. Make sure to do well in your statistics class. Also familiarize yourself with data skills and problem solving. Also develop good skills in tools like Excel. Again, take classes that you like.
