Banking on her Business Skills
Klaudyna Kasztelaniec is just as strong of an athlete as she is an academic. Coming from the Poland to the United States
to study and play tennis at W&M, she was a success in both. What led her to the banking
industry? Klaudyna's thoughts are below:
About Me
I was born and raised in Krakow, Poland. I came to the United States so I could continue playing tennis at a high level while pursuing a bachelor's degree. The College of William & Mary with its outstanding tennis program and a reputation for being one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the US, seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. Four years later I can certainly say that I received a lot more than I had expected or hoped for.
Highlights
I truly enjoyed the foundation semester. I think it imitates the real job experience. Not only do you learn a lot in the classroom but also obtain and improve many soft skills such as participation in a team (leading and following), communication and time management. I believe what made my experience very unique is that my team was able to identify individual member's strengths and weaknesses, and split the work accordingly when preparing projects and presentations.
I will also never forget one of the last events at Business School-Senior Appreciation Dinner. It might be the only time in your life when see you get to see your professor wear an apron and serve you dinner. I think it shows how close the relationship between students and the faculty is. Professors not only teach you in the classroom but are also eager to talk to you and share their opinions and experiences about different careers and life choices.
Defining Moment
Special career development events such as DoG Street to Wall Street, or the Alumni Networking Event in New York gave me an opportunity to talk to people currently working in the area of finance and understand what particular jobs require and teach you. It was during one of those events when I decided that I would like to pursue my career in the banking industry.
Future Plans
After spending four year in the United States, I returned to Europe. I have recently moved to London, where I will work at Lyxor Asset Management, a subsidiary of the Societe Generale Group.
