Meet Jose Garcia, a recent graduate of DePaul who studied finance. Jose previously attended Moraine Valley Community College, before making the decision to attend DePaul. Jose has always had a passion for learning anything math-based and analytical which drove him to pursue his finance degree.
Jose spent seven years of his childhood living in Mexico, then moved back to the United States for the educational opportunities. After graduating high school, he joined the Marines where he worked as a repair technician on fighter jets. Jose also had the opportunity to live in Japan during his time in the Marines.
While at DePaul, Jose worked at Breakthru Beverage Group as a finance Intern, at Wintrust as a PPP Intern, and was a corporate finance intern at Abbott, and a corporate banking summer analyst for BMO Harris Bank. Jose chose to intern at Breakthru Beverage Group to specifically utilize the skills he gained from his past experiences and because of his desire to learn about different areas of finance. What drove him to accept an internship at Breakthru Beverage Group was the fact that his family in Mexico are in the liquor business and sell certain brands that are seen in the United States. Breakthru Beverage just so happens to sell the specific brands Jose’s family sells in Mexico.
While Jose has had a variety of internship experiences, the most rewarding aspect of all of them was having his hard work appreciated and validated. Jose emphasized that having superiors acknowledge his work directly made him feel appreciated and like a vital component of the team. Specifically, Jose received a very positive letter of recommendation after his first internship which he emphasized was a rewarding way to conclude a successful internship.
In the Corporate Banking sector, Jose advises students to be aware of the recruiting cycle and both the interpersonal and technical skills required for the position you are applying for. The technical skills, such as financial modeling, is something students should know and feel comfortable with as they enter into corporate banking. In addition, people skills and writing skills play a huge role in being successful within financial services type of career work. Lastly, research skills are something students should learn how to do and is something employers look for in potential future bankers. For example, annual reviews can be hundreds of pages long and researching the financial statements helps bankers understand the company they are reviewing.
Diversity, equity and inclusion is also something Jose is very passionate about. While serving in his BMO Harris internship, Jose explained the uniqueness of the company’s accountability in their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and how that really spoke to him. In his experience attending a DE&I training during his internship, Jose found the experience to be very engaging and a meaningful conversation instead of just a mandatory training. In addition, Jose noted that BMO tracks numbers in hiring demographics to keep themselves accountable in reaching their DE&I targets.
Jose emphasizes that being a respectful and willing to listen as an ally is extremely important in effectively advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion. This means that while company executives must support minorities in telling their story, they must also allow those individuals to share their stories instead of speaking for them. He believes that the best way to increase understanding of the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace is to give minorities a platform, who have experiences to share and support and encouragement to share their stories.
Jose shared that being in the Marines afforded him the opportunity to work with people from all over. He learned about so many different cultures from his fellow peers. After his time in the Marines when at his first internship, he was in shock when he realized he was the only person of color in the room. This proved to be a continuous challenge throughout his professional career, so far and believes corporate America should do better in expanding its search for diverse candidates. He also believes companies should be traveling to underserved communities and showcasing the opportunities they are offering to students from all types of backgrounds.
Jose accepted an offer to return to BMO Capital Markets full-time upon graduated and plans on working in the field for the foreseeable future. He views his greatest accomplishment in life so far, was going through the Marine boot camp, a grueling thirteen weeks and challenge to his physical and mental health. After making it to the end and successfully overcoming his greatest challenge, his confidence soared; something that has carried on over into his academic and professional life.
The advice that Jose would give his younger self is that it is okay to be patient with one’s journey in life. After his time in the Marines, Jose decided to enroll in community college right away. He started out in a different major that he was unsure about despite knowing that he wanted a career that was math-based and analytical. After some time to think through his plan following graduating from community college, Jose started at DePaul University knowing that a finance major was right for him. Taking that time to evaluate what he wanted to do in the future was instrumental to getting where he is today. When Jose reflects on his life experiences, he sees lessons in patience and persistence have served him well. Jose advises that it is okay not to be completely sure of exactly what you want to do, especially with the broadness of the finance industry, and to be patient while making those decisions.
We wish you all of the best, Jose!