Could you please introduce yourself?
I am Shukri Ali, Class of 2021. I am majoring in Economics and minoring in Environmental Studies. I am an international student from Hargeisa, Somaliland. On campus I work at the Office of Admissions as a student assistant and I am one of the two student Outreach Officers this semester. I am also part of the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program, Al-Muslimat, Black Muslims at Wellesley, Slater, Wellesley African Students’ Association.
What was your internship at BlackRock like this summer? What did you take away from this experience?
This past summer, I was a Finance Summer Analyst at BlackRock. My internship was supposed to be 10 weeks, in-person, but because of COVID, they had to shorten it and switch to virtual. I was one of 11 finance interns, but I was the only one with the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) group in New York. I really enjoyed my time with the team. Everyone I met virtually was extremely intelligent, kind, and welcoming, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to work alongside them. My main takeaway from this experience was just how much I enjoy doing quantitative work. It reaffirmed my interest in finance and I am planning to pursue the same thing post-graduation.
What did you get to work on during your internship?
I had different projects, but my favorite one was my final project. For my final project, I focused on how sustainable investing is linked to financial performance. I was specifically looking at the increased demand for ESG products and how BlackRock can best prepare for this. I was able to read through different literature, pull data from different sources, and then put together a comprehensive presentation for the team. This project really allowed me to utilize both my quantitative and qualitative skills.
Have you had any mentors that have impacted your career process and if so, how did they impact you?
For me, I did not have someone that I could say “Oh this person is my go-to. This person is my mentor.” There were different people who I could rely on who truly shaped my career interest. Those people are either from back home or they are people I met through my different internships. An example of someone who had an impact on my career is my supervisor from my Kaplan Test Prep. internship in 2019. When I was with Kaplan, I was also with their finance team and my supervisor was truly the one who encouraged me and introduced me to the finance world. He exposed me to so many different projects during my internship so I can truly get a deeper understanding of this career. I will also say maybe five other people I met through my BlackRock internship also had an impact on my career process and my post-graduation plans. Overall, multiple people had an everlasting impact on me. I just can't narrow it down to one person. They have all helped me see my strengths and utilize it the best way possible and I am forever grateful to them.
Networking can be really difficult when starting out. Do you have any advice on like how to reach out to alums or anyone in the finance space?
I will say utilize LinkedIn. Let's say if you're interested in a specific company, go to LinkedIn, find that company on LinkedIn, and then look at the people who are working there. You can find Wellesley alums or someone else that you have a shared interest with. Message them and truly try to get to know them. I am sure by talking to them, you will get some sort of , insight from them. They have been in the professional world more than us, so reaching out to them and learning more about their journey and their current role could help you find a way to best situate yourself for a career with that company or that division.
My advice to you is to use LinkedIn as much as you can. Even if the person is not within the specific division that you are interested in; you can always ask them if they can connect you to someone who is in the division of your interest or someone else that they think might be helpful to you.
For students who aren't really sure about going into finance or don’t know what within finance they want to pursue, what would you recommend?
Keep an open mind and try different things first. When I came to Wellesley, I was set on neuroscience or astronomy and told everyone that I was choosing between these two. I had plans to either work for NASA or run my own hospital in Hargeisa someday. Everything changed when I took my first Econ course to fulfill the social and behavioral requirements. I didn't have Econ in high school and I have never met someone who majored in Econ prior to Wellesley. I was really surprised to see how much I was enjoying the concepts I was learning in Econ, so I eventually made the decision to pursue that. Then, I remember one day, I was like “Oh, let me look at what Wellesley students who majored in econ are doing now”, and I was able to see that many of them were at Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and all of those big corporations. I then looked for programs for first years and sophomores that these companies offered. I quickly learned that many of them actually hold Insight Days where they bring undergraduate students to their offices and introduce them to their work. So, I attended those, got exposed to some of their work and met some of their employees. I would highly recommend going to them but if you cannot, try to connect with alums via LinkedIn.
What would be your advice on looking for your first internship?
Take advantage of Wellesley’s resources, start off with what Wellesley has, and then go on from there. For me, I did not come into Wellesley with established, outside professional support that I could rely on for internships and jobs. I started building my support system here and my first summer internship was actually with the Wellesley Centers for Women which is why I say, start here and start branching out bit by bit until you find your niche.
To conclude: What's your favorite spot on campus?
I think my favorite spot on campus is Caz Green Room in the Caz basement. It is this huge living room, with a kitchen, study space, TV, treadmill, and a vending machine. It is such a nice room. It has almost everything you need.
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