The Finale, Farewell

A comment by a reader of the blog got me thinking….where have I been and where am I now?

In First Year I was a bright-eyed, optimistic and excited student, determined to take advantage of every opportunity that possibly existed for me at The University of Melbourne. Being the first in my immediate family to attend University, I felt I had the responsibility to never take a moment of Uni-Life for granted….especially since in the broader scheme of things I knew how many people out there would have given anything to be in my place.

So I threw myself into grueling academic study and put my hand up for as many extra-curricular activities that I felt I could fit on my plate. Being involved with Political Interest Society as Social Secretary, getting on the launch committee for 85 Broads in Australia and at the University of Melbourne, Peer Mentoring, Open Days, Melbourne Uni Tennis Club and the Accounting & Business Information Systems Staff Student Consultative Group were all fantastic experiences where I met some amazing people and learned a lot about being a leader and working in a team.

From a career perspective, I knew what I wanted to be from the moment I turned 18 and discovered my dream job thanks to a chance meeting with a lawyer who (after I told him I wanted to buy and sell companies for a living) introduced me to an investment banker working in M&A who went on to become one of my greatest mentors. So with that career goal firmly in mind I turned up at firm information sessions and Women in Investment Banking cocktail evenings, usually being the only First Year in attendance and surrounded by 4th or 5th Year Commerce/Law students. Being the youngest was kind of nerve-racking but at the same time it was a total buzz meeting people and standing out from the crowd ended up working in my favour.

In my spare time I worked 3 part-time jobs outside of Uni, played tennis and pursued a relationship with J who would have won the “best boyfriend award” if it existed! It was one of the best, most memorable years of my life.

Second year had me running from the word go. It was THE BIG ONE. The chance to score an internship in a bank. I continued with my extra-curricular activities from First Year, full-steam ahead (including massive launch party of 85 Broads in Australia!), studied hard, endured a difficult breakup with J, and watched someone else I really cared about move halfway across the world – right when I was in the middle of first semester exams. From that I found out I could work well under pressure and still get academic results that (I admit!) surprised me in a good way. It was hard as well because at the same time I was fielding calls from different banks and going through various interview processes. I got a lot of positive feedback but the standout comment was “We love you but come back after Honours”. It was frustrating to know that I’d managed to score interviews at some of the top banks in the world, and to be told “You’re not ready”. I learned quickly that when it comes to job hunting, you have to have a pretty thick skin about it – and the most important thing is to never give up. So I learned from every interview mistake I made and then somehow managed to wrangle myself an interview with the Melbourne Office MD of a smaller IB team. After speaking with him for about 10 minutes, he said to me “so when do you want to start?” and I thought I was dreaming! Sensing my surprise he goes “Well, I knew we had to have you after I saw you worked at VideoBusters!” (my first job in a video store when I was 14!) You know you’ve picked the right firm when your boss has an awesome sense of humour!!! So Summer didn’t come fast enough, and I had the best 3 months of my life working full-time. I didn’t want to leave.

Third Year arrived. I fielded some other career opportunities but I knew I had already found the right place as tempting as it was (being Generation Y and all….to test the waters elsewhere). I think being successful in business is a mix of careful analysis and raw intuition. I used both and am even more certain now I made the right choice in choosing to stay as a grad at the firm I did my internship at.

Starting back at uni was incredibly difficult for me. It’s like I’d tasted the excitement of the market, being challenged 24/7, never watching the clock….and then I was forced back into a disjointed timetable of classes where rote-learning was the key method to success and the reality of the market was a million miles away from the theoretical one-sided discussion in lectures.

I needed something new to think about – Europe! My dear friend Y who I met through 85 Broads, and I, set about planning a European adventure. It was something I had dreamed about for years, and finally, after saving up all Summer, I had the money to do it! We decided to travel for 4 weeks together over the semester break and I would spend a 5th week travelling alone (missing the first week of Second Semester). Trip planning was a welcome distraction from Uni…I am a fierce researcher who trawled every book, webpage and verbal commentary for info on what to see and do! Preparation paid off and I went to see what the world was all about.

Which leads me to here. Now. After returning it’s been one mad rush to adjust back, to get over jet-lag, recover from my ears and bronchitis then catching up on uni, catching up with friends, catching up with family….trying to find a routine again, entering 3 weeks of “mid-semester” exams. I haven’t really stopped since I got home! Then of course there’s Italy…! I got an offer I couldn’t refuse to spend 2 weeks in my mid-semester break travelling in my beloved Tuscany with the previously-mentioned PhD boy who somehow managed to charm me into going! But I’ve always been an opportunist, so how could I say no?! From when I return in October it’s pretty much to home base from there. A few more weeks of uni, exams….then the end of Third Year.

It’s been an amazing ride. Seems especially so when I summarise 3 years like that! But I think it was time for me to sum it all up and say “this is what you can do if you’re prepared to put a little time and effort in”….at the end of the day though; yes I’ve achieved the narrow definition of academic “success” but to put it in perspective, I have to say, my greatest success has been the friends I have made through it all and the other wonderful mentors and acquaintances I have met along the way. Life is meaningless without the people that exist in it. An experience is always more colourful when you share it with someone else.

And as much as someone might say “What the hell is this girl talking about? She’s about to become a cynical, time-poor, IB grad!” – My response to that is this: if there is one thing I’ve learned from all the successful business people I’ve met, it’s that being successful in business relies on being successful in relationships.

So. I think my time writing here is done. As much as I feel endeared to this blog, I think my capacity to contribute from an academic perspective has ended, so better to officially write a goodbye than to just fade away without anyone knowing why! It’s been a privilege to be able to write on here, and I’ve enjoyed reading the adventures of all the other bloggers, appreciate the efforts of the amazing Uni staff behind the scenes who ensure The Blog runs smoothly – and of course, I am thankful most of all to the wonderful readers who have spent some of their time reading about a random girl who does Commerce at the University of Melbourne.

The End (for now!).

Sophie