Boston: Open Doors

Two days ago, I was just arriving in Chicago from a whole week of being in Boston. While I may be feeling the sleepiness from long days and even longer nights of hanging out with my peers, one thing that has remained the same is my smile from such a great time together. All of us got so close and knew how to push one another in order to develop ourselves further professionally. From this trip I have learned what kind of company culture I want to look for, and that closing doors too soon will help no one. From every firm we went to we were taught life lessons that were so valuable to me as a second semester senior heading off to the “real world”.

Each company had a different skill set they were looking for, but they all made sure to let us know that it doesn’t matter the major we take on in undergrad but rather that our skills are transferable to any job we apply for. In summary, we can come from any background and have a chance to succeed an any company we look into. One important thing to know is how to sell our skill set and what we can personally bring to a company. My one goal going forward is to reach out to those alumni that were willing to meet with us at the Massachusetts State House as well as build connections that will help my future career.

While we didn’t get to explore all of Boston’s treasures, I am happy that’s the case;  it will be a reason to go back in the near future. I am shocked at all I learned from this trip. It ranges from how to deal with different personalities as well as what I myself am not willing to sacrifice when committing to a company for a job. Some of my key takeaways are career related: I will look a job that is flexible with my work/life balance, provides travel experiences, and provides an open-concept office arrangement. Boston definitely has a different culture than Chicago, but each city has specific things that attract me to stay as an undergrad student on the cusp of graduation. As for now, I will keep my eyes open for full-time job opportunities in both Chicago and Boston. This Boston experience was the epitome of what Loyola’s education stands for. We are well rounded Jesuits who seek to set the world on fire with our in-the-classroom experiencex coming alive in real world situations. A big thank you to Quinlan for exceeding my expectations on how a Spring Break should be done!

 

Vivian Perez (BBA '19)
Finance