Tufts Career Center Podcast Features Finance Professionals

The Tufts Career Center recently recorded its first finance-focused episode of the podcast From Here, To There, with a conversation featuring TFN Advisory Committee Member Jill Ford, A93. Titled “Breaking into Finance from a Liberal Arts School,” the episode was co-hosted by President of Tufts Financial Group Smrithi Eswar, A23, and Tufts Career Center Fellow Jiya Rughwani, A24, who thoughtfully interviewed Jill about her journey from Tufts to her current role as managing director at Credit Suisse.

The finance podcast, an idea developed by members of the TFN Advisory Committee, aims to expose students to a variety of career paths, provide a deep dive into industry trends, and allow students to explore their interests through discussions with Tufts alumni. Episodes are co-hosted by a Tufts Career Center Fellow with internship experience in financial services and the president of the Tufts Financial Group (TFG). As hosts of the episode, students apply their industry knowledge, production and editing skills, and interpersonal abilities to lead a conversation with Tufts alumni working in financial services.

A Valuable Experience

For Eswar and Rughwani, this was their first time recording a podcast. Describing the process, Rughwani explained, “The interview revolved around topics that interested both Smrithi and me, which was exciting, so we generated about 20 questions together. We conducted the interview with Jill over Zoom and then used GarageBand to edit the audio and upload it to Spotify. The entire process took about three weeks.”

“Having a great co-host made a huge difference,” shared Eswar. “We bounced off each other’s questions and comments, which helped the conversation flow more cohesively. It was really inspirational to hear from someone like Jill, who has had several impressive roles in finance.”

Rughwani believes this interview is valuable to students seeking jobs in finance or related fields. “Jill’s insights allow students to understand the diverse range of areas that recruiters acknowledge beyond economics and finance. Students will also gain a better understanding of investment banking and the work it entails,” she said. “I was particularly intrigued about the transactions Jill mentioned and how a key focus was Environmental, Social, and Governance; it was great to hear that banks are accounting for such crucial factors when executing deals.”

When asked about her experience on the podcast, Ford shared, “It was great to know I was reaching Tufts students. I felt like I was talking to my younger self about topics I wish someone had relayed to me back then. I also enjoyed reflecting on my experience. The world of Wall Street can be so intimidating, and I wanted to break it down a bit for students figuring out their next steps.”

Karen Dankers, director of Tufts Finance Initiative at the Career Center, quickly recognized the unique composition of the podcast’s participants. “Given that women generally hold fewer roles in senior management in financial services, it is valuable to hear from Jill Ford and two female student co-hosts for the first finance podcast,” she said. “Jill has a very successful career in finance and learning from her experience will inspire Tufts alumnae and female-identifying students in particular. Students often share that career paths feel more accessible when they see individuals similar to them represented in those roles.”

What’s Next?

“We hope to have a variety of podcast guests from different backgrounds and specialties in financial services in the future,” said Dankers.

Moving forward, finance episodes of From Here, To There will be released twice a year in the fall and spring. “There is a lot of enthusiasm about participating in the podcast from students and alumni. Students deeply value connecting with other Jumbos and receiving advice about different career paths in finance. I am grateful to the TFN Advisory Committee for developing this idea to share the world of finance broadly and creatively with more students. It is another meaningful pathway for networking and professional relationships,” said Dankers.

The next finance episode of From Here, To There will be released later this spring and feature TFN Advisory Committee Member Shikha Jindal, A07, managing director and head of Structured Product Distribution for Private Banks and Latin America at Barclays.

To recommend a future guest for the podcast or to learn about other ways to get involved, please email karen.dankers@tufts.edu.

To listen to From Here, to There: “Breaking into Finance from a Liberal Arts School” on Spotify, click here.