Letter to My Younger Self: Kerry Flynn, Global Compliance

Kerry –

Congratulations on your graduation from Mary Washington College in Virginia! You will soon move on to Rutgers, where you will get a JD/MBA and then begin working at a large New York City law firm doing mergers and acquisitions. The hours will be grueling, but the work will be interesting and high profile – you will learn and contribute as much as you can during this period, even if it’s challenging from a work/life perspective. When a senior associate from the law firm decides to join Goldman Sachs, they remember your hard work and ask you to interview for a role. You take a leap of faith, accept the offer you receive to join Goldman Sachs as an associate – and never look back.

You’ll reflect often on those early law firm days at the beginning of your career, and be thankful because they gave you the strong foundation you’ve since built on and continue to employ at Goldman Sachs today – a thoughtful approach for analyzing issues, working collaboratively and managing interpersonal relationships, and finding solutions. Over the years, you will have the opportunity to work with different parts of the Global Banking & Markets business, including Global Prime Services and Americas Equities. It’s now been 17 years, but you never get bored because of the ever-changing regulatory environment and innovative businesses you cover.  Every day brings new learnings, and you’re able to build depth and breadth of expertise working with some of the most talented people out there. 

As you forge your path at the firm, two things will stand out – first, how quickly you develop as a leader, through your impact, strength and resilience, as well as the coaching and perspectives of people around you. And second, how some of most memorable moments and biggest accomplishments in your career are not necessarily your own, but rather milestones in the journeys of others you spend time guiding and mentoring.

While at Goldman Sachs, you will get married and have two boys – your family will give you a new perspective on life that will allow you to better handle the pressure that comes with working at the best investment bank in the world. To help you along the way, here are some pieces of advice:

Have a point of view.
It’s not enough to work hard in the background to get ahead. You have to demonstrate leadership, and a key part of showing up as a leader is trusting your instincts, establishing your point of view and communicating it to others. From there, important discussions take place, and together with team members listening to and learning from each other’s input, you find a path forward together to tackle the challenge or opportunity at hand.

Never give up – instead, come back from setbacks wiser and stronger. 
Your career at the firm will be long.  You might not always get the project, promotion or role you’re seeking, and you will have moments where mistakes happen or you would have done something differently with the benefit of hindsight. It’s actually in those moments that important learning happens – and that’s what drives your growth.  Your success will be in not letting these moments define you – instead, embrace them for what they give you, which is learning how to get back up and build resilience. 

Don’t leave opportunity on the table.
You need to be in the driver’s seat for your own career journey. Make the most of every opportunity, seek to excel in everything you do, foster your own relationships and chart your path forward.  Don’t be passive and depend on others to advance your career – take the initiative, advocate for yourself and have the hard conversations. Seek mentors who will tell you the truth and ask for guidance when you need it.

Give back – and let people know you want to help.
You’ll be the beneficiary of unparalleled mentoring, coaching and advice, and it’s important to give back to others. Help them prepare for their next milestone or opportunity, and pass on the knowledge you have acquired and wish you had earlier on when you were navigating inflection points in your own career.  Those exchanges and candid conversations – that’s how the best relationships are formed. 

Keep perspective.
Goldman is a special place where you will spend a lot of time. Remember to manage to the long-term when it comes to your career, set boundaries and make time for family and friends.