Bonfire of the Resumes

Serving on the executive board of William & Mary’s Finance Academy has always been a challenging task for me. The job of Vice President of this finance pre-professional group requires motivation, organization, and a genuine interest in the workings of the financial system as a whole. It’s been a great experience, however, as we’ve managed to place William & Mary students in some of the top financial jobs in the world through this program. When I joined the Finance Academy during my sophomore year at the College, the economy was strong, U.S. stock market indexes were approaching all-time highs, and companies were hiring anything with a pulse. Sadly, as the noted financial analyst Bob Dylan once wrote, “the first one now will later be last, for the times they are a-changing.”

And change they did. As I write this, the stock market has dropped an estimated 2,000,000% over the last year (all figures approximate). The government is doing everything it can to prevent a total meltdown of U.S. markets, and the economy is quietly working its way toward a recession. My job as a Finance Academy officer has become more one of grief counseling than career preparation. It still requires motivation and organization, but I feel like we spend more time talking about the failings of the financial system than the workings. Even my jovial Corporate Financial Strategy professor has become grumpier (although I suspect that may be because he found out about the jokes we make about his sweaters). And yet as bleak as everything seems, William & Mary students, stubborn as we are, continue to find ways to succeed.

Maybe financial firms have finally realized the value of a liberal arts education, even on Wall Street. Maybe our wonderful Career Center has done an especially good job of attracting less traditional employers to campus this year. Perhaps it’s our incredible alumni network, made up of thousands of people who have taken time out of their busy schedules to speak with students, look over resumes, and even help prepare for interviews. Whatever it is, we continue to send students to some of the best jobs around, both within the field of finance and across all our disciplines. The economy will recover. The stock market will rebound. If the Backstreet Boys can make a comeback, I have no fear for the long-term viability of the U.S. financial system. For, as they say, “the loser now will later win, for the times they are a changing'” (Dylan, et al.).

Evan Brown, 2009
Senior Tour Guide