Navigate Finance as A Minority and Find Voice as An Agent for Change

Link to Event

In light of the recent Anti-Asian violence and hate incidents, we hosted a roundtable discussion on Wednesday, March 31st amongst Asian American women and Allies in finance to create a safe space for and shed light on the Asian American experience and how we all can show support and take action as agents of social change within our financial institutions and communities.

This discussion featured junior and senior women panelists from AAPI and multicultural backgrounds across the finance industry from Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, and Citi as well as ex-bankers turned Food Tech CEO, VC Partners, and HBS/GSB candidates...(just to name a few!) to listen, support and strategize together to drive progress towards a more inclusive and equitable environment. Our goal was to help facilitate greater understanding of AAPI perspectives and for all multicultural women in this industry to feel empowered to bring these topics into the workplace and be an agent for social change, no matter her level.

One of the key take-aways from the event is that people want to know what actions they can take to support their AAPI colleagues. We took this opportunity to put together a starter kit of action items and resources. 

1) Reach Out & Check In: Ask your AAPI colleagues how you can help them feel more supported in the workplace.

• Do you want to take the day off to breathe?

• Would you feel seen if we made time in our team meeting to discuss what’s happening?

Are you feeling distracted? What tasks would you prefer to work on or have extra help from other team members right now?

2) Speak Up: Raise awareness amongst your peers, team or other company channels like HR, Leadership or DEI teams. 

• Check out this email template we put together to raise awareness here! 

3) Participate in DEI Initiatives: Join DEI network groups and get involved in recruiting and mentorship of diverse talent.

• There is a huge push for DEI in the finance industry today and most firms want to hear what you have to say! You can attend events, panels and discussions. 

4) Stay Current on Resources

• Act

  • How to be an Ally + How to Help Asians Fight Anti-Asian Racism 

  • How to support Asian American colleagues amid the recent wave of anti-Asian violence  

• Donate

  1. Donate directly to Go Fund Me fundraisers set up by victim families 

  2. Asian Americans Advancing Justice 

  3. Stop AAPI Hate Donation page 

• Trainings

  1. Hollaback Training

  2. The Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit

• Learn 

  1. Asia Society: Asian Americans Then and Now 

  2. National Partnership: Asian Women and the Wage Gap 

  3. Harvard Business Review: Asian Americans are Least Likely Group in the U.S to be Promoted to Management 

Feel free to share with your friends and colleagues if you found this starter kit helpful. We’d love to hear your feedback and keep the conversation going! 

Demystifying the MBA Application Process

Watch the Full Event!

Is it true that there is a standard timeline that everyone should follow for the application process?

MYTH! Everyone’s application timeline is going to be unique and more often than not there will be stops and starts along the way. Some people can crush the GMAT on the first try with a month of studying, but more commonly the GMAT process alone takes anywhere from 3-9 months and you definitely want to leave some buffer room for a retake (Sarah and Tori both took the GMAT more than one time). Overall most people spend nine months to a year on the process. 

Is it true that you need to have a 760+ GMAT to get into a top program?

MYTH! You don’t need to need to have a 760+ to be admitted to a top program. However, as explained by Menlo Coaching in an article here, there are a lot of good reasons to put your best foot forward when it comes to the GMAT. 

Is it true that you should write your letter of recommendation for your boss?

MYTH! It is against the honor code of the application to write your letter of recommendation for your boss. That doesn’t mean you want to leave the content of the recommendation up to chance. The best thing to do is provide your recommender your full application packet including a list of the qualities you would like them to highlight as well as specific examples of times you have demonstrated those qualities. You want to make sure your recommendations complement and reinforce the ideas you present in the rest of your application. As Tori mentioned, it’s a lot easier to be complimentary about someone else than yourself, a major benefit of letting your recommenders write the words themselves. Remember to give your recommenders plenty of time (1 month+ depending on how many they are writing for you)! 

Is it true that networking is the most valuable aspect of getting an MBA?

MOSTLY A MYTH! Networking is definitely ONE valuable part of the MBA experience especially for those who want to continue in finance careers, but you can expect to gain much more from an MBA than just networking. Our ACE fellows Tori and Sarah both highlighted developing leadership capabilities and learning from peers with different backgrounds as reasons for wanting to get an MBA. Menlo Coaching dives in here to help you think through why an MBA might be valuable for you. 

Is it true that you need to demonstrate engagement across a variety of extracurriculars?

MYTH! No one needs 100 extracurriculars on their resumes. In fact, it’s better to showcase deep involvement with tangible impact.  See how Menlo Coaching thinks about extracurriculars on the MBA application here.  

Is it true that as an MBA student you will only have time to thrive in one of the following: academics, social life, job search?

REALITY! There are so many incredible opportunities in academics, social life, and careers that you can’t possibly do it all. As an MBA student, you will constantly be juggling different activities and priorities. To avoid being overwhelmed and have the best experience, Tori recommends going into business school with a clear idea of what matters most to you and using that as your ‘North Star’ throughout your experience.