Interview with Jimmy Bruder – University of Miami (UMiami)

Interview with Jimmy Bruder – University of Miami (UMiami)

Interviewer: Very cool, well, needless to say I am super excited Jimmy, we met at a career fair a little while ago, and you gave a great first impression and I was recruiting you for my full-time position at the time. But today you’re joining us from University of Miami, you’ve been a Dean’s List student, we’ll definitely get into that, you’re in a fraternity, and you’ve had some internships, and you’re from Pennsylvania and you ended up all the way down at the University of Miami, so first question,

My favorite question, how did you pick UMiami?

Jimmy: So it’s pretty funny. I actually had no interest in going to Miami at all when I applied. I really only applied because my college counselor said she’d leave me alone if I applied to Miami and I was like, ‘Well, I’m not going to go to Miami.’ The only way I began to consider it was because she thought I’d be a great fit, and I was like, ‘Absolutely not! I want to go to a small school in the Northeast which is obviously very different. But when I came down here, I started becoming very open to the opportunities. UMiami had always had a big Spanish culture and passion for the Spanish language, which was a big draw. But they also gave me an opportunity to work on campus through the Miami Lead program, and that was a really cool opportunity, and really encouraged me to come down here because on top of that there were plenty of other opportunities that I kind of felt like Miami let you take your education into your own hands, you know. They’ll help you get to the finish line, but if you want to feel like you really want to succeed and if you really want to make a difference in your education, you really have to take a lot of initiative, which I really liked, and I think that really prepared me for post-graduation as well.

Interviewer: Very nice, so some independence was required, but before that, when you were considering UMiami, did you visit the school before you applied or did you apply and just show up for orientation once you were accepted?

Jimmy: So I did visit, I have some family that lives down here so I was visiting them, I drove down my cousin who was also in the same boat as me, but again, only applied because the college counselor recommended it. I had a friend who was a freshman when I was a senior in high school he showed us around and it was really lovely. For a second, I really couldn’t believe it was a campus actually.

Interviewer: When I met you at the career fair that was the first time I’d ever been to Miami or Coral Gables and I had the same reaction. The weather’s incredible and I can imagine that feeling you described of being surprised you can go to school there.

It sounds like you are happy with your decision, was your college advisor a great resource for you?

Jimmy: I think it’s a great resource because they’ve seen it all. I mean, my college advisors, for example, worked at my high school for 30 years and you know as special as you want to think you are, you’re pretty similar to a lot of people who’ve come through it. So she’s like, ‘I’ve seen a million of you’ and everybody who’s like you at UMiami loves it. I’m like, ‘No, I’m different. I’m different.’ And I really wasn’t different in that sense, so I think it’s like a mature perspective that I really did need and they also know. Even though so many students want to apply to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, you might not be a Harvard, Yale, and Princeton student, so it’s nice to hear that as well sometimes, it’s nice to hear about other great options.

Interviewer: So, in the process it was a good combination of keeping your confidence but staying humble, and it really opened your eyes to a school that wasn’t even on your radar.

What was that first kind of arrival like as a newly admitted student?

Jimmy: That first month or so as you got settled in, the first year, first month, besides it being like unbearably hot, it was really interesting just because I always say this a lot of my friends even when we’re seniors, we do say for our first year was probably one of the best semesters just because everybody wanted to make friends. It really didn’t matter who you were; you could be at a class, you could be going out, you could just be walking around. Everybody just wanted to meet everybody which I thought was really cool, and it was a very collaborative environment, and being able to kind of figure everything out with everyone was nice. Because the school doesn’t totally hold your hand through the process, like I mentioned earlier, a lot of the experience you get here are from what you make it for yourself. So, being able to, you know, kind of force yourself out there and outside of your comfort zone, you really got to meet the most people and learn the most about the school, and that’s what I really, really liked. And my first impression was actually during orientation when the business school professor goes, “No shocker, a lot of people consider this a little bit of a party school,’ but he’s like, ‘But that also means we’re not going to hold your hand, you’re going to get exactly what you get out of your effort here. You show up and you work hard, you’re going to get that back in return.” That really kind of set the tone for the rest for the next four years and I really think without that speech I would have approached college a lot differently.

