Name: Max Rosenthal '19
Title: Transaction Opinions Analyst
Employer: Duff & Phelps
Major(s): Economics and Finance
What do you enjoy most about your current position?
The one thing I enjoy the most about my current position is the exposure it allows me to the many different facets of business. As a result, I am always learning and constantly growing professionally. My group does financial analysis and provides an opinion from a financial point-of-view on various forms of transactions for companies of all sizes and industries. My group’s industry agnostic nature and ability to evaluate any type of corporate transaction has allowed me to learn about so many different businesses and transaction structures - some of which I started out familiar with while others are completely new.
What is a typical day like in your position?
For me, no two days are exactly alike. On any given day I could be working through valuation models, conducting industry/company research, attending due diligence meetings with company management, preparing deliverables for clients, going through internal technical reviews, or helping out with marketing our services. Depending on the current engagements, and which stage of the engagements we're on, the day-to-day varies substantially.
How has your coursework helped you in your current position (i.e. quantitative skills, research techniques, communication skills)?
The most helpful skill is the ability to work through open-ended problems. The open-ended class projects that did not always have a defined correct answer were the most helpful. In practice, very few problems have a single answer so having the experience in this type of scenario is tremendously helpful.
Which undergraduate experiences (i.e. internships, on-campus leadership, living learning communities, faculty member, etc.) did you find most helpful in preparing you for your current position?
While some of my internships were more relevant than others, just being able to work with people outside of a classroom setting was helpful. Being in a real world, professional environment was crucial to understanding the dynamics of the workforce and helpful with learning the responsibilities of a full-time job. My participation in various clubs also helped me learn to work collaboratively with others.
Any job or internship advice for students seeking a position in your field?
Learning does not end in the classroom. While classes provided a much needed jumping off point, it will take a lot of time and effort outside the classroom to learn the many intricacies that come with specific types of work. It is also important to know that being able to regurgitate information is not nearly as important as your ability to work through problems, as well as just being personable.
Anything else you want to share with undergraduates?
Whatever you choose to pursue as a career, make sure it is something that you are passionate about. Actually caring about the work that you are doing makes getting through the early mornings and late nights much easier. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people, as they were in your shoes at one point and could be a huge help whether it be from a networking perspective or just someone who can answer any questions you may have.
