Hello Network,
Yesterday I had an amazing experience at Goldman Sachs attending a fireside chat with the firm's CEO, David Solomon.
During the occasion, I had the chance to engage with diverse individuals and absorb the insights and guidance shared by David. Here is some impactful advice from David that I think will be useful particularly to those of you at the beginning of your careers:
💡 “You’re at the beginning of a long journey, don’t be in a hurry” – Understandably, everybody wants to know what their destination is and what their career will be, but that’s just not how life works. It is much more fruitful to be in the moment and to enjoy the present.
💡 “Be authentic to yourself and tell your story” – You’ll be surprised at what opportunities come to you when you’re true to yourself and tell your story.
For those of you who are undergrads at university like myself, these are three things which David thinks everybody should do while they’re at university:
💡 “No matter what you’re interested in, take accounting” – No matter what you go on to do in the world professionally, there will be some economic construct to it. Understanding and asking questions about the economic construct behind anything you do will help you be more successful in it.
💡 “Take public speaking” – The confidence to speak, present and express yourself is an invaluable tool that you will use throughout your journey no matter what.
💡 “Pursue something that you’re passionate about but that has nothing to do with what you think you’re supposed to be doing to achieve your professional goals” – You won’t have as much opportunities to explore passions after university.
I'd like to express my thanks to Anna Skoglund for her facilitation of the discussion with David, and to Jessica Middleton and Kat Gorna for their invaluable insights on applications. In addition, I'd like to extend my appreciation to Clement Hutton-Mills and Pedro Dias Ferreira for generously sharing their experiences at Goldman Sachs, which have been truly inspiring and impactful.
I am genuinely grateful to Goldman Sachs for hosting such an enlightening event, offering us invaluable insights into their ethos, beliefs, and guiding principles. #ExcellenceNotPerfection.
Well done!