Saturday, January 25, 2014

So…how does it work?

This week, I had a kind of reality check.  Here are some details that will provide a bit of context:
  • I am a pre-finance major
  • I am looking for an internship this summer in finance
  • I have an opportunity to meet with a pretty fantastic guy who is a co-founder and managing director at a mid-sized Venture Capital firm in Salt Lake (Signal Peak Ventures, if you're interested)
My purpose in meeting with him is to ask for an internship position with his firm or on the finance teams of one of his portfolio companies.  The reality check that I had was that I am asking for a position that does not exist when I have no "hard" finance skills.  I had this reality check right before we went around asking our classmates questions.  Obviously, I asked how I should go about my conversation with the gentleman I am meeting with.  The answer that I got was surprisingly consistent.  Surprising because I asked several different students from several different majors.  The answer I got?  Show how you can add value.

I guess I knew this, but it never really "clicked" until I had these conversations.  Now I could make some cliche comment saying how much this class will help me to add value in all my endeavors, and it would absolutely be true.  But I want to go beyond that.  I add value by who I am, not only by what I can do.  Another reality is that computers can do a lot of what we hire people to do.  They can make appointments, make trades, analyze, design, and on and on.  But for some reason we hire more expensive and less reliable humans.  Why?  Because we add value in who we are.  Our job then, is to find out what we can do to add value, and develop those gifts.

Rock on.



This song doesn't really have anything to do with anything, but it is a great cover!  Enjoy.
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4 comments:

  1. Kevin EgbertJanuary 25, 2014 at 2:59 PM

    Thanks for the post. It's amazing all of the reality checks I've had as well in the short time we've been in this class.

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  2. UnknownJanuary 25, 2014 at 5:29 PM

    First of all, I loved the cover. Great re-imagination of a great song. I really liked what you said about how you should focus on what you can add to the company you want to work for. I do a lot of hiring for my work, and one of the most consistent attitudes that I see while interviewing is that people want to know what the company can do for them, and not what they can do for the company. This type of attitude is what JFK was encouraging when he said "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

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  3. UnknownJanuary 25, 2014 at 10:52 PM

    Well said good sir. I love when we get reality checks every now and again. It keeps us humble and puts things into perspective for us. Go get that internship!

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  4. Sarah MiskinJanuary 27, 2014 at 5:59 PM

    True that, Nyal. You could be just as smart as the guy next door, but it's your personality and life experience that'll set you apart for sure. Also remember to focus on the interviewer as well. Try to think of some ways you could help him. You got this.

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