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Working in Finance

Susan Webb, Research Analyst,

Mutual Fund Group

After majoring in biochemistry, I joined the research department of a large mutual fund group. Because of my background, I was assigned to work with the senior pharmaceuticals analyst. I start the day by reading the Wall Street Journal and reviewing the analyses that come in each day from stockbroking firms. Sometimes we need to revise our earnings forecasts and meet with the portfolio managers to discuss possible trades. The remainder of my day is spent mainly in analyzing companies and developing forecasts of revenues and earnings. I meet frequently with pharmaceutical analysts in stockbroking firms and we regularly visit company management. In the evenings I study for the Chartered Financial Analyst exam. Since I did not study finance at college, this is quite challenging. I hope eventually to move from a research role to become a portfolio manager.

Richard Gradley, Project Finance,

Large Energy Company

After leaving college, I joined the finance department of a large energy company. I spent my first year helping to analyze capital investment proposals. I then moved to the project finance group, which is responsible for analyzing independent power projects around the world. Recently, I have been involved in a proposal to set up a company that would build and operate a large new electricity plant in southeast Asia. We built a spreadsheet model of the project to make sure that it was viable and we had to check that the contracts with the builders, operators, suppliers, and so on, were all in place before we could arrange bank finance for the

project.

Albert Rodriguez, Emerging Markets Group,

Major New York Bank

I joined the bank after majoring in finance. I spent the first 6 months in the bank`s training program, rotating between departments. I was assigned to the Latin America team just before the 1998 Brazilian crisis when interest rates jumped to nearly 50 percent and the currency fell by 40 percent. There was a lot of activity, with everyone trying to figure out what was likely to happen next and how it would affect our business. My job is largely concerned with analyzing economies and assessing the prospects for bank business. There are plenty of opportunities to work abroad and I hope to spend some time in one of our Latin American offices, such as Argentina or Brazil.

Emma Kuletsky, Customer Service Representative,

Regional Bank

My job is to help look after customers in a large branch. They seem to expect me to know about everything. I help them with financial planning and with their applications for loans. In a typical day, I may have to interview a new customer who wants to open a new account with the bank and calm an old one who thinks she has been overcharged for a wire transfer. I like dealing with people, and one day I hope to be manager of a branch like this one.