After graduating magna cum laude in 2018 with a double major in finance and economics from The University of Texas at Dallas, where he served as the men’s golf team capital for two seasons, Levi Pettit worked as an enterprise risk management analyst at Independent Financial, which operates 90 financial centers in Texas and Colorado.
Pettit then took on a credit analyst role at Veritex Bank, a Texas-based mid-sized community financial institution with branch locations in Houston, Fort Worth, and Dallas; and began working as an investment associate at a first-generation, single-family office. To manage its private equity and venture capital investment portfolio, he evaluated investment options, performed transaction due diligence, and monitored the associated investments.
According to Pettit, who is currently enrolled in Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s MBA program, some aspects of the financial industry have changed since he entered it several years ago.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, a number of companies have begun to allow employees to work remotely for at least part of the week — which Levi Pettit acknowledges may interest recent college grads.
“The young people who want to pursue finance may find that attractive,” he says. “They may see older friends or family who have these hybrid jobs, where they can travel or work from home. However, [for an] entry-level job, [they] really should be looking for opportunities where they can be face-to-face with people every single day. That’s where I learned the most — and how I grew the most.”
Pettit says regularly observing a company’s leaders, making decisions, and performing other tasks can assist with professional development.
“Unfortunately, I just don’t think remote environments provide that opportunity,” he says. “If I was graduating today, I would try to find something that required me to be in a seat five days a week, and make sure there was some type of team culture.”
Attaining and Furthering Employment
Impressing potential employers when you’re looking for your first job can be challenging if you have little experience in the industry.
Suppose your college requires you to create a stock pitch, outlining the investment potential for a public company’s stock , as part of your degree program. In that case, Pettit advises putting your best effort into the endeavor — and bringing the final result to any interviews you schedule.
“These companies [may wonder], ‘Do you have the ability to produce a product that is going to be on par with what we expect?'” he says. “Some companies will provide training for that; but if you already have something tangible you can bring in an interview, that can go a long way with an employer.”
Because the industry is so competitive once you’re employed, Pettit says young professionals should be prepared to potentially do more than what’s required to advance their careers—such as taking an online financial modeling course over the weekend to expand their skill set.
According to Levi Pettit, young professionals can also benefit from taking advantage of any opportunities to network and obtain guidance.
“You’ve got to do it,” he says. “You have to put yourself out there. Find mentors — I would definitely not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the mentors I have in my life.”
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