Talk a little about your previous internship and the job search process.
I first became interested in finance during my summer going into sophomore year when interning in London at a private equity firm. Leading up to my junior summer, I networked and did technical prep work. After my reinsurance internship this past summer, I continued to network and research investment banking opportunities. I came across Collin Chapin ’12 and Libbie Warner ’19, who both had non-traditional routes into banking; considering that both ended up at Harris Williams, I thought it would be a great opportunity to start networking there. Colin helped me learn more about banking and the culture. Harris Williams hosted a NYC networking event this past summer, and I had the opportunity to meet people from the Richmond office. Everyone was welcoming and genuinely interested in getting to know you as a person.
I’m looking forward to meeting new people and getting hands-on experience in banking. In August, I explored Richmond and loved the beautiful art and street murals. As a history major, I also appreciated the rich history of Richmond that’s evident throughout the city.
You referred to a non-traditional path to finance. Can you explain this a bit more?
There’s a preconceived notion that you have to be an economics major to go into finance. This isn’t necessarily the case. My history major and Hamilton resources helped me with a lot of transferable skills to the industry. For instance, communication in a concise and coherent manner. When it came down to the interviews, the research skills and critical thinking from my history courses helped me with the case studies.
Theodore Karavolas ’22
Major: History; Minor: Economics
Hometown: Guilderland, N.Y.
High School: The Albany Academies
Activities: Lacrosse, senior editor of Hamilton Historical, executive board member for Hamilton FCA
Any advice for other students in the job search?
Start networking as early as possible and make sure to follow up and maintain those relationships. I still keep in touch with people such as Libbie Warner ’19 and others at places I will not be working at. It’s important to keep in touch because you never know what future opportunities will come your way.
What are your long-term professional goals?
In the long-term, I see myself working in private equity and eventually earning an MBA. I also know my interests are subject to change and will take whatever opportunities come my way.
