Finance Major Associate Program Student Breaks into Technology Industry
Background
Yuhe (David) Zhang enrolled in our Associate program after his graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. As an international student majoring in Finance, Yuhe had limited professional experience and technical training in investment banking and private equity. During his initial interview, Yuhe demonstrated a basic understanding of financial concepts but lacked the practical skills and confidence needed to excel in the competitive finance industry. With our program, he developed technical skills with 1-on-1 training and mentoring and expanded his interests and market sense in the rapidly growing technology industry. All of this gave him the competitive advantage to secure a full-time job offer in the finance department at Huawei.
The Results
- Upon completing the Associate program, Yuhe received multiple internship offers, which helped build his professional experience and maturity.
- He acquired financial modeling, valuation, and investment analysis experience that positioned him as a strong candidate for fulltime recruiting.
- Yuhe was able to secure a full-time financial management role at Huawei in their Wuhan office.
The Challenge
Yuhe went to the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, which was not a target school. Thus, he needed a competitive edge to distinguish himself from his peers. At the time, Yuhe had minimal hands-on experience with financial modeling, business valuation, and investment analysis. Additionally, he felt unprepared for rigorous finance interviews due to his limited exposure to the industry. Yuhe enrolled in our program to develop essential investment banking skills, gain relevant experience through internships, and build confidence in his abilities.
The Transformation
In 15 weeks, Yuhe had completed 196-hour structured investment banking training, mentoring, internship, and career development program.
- He completed assignments in financial modeling, pitch book presentations, and valuation. These assignments were reviewed 1-on-1 with another experienced analyst before reviewing with Mr. Romero to ensure he fully understood the course material.
- He learned advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills and gained a solid foundational base in accounting, valuation, and financial modeling which prepared for her future interviews.
- He also learned investment strategies and developed a strong understanding of capital markets.
- Yuhe also completed our internship, where he was tasked with performing investment analysis, building financial models, including leveraged buyout model, and offering his recommendation.
By the end of the program, Yuhe had developed the same level of skills that professionals typically take years to acquire, giving him a tremendous competitive advantage.
Yuhe credits much of his early success to our program and the valuable skills he developed, which he continues to apply in his professional roles.