By Emily Scott
After Saul Velez (MSF’21) graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in December 2018, he decided to take a year off from school and gain experience in the finance industry. Throughout 2019 and 2020 he interned with 3 different companies to gain first-hand experience in the industry and network with professionals. “This experience was invaluable, as it allowed me to really hone in on what specific field within finance I wanted to pursue a career in,” Velez said.
Saul Velez (MSF’21)
Velez applied and was accepted into the Vanderbilt MSF program in May 2020. Once the program started in August, he began working on his job search strategy. “Besides focusing on classes, I continued networking and developing relationships with industry professionals. Recruiting season began almost as soon as classes started, and I began interviewing around mid-September,” he recalled.
Velez’s hard work paid off in December, when he accepted a job with Norwest Venture Partners as a Growth Equity Analyst in Palo Alto, CA. “I’m excited to be a part of a close, collaborative team that partners with unique founders and innovative companies. I’m also really excited about having the opportunity to learn from some pretty incredible people and continue developing as an investor with Norwest,” he said.
Velez says that networking was a key to a successful job search. He offered some advice for those currently going through the process: “Be open-minded about potential opportunities and don’t narrow your focus too much. Network as much as you can with industry professionals and build those relationships early on. I had many interviews arise simply because I knew someone at the firm,” he said.
Click through Velez’s timeline below to see how he landed the job.
