Finance & Accounting

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BTU #24 - Vic Perez: Submarines to a Wall Street Trader

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BTU #24 - Vic Perez: Submarines to a Wall Street Trader

Vic Perez graduated from the Naval Academy with a BS in Economics with Merit. He served in the Navy for 6 years - first as an officer onboard nuclear submarines as part of the crew of the USS Cheyenne, and after that as an instructor at Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame, Victor somehow found the time to earn his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with an emphasis on Finance. Not only did he do that while teaching at Notre Dame…he did it in just two years instead of the traditional 3. Vic now works in the Financial Services Industry with Wells Fargo as part of their new Veteran Internship Program. His current role is as a Credit Derivative Swap Trading Analyst

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BTU #11: Alex Chivers - College at Dartmouth & Investment Banking

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“Being able to work with deadlines and under pressure, attention to detail...these little things add up dramatically to put you in a position to do well [in the Civilian world]." – Alex Chivers

Alex Chivers served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the US Army, where was part of the elite Army Rangers. During his time in the Army, Alex deployed multiple times to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. After leaving the Army, Alex was accepted to Dartmouth College, routinely ranked as one of the top ten colleges in the country. While at Dartmouth, Alex held internships in the Investment Banking world with both Barclays and Perella Weinberg Partners, as well as an internship at the US House of Representatives. Alex has also worked as an Ambassador for Service to School, helping other veterans get into college.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

  • His decision to leave the Army.
  • How a conversation on Reddit helped him get into Dartmouth
  • His work with Service to School, and advice on applying to college
  • Common mistakes he sees veterans make in their transition to civilian life
  • An overview of the Investment Banking world
  • And much, much more…

iTurnes Beyond the UniformStitcher Beyond the Uniform

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes

  • [2:10] Army Rangers, Darthmouth, and Alex's background
  • [3:10] Deciding to leave the Army
  • [4:31] How far in advance Alex started to plan
  • [6:35] Deciding between college vs. straight to industry
  • [7:45] Preparing financially for the transition to civilian life
  • [9:55] How Alex get into Dartmouth
  • [13:10] How a Reddit forum helped him get into college
  • [15:35] Advice for college applications
  • [18:36] Common misconceptions Alex sees when people are applying to college and transitioning to civilian life
  • [23:15] How the Army put Alex ahead... and where he felt behind his classmates
  • [27:20] Additional resources to consider
  • [28:31] Interning in the Investment Banking world
  • [30:50] Interning at the US House of Representatives
  • [32:22] What's next for Alex after Dartmouth
  • [35:30] Final advice to those on Active Duty
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BTU #5 - Bobby Farina: Financial Services and Finding the Right Path for You

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“There is an insatiable appetite [at top tier business schools]... at these schools for people who have real leadership backgrounds, and they view the military as an incubator for that." – Bobby Farina

Bobby Farina is a Partner at Sixpoint Ventures, after having spent over 10 years in the Financial Services industry. Bobby attended the US Air Force Academy, where he studied Management, prior to entering the intelligence community as an Information Security Specialist. Although he obtained his MS in in Information Security at Johns Hopkins University while on Active Duty, he chose to attend Columbia Business School after he separated from the Air Force.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

  • His decision to leave the Air Force, and how he thought about the Reserves
  • Using grad school while in the military to offset a low GPA from undergrad and boost grad school admission chances
  • Considering the opportunity cost of pursuing a master's degree vs. entering industry right away
  • Recommendations for schools focusing on finance and advice on how to get in
  • A breakdown of the Financial Services industry and where veterans fit in
  • How to get your first job in Financial Services
  • What you may end up missing from the military
  • And much, much more…

iTurnes Beyond the UniformStitcher Beyond the Uniform

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes

  • [0:22] - Personal, USAFA and Air Force background
  • [6:54] - Decision to leave the Air Force
  • [9:54] - Considering Air Force Reserves
  • [12:12] - Air Force Reserves while in Financial Services
  • [13:04] - Doing grad school while on active duty
  • [16:50] - using post college work to boost your GPA if you have a lower college GPA
  • [19:42] - deciding on a second master's degree and an MBA
  • [21:00] - Choosing Columbia as business school and application process
  • [21:53] - Recommendations for Top Tier Business Schools focusing on Finance
  • [23:40] - Balancing Applications to business school & general advice
  • [26:25] - Finding the right school for you
  • [28:30] - Getting the most out of grad school but knowing your intended industry
  • [31:00] - Overview of the Financial Services Industry
  • [35:45] - Why Financial Services companies love veterans
  • [37:45] - What traits they most prize in veteran applicants
  • [41:10] - Advice for someone who wants to enter Financial Services industry
  • [44:05] - Biggest surprise in transitioning to civilian world