Interviewer: So, from the start, the community is welcoming you but also, it’s really pushing you to be independent and to find the balance that works for you alongside the reputation of a party school. I’d like to hear more about the culture at UMiami and in the surrounding areas. Was the culture a big draw for you? Where do you go to hangout?

Jimmy: Yeah, so for fun we usually go to Coconut Grove on like Thursday and Friday – it’s cool just because you know no matter what time of year it is there’s always something to do outside. But it’s a great combination of social or party culture, it’s very explorative culture; know for every kid you meet who goes out a lot, there’s also a kid who goes fishing every day or there’s a kid who goes wakeboarding every day and I thought that was really cool because there really is so much to do down here with the water and the Everglades. It gives you a chance to spread out. I’m not sure if that totally answered the question.

Interviewer: Yeah it definitely did. It’s a testament to the area and what you’re close to and what you can access and that goes for other schools that are in New York City, or where I went in Rochester, New York. It’s much different weather but you can access all the cities have to offer or in my case it was Lake Ontario. And speaking up opportunities to go do things and experience new people and places, that kind of segues into all the things you’re doing to build your resume, your professional experience, and your network.

What else are you doing inside and outside the classroom at UMiami for professional development?

Jimmy: I think outside the classroom, you know, the number one thing you always got to do is just keep trying to meet people. It’s always better to network by becoming friends with them instead of becoming friends with what they can do for you. I’m always active on LinkedIn and one thing I learned is I didn’t realize how much people like to talk about themselves and what they are interested in. I am always reaching out to people, companies, and jobs and everyone I meet is always happy to help out college students. And they love to talk about themselves, so it’s a very good opportunity to have. But on top of that, there are so many programs. But there are also so many programs here. For example, we have a Bloomberg Program [Bloomberg Market Concepts] that few students know about – and it’s offered for free. You can use a Bloomberg Terminal or there are other programs that will teach you Argus or financial statement modeling, and all that’s free. And so many people just don’t realize they have this access beyond their classes, but if you really seek these things out, you can get a phenomenal education. You can get all these certifications and build a myriad of skills that will not only help you get a job but once you get a job, you’ll be eons ahead of other people.

Interviewer: Yeah, so there are a million resources which at times can be overwhelming, but kind of like you’re saying, it’s who you meet – you establish friendships with and you can learn about their interests and compare them to what you’re doing, and that’s kind of what we talked about at the career fair as well.

Are those relationships part of what drove you to pursue business? And is that what you’re hoping to do short-term in your career?

Jimmy: Yeah I’m a self-advocate for business and short-term wise I’m extremely interested in doing it just because for me I always like meeting people and expanding my network and what comes to mind is even if you’re not in a sales role you’re always selling yourself no matter what and I always found it interesting because you could start your new company by hearing what somebody told you about what they’re doing and you can find that extremely interesting, you know nothing’s really set in stone for you so the more people you meet is the more times you can learn. I mean you really shouldn’t stop learning once you get your degree, I think that the best way to keep it going is by meeting people because not only are you able to learn from them but I always realize when I study for an exam, it’s easier for me to learn material by teaching it to people.

Interviewer: Yeah, and so when you’re able to talk about yourself and experience more, you might be able to realize things that you weren’t able to realize when you were only introspective, and so it kind of reminds me of this three-part breakdown that I think a lot of students are thinking about when they get to college: you have academics, your extracurriculars and then you have the social side of things, and next comes the question of how you manage all that.

What made you decide to add the experience of joining fraternity, and how do you manage everything on your plate throughout the semester?

