Bevin Analyst, Corporate Treasury Finance division, New York

Part of what makes the people at Goldman Sachs so great is that we come from a variety of backgrounds and therefore possess a variety of strengths that we can use at the firm.

Background

Looking back five years ago, I would have never expected that I would be working in finance. As a freshman in college, I had decided to pursue a Biomedical Engineering major. However, I also became interested in economics, which eventually became a bridge to my interest in finance and pursuit of a career in this industry.

Someone encouraged me to apply for a summer internship in finance since they thought I would be a good fit for this industry. Fortunately, I took the suggestion very seriously, and decided to apply.

I interviewed for similar positions at other firms, but Goldman Sachs quickly distinguished itself from other competitors. Not only was I impressed by the firm itself, but I was also impressed by the people I met. I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to participate in the Corporate Treasury summer analyst program.

Getting Started at Goldman Sachs

My first few days at the firm as a summer analyst were slightly overwhelming, but I found it relatively easy to adapt with the help of my colleagues. The people here were intelligent, driven and professional, but at the same time they were extremely friendly. I appreciated all of the time they took out of their busy days to make me feel welcome and to share their knowledge when I first joined, and all of the support they provided when I decided to return as a full-time analyst the following year. Getting to work with such a remarkable group of people is one of the highlights of my job.

Working in Finance

I work in the Finance division in the Corporate Treasury department in New York. We work closely with the treasurer and focus on managing the firm’s liquidity, funding and capital. We are also very involved in managing relationships with our regulators. Currently, I am part of the team in Treasury that focuses on liquidity-related initiatives. I have a broad range of responsibilities, ranging from producing and developing risk metrics to analyzing the potential implications of new regulatory policy.

My current focus is liquidity risk management. In particular, I’ve spent much of my time working on developing and revising liquidity risk models. This focus has been incredibly interesting because liquidity is such a multifaceted concept – I have been able to learn about a variety of businesses, products and processes that are integral to our firm. There are a number of ways we have to think about liquidity risk – for example, looking at short-term, long-term, and intraday liquidity needs of the firm – which challenges me to connect concepts and think about problems more holistically. I’ve really enjoyed this type of work because, overall, I’ve found a great balance between looking at high-level concepts and conducting more detailed analyses.

Given the financial events of the past few years, liquidity risk has received much more attention than in prior years. But because liquidity risk management is a relatively new area of focus in the industry, there are many challenging aspects to this job. Ongoing changes in the regulatory environment present a further challenge, as they often require us to quickly adapt to new circumstances. While the dynamic nature of the industry can make my job more challenging, it is also one of the reasons I find my work so interesting.

Career Development

In Treasury, I am frequently able to challenge myself by seeking solutions to issues that may be influenced by a number of factors. I’ve had the opportunity to develop plenty of important skills through this work, including learning how to solve complex problems by synthesizing information and assessing the impact of potential outcomes. Additionally, there have been a vast number of opportunities while at the firm for to learn outside of my daily responsibilities, including special events where I’m able to hear about interesting topics from distinguished speakers.

Teamwork

Because the work in Treasury covers all the businesses around the firm, I’ve been able to work with and learn from a variety of great people. It’s interesting to have an opportunity to look at certain aspects of the firm from diverse perspectives – those of business heads, Legal, Operations, Controllers, Technology, etc.

While the majority of the work we do in Corporate Treasury is team-based, I also spend a substantial amount of time working individually on components of various projects. I most often work with a sub-group of other people in Treasury but I also frequently work on projects that involve individuals from my group and across other areas of the firm, both locally and globally. I have definitely seen how the collaborative culture here is a key contributor to Goldman Sachs’ success.

Reward

The most rewarding part of my job is that I can see how I impact the firm—already as a first-year analyst, I have had the opportunity to work on significant projects that are essential to the way we think about liquidity risk at the firm. Because this field is constantly changing—much like the financial industry in general—there is a great deal of opportunity for less experienced employees to contribute new ideas alongside those who have more experience.

Nontraditional Majors

To those considering a career in finance, I would advise you to pursue your interests regardless of your major. Part of what makes the people at Goldman Sachs so great is that we come from a variety of backgrounds and therefore possess a variety of strengths that we can use at the firm. It is more important that you constantly seek to learn and enjoy trying to understand complex problems. One of the great aspects of a career in finance—especially at Goldman Sachs—is that there are many opportunities to learn and to grow.