Wall Street has long been seen as a bastion of elite schools, creating a pipeline from some of the most prestigious universities and prep schools to the hallowed halls of the financial district. But SUNY Albany graduate Matthew Alfieri is proof that it’s not the only path. With hard work, a little luck and a lot of chutzpah, you can make it to Wall Street from any school.
Alfieri, a Goldman Sachs alum and current partner at Centana Growth Partners, began his journey in 2005, when he accepted a coveted analyst position at Goldman’s investment banking division straight out of SUNY Albany. He spent nearly a decade with the renowned firm before moving to Centana where he bridged the gap between public and private sector investing.
Alfieri shared his considerable insight with Insider’s Emmalyse Brownstein and provided invaluable tips to aspiring Wall Streeters without the Ivy-league pedigree. In reality, the diversity of perspective on Wall Street could be strengthened by recruiting beyond just the Ivies and the prep schools. It’s time for banks and financial firms to look beyond the typical source pool of talent and begin to recruit from universities across the country, as well as from nontraditional sources, to reach a more diverse representation of thought.
One of the best ways to recruit beyond just Ivy and prep schools is to look for individuals with a combination of experience and the ever-important ‘soft skills’. It’s not uncommon for recruiters to overlook anything that can’t be quantified but these skills, from presentation to problem-solving, can make all the difference. Additionally, recruiters should focus on potential, since experience doesn’t necessarily equate to success on Wall Street.
The recruiting process has adapted somewhat due to the pandemic but there are still some simple ways to get noticed when applying to Wall Street firms. Often, it is best to start by partnering with a career center on campus, checking out job fairs, building relationships with recruiters, attending industry meet-ups, and providing thoughtful and thorough applications. There’s no need to be shy and all of these tactics can build success on Wall Street.
Recruiting beyond Ivy and prep schools has much to offer Wall Street. Freshening up the talent pool with people from a wider range of backgrounds would potentially lead to higher profits and better working relationships. Alfieri’s remarkably successful story from SUNY Albany shows that high-quality Wall Street workers don’t have to come from a certain group. With a little hard work and determination, any university student can make it to the financial district.