Jimmy: So one thing that really encouraged me to join a fraternity is that I went to a really small high school with like 130 kids. We’d been at school together since first grade up through 12th grade, so I was always part of a really small community. I was always on sports teams when I was there, and so being able to have something that you all truly bond over, and being able to walk up and down the hallway and know everybody’s name, know their parents, know their siblings, that was always really cool to me. And when you get here, you know it’s a lot more than 130 people in your entire grade, especially in the whole school, so being a part of a fraternity where our entire chapter is 130 people really kind of helped me get that experience back where you’re very close to everybody. there’s always a familiar face wherever you take a turn, and you know whether you’re in the same class as somebody or in the same club as somebody, it’s always nice having someone that you have something in common with, such as a fraternity, to reach out to. I also just didn’t realize how much free time I had in college until I got my first screen time notification of how much I was on my phone so like the less you think about how much you have to do the easier it is to just do it.

Interviewer: And so you’d say you’re better off in terms of feeling successful and accomplished when you’re busier as opposed to not as busy?

Jimmy: Oh, definitely! Like this is the first semester I haven’t worked in, I think like six years, and it’s probably the first time I have slowed down for a long time.

Interviewer: So, work? You mean like hold a position, like hold a job while you’re in school?

Jimmy: Well I was a finance intern for the last four years of my time at Miami and then I worked at a fish market over the summers, which I did all of high school too.

Interviewer: Okay, very nice. Was that like a close family friend or some kind of connection at the fish market?

Jimmy: It was just right down the street from us; they were the only place that would hire me because I just always went there.

Interviewer: What was the position at the fish market?

Jimmy: I started as a general employee washing dishes. I was there for four years, so I actually ended up managing. Eventually I was making the schedule, I had to hire people; I had to fire somebody too. I mean, imagine me telling you you’re fired – I’d be pretty pissed off. But I was able to work with all my siblings so for them to have to listen to me for a change was pretty nice too.

Interviewer: I’m sure you were very nice when firing someone; I’ve done it before too – it is not easy, not fun at all. They don’t take it well no matter how nice you are.

Jimmy: Yeah well I caught them stealing so I was like, ‘You understand why you have to get fired? My hands are tied.’

Interviewer: I’m sure there’s a policy, but I worked as cook one summer, our joke was calling it being “the grill master”. But I was really just making burgers all summer. But at the fish market and where I worked, there is the customer service component and budgeting and like you’re saying scheduling and managing teams, so all those are relevant skills and it doesn’t matter that it’s a fish market or a grill and burgers all summer, so I think that’s a great lesson.

Interviewer: But going back to UMiami, are there any events or is there anything that Miami does specifically that’s led to more opportunities for you career-wise?

Jimmy: I think the career fair is definitely one of those examples. I feel like this conversation wouldn’t be happening without the career fair. But I think a lot of events that happen are extremely overwhelming for a lot of people so there are a lot of things that stem from the career center like newsletters and announcement. Another event was the club sports fair and there are I think I remember, I think like 200 clubs and half them all do the same thing but just with different names, so it’s super overwhelming for everybody, so nobody really likes to go to that stuff because you get fatigued from all the options. So what I really like to do is just be very up to date on my email and up to date on all the things that I’m doing, and I think that’s a really good way to do that. Because once you do one thing, you can become very close to the professor or the head of the department, and then they will reach out to you personally, with opportunities. For example I went to one small career event and ever since I’ve been on a selected students list and heavy quotations, where they send me emails of you know other opportunities that most other students don’t get.

Interviewer: So you’ve made a lot of good points, annd it’s the open-mindedness and just being curious and craving learning, and then, like, you were saying, I think the big thing to emphasize is also that word ‘free’, that you said, where you’re just accessing free resources and information. And since you actually read your student email, I’d say you definitely earned your status as a student with exclusive access for that student list which is funny too.

You mentioned faculty and staff and all these admininstartors like me that work in higher education. Who’s someone on campus that you’ve connected with and who you have learned from?

