E- JOURNAL
Sarah Spear
E- JOURNALSarah Spear
Sarah Spear
Sarah SOverview
As per the speaker's remarkable career journey, there are three distinct periods: the foundational period, from 2012 to 2016, the rebrand to strategy years from 2017 to 2019, and baby's side hustle and transition from 2019 to 2023. During the foundational period, Sarah worked in the bank for three summers, and after graduation, she wanted to pursue investment banking, particularly in the USA. She flew down to the US and pitched herself for an analyst role in the Global Investment corporate banking team. She successfully got the job and worked there for two years, learning about the investment grade lending world. Further, she worked as an associate in the Leverage Finance team in Toronto, covering private equity firms buying Canadian businesses. After about five years in lending and banking, she decided to do an MBA at Columbia to broaden her skillset and advance my career. She had always been interested in attending Columbia Business School, as her husband had completed a master's program there and She was impressed by the caliber of the adjunct professors and the level of the program overall. So, she applied to Columbia and ended up getting accepted.
However, getting into Columbia was not easy for her. Standardized testing was never her strong suit, and she knew going into the GMAT that she would struggle with it. As expected, she had to take the exam three times before achieving a score that she was satisfied with. She put in a lot of extra effort and invested a significant amount of time into studying and preparing for the exam.
Despite having a lower GMAT score than many other applicants, she was determined to get into Columbia. She networked heavily with alumni and made multiple trips to the school to demonstrate her interest and show that she was serious about attending. Ultimately, she was able to secure a spot in the program, and it turned out to be an incredibly rewarding experience.
During her MBA years, she worked at a private equity firm for two years, where she learned about deal sourcing and execution. After her MBA, she worked in McKinsey & Company as a management consultant for two years before co-founding her own business, baby side hustle. She learned a lot about the deal-making process and gained valuable experience in evaluating potential investments. She also made a lot of connections with her classmates and professors, many of whom have become important professional contacts.
The five key lessons the speaker learned along the way are:
1) The importance of hard work and grit
2) The value of networking
3) The significance of brand and reputation
4) The power of feedback and learning from mistakes
5) The need for continuous growth and evolution.
Learnings
The speaker provides advice and insights for young marketers, such as the importance of perseverance when applying for jobs, the value of seeking feedback, and the benefits of internships or part-time positions to gain experience and build relationships within a desired company. She also shares personal experiences of rejection and the importance of not letting it discourage or define one's career path.
From the speaker's experience, it is important to show persistence when applying for jobs, even if you have been rejected before. She recommends following up with the employer to inquire about the status of the role and to express continued interest. The speaker has applied for some roles multiple times before being successful, and notes that timing can also play a significant factor in the hiring process. It is important to be clear on what you want to do and to have a consistent story when applying for jobs, rather than applying for vastly different roles. However, if there are multiple roles that are closely related, it is acceptable to apply to more than one.
Additionally, the speaker suggests taking advantage of internships or other opportunities to prove oneself to a desired company. Finally, while rejection can be difficult to accept, it is important to learn from the experience and use it as practice for future interviews. We all can learn a lot from her journey as looking back on her career so far, there are several key lessons that I have learned. First and foremost, I have learned the importance of perseverance. Whether it was getting into Columbia or securing a job in a highly competitive industry, she had to work hard and overcome obstacles to achieve her goals. She has also learned the value of networking and building relationships with people in her industry. Finally, she has come to appreciate the importance of having a diverse skill set and being open to learning new things. This has allowed her to be more adaptable and to take on new challenges as they arise. We can also take a lesson from this to be more adaptable and accept new challenges.
Impact on my career
The speaker's journey can have a significant impact on mine as a young marketer. Firstly, the speaker's emphasis on hard work and perseverance can serve as a reminder that success does not come easily and that it takes time and effort to achieve one's goals. Young marketers can benefit from this message by staying motivated and focused on their goals, even when faced with setbacks or rejection. She even added how we should not take rejection personally.
Secondly, the speaker's focus on networking and building relationships can be valuable for young marketers who are just starting out in their careers like me. By actively seeking out opportunities to connect with others in their industry, I can learn from their experiences and gain insights into potential job opportunities. Networking can also help young marketers to build a personal brand and establish a positive reputation within their industry.
Thirdly, the speaker's emphasis on continuous learning and growth can be a valuable lesson for us. By staying open to new opportunities and experiences, young marketers can expand their skill set and become more adaptable to changing industry trends. Additionally, seeking feedback and learning from mistakes can help young marketers to develop a growth mindset and become more resilient in the face of challenges. She even talks about her journey at Rbc and Google where she is working tirelessly to achieve those goals. Such a journey inspires me to build my career on similar lines as well.
Overall, the speaker's journey can serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for young marketers like us as we navigate our own career paths. By staying focused, building relationships, and staying open to new opportunities, young marketers can achieve their goals and make a positive impact within their industry.
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