How I pivoted from Aircraft Mechanic to Investment Banker
In May 2005, I made the career pivot of going from aircraft mechanic to investment banker, thanks to SEO. A few days after I hung up the coveralls, I walked into an auditorium at Columbia University wearing a new suit and tie. I had officially begun my journey as a paid intern on Wall Street.
There, I found 200 other young SEO interns. I had never before seen so many other black and Hispanic people wearing suits. Until that moment, my ambitions had felt somewhat abstract, anchored as they were in the daily grind of blue-collar labor. Without realizing it, I’d adopted a rougher style of conduct when it came to speech, body language, and overall swagger. In short, I spoke and behaved like a mechanic, which doesn’t translate well in a white-shoe environment like Wall Street.
What I saw and heard in this room was something else. The clarity and cadence of speech, restrained composure, and polished introductions. I remember thinking, Everyone here sounds like that young black senator who spoke at last year’s Democratic National Convention.
Suddenly, Walter Booker—then chair of SEO’s board—stepped onto the stage and confirmed what I was thinking: that I was completely out of my element. He noted that he was addressing a roomful of elite students from top-tier universities. Mr. Booker praised the crowd for our successes thus far. We’d all delivered results within the most prestigious academic contexts in America—with the notable exception of yours truly.
“But guess what?” he said. “It doesn't matter if you went to Harvard, Wharton, or Columbia."You look different from what people are used to, and because of that, you will be viewed differently. To overcome that, you have to be twice as good as the next person.” I glanced around and shifted in my seat.
Throughout my experiences in school, in the Air Force, and on the tarmac, most people more or less looked like me, so I hadn’t spent much time thinking about diversity in the workforce. Everything was about to change. Yes, I was still an intern, but this time I wasn’t there to make copies; I was there to secure my rightful place within the financial capital of the world.
Our internships, Booker explained, were auditions for our futures. For every two or three interns, just one would be offered a job. He went on to say that, like it or not, people have inherent biases based on their life experiences and perceived patterns. If you don’t fit the profile, you’re naturally perceived as more risky. Turns out, investment banks aren’t in the business of putting money on long shots, so us young professionals of color have to work twice as hard and be twice as good to prove there’s a big opportunity in the “risk”.
