As this is my last post for Experience, Inc. I am happy to know that I have been given an opportunity to contribute to this wonderful cause. For the past few years of my life, I have been lucky to meet inspiring mentors who have really made a difference in my life through their encouraging words of wisdom and sincere advice. I hope that whatever I have contributed to this blog have helped you or will come useful to you at some point in your life.

Success can be defined in many ways and the only true interpretation is in the judgment of the beholder. Success can mean making a lot of money in your future or accomplishing high official ranks for some people. For others, it can be as simple as having a comfortable career, enough for living, and a lot of time for family & leisure. Whatever success means to you, I hope you will carefully evaluate your sacrifices & expectations in your journey towards that goal.

Success can mean a lot of money but a lot of money does not equal happiness. Whatever future career you are striving for, make sure that it is the type of work that will rise you out of bed every morning, happy. What is worse than working a job that gives little or no satisfaction at all? No one really loves to work all the time but it is important that you at least like what you do. Otherwise, success may be a lot farther off than you think because discontent is a sad feeling that cannot result in success.

Good luck to you in your future endeavors. And please remember, if you are truly happy with your life...then you are already successful, my friend.

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

- Albert Schweitzer

Okay, so I only have 2 posts left so I thought I?d recap:

Starting from the beginning, college:
Try for Ivy League schools or business concentrated schools
If you can?t get into those, major in business related majors
If you?re past the point of college, find a Grad School and major in finance or accounting.

At College, picking classes:
4 General Rules?again?
1.) Pick Classes that are finance-related, be it indirectly or directly. Wow, I know, how obvious, but I feel the need to point out that your senior year basket-weaving class you took for a 4.0 might, just might, not be helping. I?m not saying don?t take classes that you want to because you find them interesting, I?m saying try your best to shy away from them. If your favorite hobby is photography, take a class on that but if you just want to take squid fishing for the hell of it, take another class that will better prepare you for work.
2.) Pick classes that focus more specifically on your specified fields of study. If you know you love everything about bonds; you eat, sleep, and want to marry a fixed income security, maybe minimize your classes to do with equity stock valuation and focus more on fixed income securities valuation and strategies.
3.) I hate to say it but, aim to have some sort of background in accounting. I know I?ve said this before but, really, it?s so very useful.
4.) Be able to write effectively because your boss will love you.
5.) Amended Addition ? Join/Start Finance related clubs

Job Fairs:
1. Bring lots of copies of your resume
2. If its 2 pages, collate.
a. 1 page rule is a partial myth: at our age (college age), came from the fact that most college students do not have enough relevant work experience or education to fill 2 pages.
3. Avoid the black suit; you end up being more easily forgotten.
4. Don?t necessarily get there early when everyone else is; those people have to be there until a certain time and they might be bored by the end. Not to mention being there at the end means you?re the last person they saw, might be more likely to remember you.

Get a summer job/internship during school:
1. Give your resume to career services
2. Go to job fairs and throw your resume to anyone who can catch
3. Apply directly to job?s online through a company?s website
4. Apply to Jobs at Experience.com?and other websites?but Experience first!

I?d also like to reiterate 2 points:
1. Minor or have some background in accounting. As I?ve said multiple times before, I HATE accounting. Can?t stand it. Not anything against people who do, I just can?t stand doing it. But I realize the fact that it is really important to understand because it is the common language of all business and understanding that language will help out to no end.
2. Be able to communicate effectively. When you can write a memo to your boss summarizing an entire industry in 1 page using bullets where he can read it in 2 minutes and full understand every point without reading it over at all?then you can effectively communicate. Get there and your boss will love you.

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