I ended my last blog on a rather inspirational note and a revived sense of confidence; something I hope you also felt as a reader because the more I explore of the world, the more I realize the endless number of possibilities both inside and outside the career world. Lesson: Don’t fret. We are all in this together.
I am not embarrassed to admit that I place a lot of emphasis on the importance of success personally and within a social context. Achievement is almost like the unofficial motto of Scripps College. Regardless of what a student pursues, we are given the resources to make magic happen without the messiness of fairy dust. However, I have realized that without a goal in mind, it’s a little more difficult to receive the golden trophy of success. So ten blogs and couple of Skype sessions later, I’m starting to see the makings of a goal. It’s just a baby skeleton right now, but it’s a start.
Interestingly enough, most of my career aspirations have spawned from Hollywood blockbusters. I call it “creative research”. The most groundbreaking may have been my newfound love for law after watching Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde. I got over that phase pretty quickly. This week, I watched the new Wall Street movie starring Shia Labeouf and Michael Douglas.  The movie does not give the finance industry the best name to put it constructively. However, there was one part of the movie that really stuck. Throughout the movie, Shia (yes we are on first name basis) is attempting to convince the board of Keller Zabel to invest in a fusion research project which could potentially be a viable source of alternative energy. BING light bulb. But before I impart on you this grand ah-ha moment, I want to take a stroll down memory lane.

For as early as I can remember, I have been involved in non-profit work. Yes, it is the staple for any college application, but I have genuinely always loved having the ability to generate change within my community. My outlet for this energy was work within the non-profit sector. I can’t express the joy it brings me to be able to create positive change when sometimes I feel like my life is a little out of my control. However, work in non-profit is no piece of cake. A little more devastating: you may not be able to afford a piece of cake! Now, now you have to understand that I am kidding about that part. My father works in non-profit, and I have been lucky enough to live a comfortable life. But the reality of it is that non-profit work does not bring in the big bucks that some other industries can. After my time abroad witnessing the astronomically high unemployment rate in Spain, I have realized the importance of having financial support. As a woman, this financial independence has always been something that I have grown to hold importance for. I find that it is a rather taboo subject at Scripps to speak of wanting to “make a lot of money.” Scripps shapes strong women who will use their skills and leadership to make a difference, but there is very little emphasis placed on the dollar bill signs. However, my time abroad has taught me not only the importance of financial stability, but also that I want to have the means to travel and see the world. I feel like this experience abroad has so holistically influenced my life that I want to be able to relive it again in the future. So non-profit was an option, but it has its setbacks as well (side note: here is a wonderful document about the myths of working in non-profit that I came across for anyone who is interested http://www.idealist.org/ioc/learn/scc/Myths.pdf). As the pdf states, there is money in the non-profit sector, but it may not be in the six digits. Combining my love for positive change and positive numbers in the bank was an issue I struggled with constantly. However, Shia to the rescue!
After watching Wall Street, I was intrigued by investment banking mostly because the movie illuminated every scar the industry has to offer. It’s not a great date movie for sure. So I sat down (via Skype) to talk to one of the Career Planning and Resources representatives at Scripps to get a little more information about what Hollywood was trying to tell me. I had a very, very enlightening conversation about her work in Investment Banking and the different sectors within the industry. But, I couldn’t help but ask about Shia’s role in the movie. I was told that Shia’s attempt to find financial support for fusion research is something called venture capital. Though this was portrayed terribly in comparison to what the real would of venture capital looks like, this sector looks for new, innovative projects to provide financial support for. I have yet to do much research on my own, but on the surface venture capital seems to provide the variety of projects and innovation that I have practically been begging for. Nevertheless, it’s not child’s play. Venture capital involves a fair share of risks, but also rewards. I was told that as exciting as it sounds, venture capital is not for a novice in the finance industry. Usually, one needs years of experience to understand the industry as a whole before stepping up to the big leagues of venture capital. I could feel myself get excited while just hearing about the possibilities. And it was then that my skeleton started to form.
The more I research about finance in general, the more fascinated I am by what it has to offer. If I had been asked six months ago about a career in finance, I probably would have laughed out of lack of another response. But that just goes to show that you should never rule out any option too quickly. Playing dress up never gets old.