Jimmy: I think somebody I definitely connected with is Professor Mark Shapiro. He’s been really the spearhead of a lot of the career stuff and he’s been someone I’ve always reached out to and gotten to know really well. And actually, he’s told other people to reach out to me regarding networking and jobs, so that’s been very cool to be able to work on. But really, without him, I wouldn’t have the confidence to send networking emails. I remember when I was first starting to apply to jobs I was really nervous to send out networking emails to other analysts or hiring managers, and he really kind of sat me down and said, really in the nicest way, ‘They really don’t care about you,.’ Like they will reply if they want to, and if they don’t they’re going to forget who you are so you can move on. So it made it very nice. I was definitely very candid at the time, but it made it so much more digestible, and he made things that seemed like a huge feat for somebody who was a sophomore, so very digestible and very easy, which I really liked.

Interviewer: Yeah, that’s really nice. And pointing out the sophomore status as well, like being in that year early on in undergrad, I think it kind of goes back to some of the other things that I’ve heard from other students, where they feel respected by faculty and staff from first year to graduation. It’s earlier and earlier that people are getting help and exploring careers even in high school and as you get onto campus as a first-year, it’s so amazing to have a resource. I think every college probably has a handful of those faculty and staff that just want to be available and help as much as possible and again overcoming that hurdle of things like sending another follow-up email to inquire with someone, and that’s just how the process goes. I think you’ll have a lot of success and it makes a lot of sense for students to do that. I think it’s a good time to shift to our lost couple of questions.

Do you have any advice for students that maybe want to make the most of undergrad?

Jimmy: I think the biggest tip is always show up and always say yes to new opportunities. If you always show up to class it’s very hard to get below an 80, if you always show up to clubs it’s very hard to not be part of really cool opportunities, if you always show up to hang out with your friends you’re always going to be the first person they text for future plans. The hardest part of working out is getting to the gym. The hardest part of writing an essay is starting the intro. The hardest part of anything is just the inertia getting the ball moving and once you realize how easy that is, it’s key to being able to open everything else up, and that really starts with just going everywhere and always saying yes.

Interviewer: Yeah, I think that’s great advice, and it just reminds me of what we just talked about with networking, where nothing’s going to happen if you don’t send that email or you don’t show up and shake someone’s hand and introduce yourself. I think starting out is really difficult – I know personally, I was very shy in undergrad but being on a baseball team and having a small family when I showed up to campus, you just start meeting people and it kind of builds up from there. So that’s great advice.

My last question for you is: as a senior, do you feel prepared for life after graduation? How has Miami contributed to feeling prepared if so?

Jimmy: I only got two months left, so I really hope I feel prepared! But I definitely feel prepared, just because like I was saying earlier UMiami really teaches you how to seize the opportunity in everything. I think the biggest benefit of going to a school like this is a lot of people will count you out based on certain preconceived notions that it’s better to hire from a Harvard or Yale. It really allows me to appreciate the value of my work when I receive an offer despite not going to the highest ranked school. I really think Miami prepared me well for that and I think it’s really important for students to learn to sell themselves like I said. We need to get out and in front of opportunities. I think it might sound crazy, but the best thing I learned at Miami is how to operate when you’re out-whether you’re at a bar, whether you’re at a restaurant, whether you’re just at a networking event. I’ve just seen it between me and other Miami students; it’s just that much more natural to talk to somebody out of the blue, know how to end the conversation, know what to say on the fly, I know what not to say and just make everything seem very seamless from a networking standpoint.

Interviewer: I’ve just got so many thoughts coming off of this – the things you’re saying – and one of the reasons I started this is because I finally get to listen to students. So I learn a ton which is so great. And kind of going back to some of those name-brand schools you tossed out as like high academic institutions, sure the name can help, but it’s a combination of what you learn in undergrad as well as it’s what you do after undergrad, and to develop your skills, just like you’re talking about, it’s not always going to matter if you went to an Ivy League or to Miami. It’s going to come down to the networking and everything you’ve taken advantage of from campus resources. We can end there. Just another huge thank you, and I think you offered some great insights. I think students will have a lot to learn from this conversation, and I am glad you were able to contribute to what is turning into a much bigger project, which is really exciting. So thanks again!

Jimmy: Yeah definitely. I’m really happy to be part of it too.