James Mondi ’22 on the Job at Bank of America

What drew you to Bank of America?

Bank of America is a large corporation that operates globally, so I knew I would find a role that suited me. A couple of my friends had already held jobs at Bank of America, and they had wonderful things to say about working for the bank. Great people, benefits, the list goes on. The bank also offers great ability to move within the company should I wish to pivot toward a different role.

Describe the work you’ll be doing.

I’ll be working in asset services. I’ll be processing mandatory and voluntary events for clients (cash mergers, stock splits, name changes, tender offers, etc.). Some refer to it as corporate action.

What Hamilton experiences helped to prepare you for this?

I took a 400-level Financial Economics elective my senior year that was a great introduction to the financial world. While it could not possibly cover the entire realm of finance, it was great preparation for my role as it introduced me to various types of securities and how they function. Other than that, I would confidently say my overall undergraduate experience at Hamilton strongly prepared me for the role. Hamilton’s open curriculum is a luxury that students should not take for granted. Being able to take courses across subject areas allowed me to meet new people, hone new skills, and gave me the confidence to succeed in new and unfamiliar areas.

What are your long-term career plans or goals?

I can’t really say I have a long-term plan going into this. For the near future, I’d like to get up to speed in my new role.

What aspects of your new position are you looking forward to the most?

I’m most excited to get to know my coworkers. I’ll be working in a pretty small team, so it’ll be fun to interact with them on a daily basis. I’m excited to be working in New York City, which is a short commute from my hometown. It’ll also be cool to see some of the events that I work on appear in the news here and there.

What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a career in finance?

Most importantly, don’t get discouraged. I had never held an internship at a financial institution, or anywhere for that matter, prior to being offered the job. I had interviewed at a couple of places, but never received an offer. You are going to apply to many jobs in your search, which means you’re going to get a lot of rejections. But all it takes is one “yes.” And this goes for all industries, not just finance.

Secondly, finance is an enormous industry with so many different roles. Use your connections. Speak to as many people as you can and pick their brains about what they do. Ask them good questions. In most cases, people enjoy talking to young students about what they do. See if their role is something that interests you and if it’s something you could see yourself doing. Then you can start to narrow your search.