Graduated in 2019 with a major in Music Business. Principal instrument: voice.
Position: Relationship Manager at Gilbert & Cook, a modest-size wealth management company in Des Moines, Iowa. Relationship Manager is the entry-level position on the way to Financial Advisor. A lot of the job involves meeting with clients to get their data and desires, then meeting with Financial Advisors and helping make sure interactions go smoothly. Meanwhile, she’s getting her financial certifications.
Overview: Ananya and her boyfriend–now husband–moved to L.A. after graduation. She got a job at a professional audio equipment distributor and loved it, then lost it when the pandemic hit. With her boyfriend also unemployed, the least bad option was to move in with his parents in Iowa. Ananya’s parents introduced her to a family friend in India whose job involved helping wealthy Indians purchase American real estate, and Ananya worked for him for a year and a half. She enjoyed this field, but her work was mostly on the back end. She wanted a more client-facing role and started applying for other jobs. She found her current position advertised on LinkedIn, applied, and was hired into it.
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You can see Ananya’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “I really enjoy working with people and in a very intimate sort of way–you get to know them, their wishes and what they want as their legacy. It’s very sensitive topics. I enjoy helping people through certain stages of their lives. This is something we’re not really taught in school. So it’s a kind of job where you’re working in the best interest of the client.”
“Berklee was my dream school; while a student there I was living my dream. Finishing, I didn’t know what my dream was anymore. I always thought my job would be so exciting but realized you have to do the work to get there. You have to start again after school, despite all the things you have done. I learned to put my head down and do the hard work.”
“I’ll run the numbers, put in recommendations for clients. The financial advisor has to approve all that, of course.”
“Being in such a diverse, international school you meet people from all around the world. It made me more open-minded and feel like I could have a conversation with anyone!
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