Brandeis International Business School

Fidelity Investments is a global leader in finance.

Headquartered in downtown Boston, the firm has thousands of employees working across Massachusetts and is known for its innovation and leadership in retirement planning, mutual funds, wealth management, FinTech and more.

I had the privilege of touring Fidelity’s HQ as part of an Industry Trek organized by Brandeis International Business School’s Career Strategies and Engagement Center.

Here’s what I learned from the seven Brandeis alumni I met during the trek.

An insider’s tour of Fidelity

There are so many valuable career events for students to choose from at Brandeis, but the Industry Trek to Fidelity stands out as my favorite!

You could feel the positive atmosphere as we walked into the building, which is located in the heart of Boston’s financial district.

After an office tour, we met with Brandeis alumni for an engaging panel discussion about the finance industry and what it’s like to work at Fidelity. The panelists included International Business School alumni Grace Le, MA’07 and Wilfred Chilangwa ’91, MA’92, and Brandeis University alumni Sam Clurman ’24 and Megan MacDonald ’10.

The Industry Trek concluded with a networking session. It was a fantastic opportunity! I met with seven Brandeis alumni currently working at Fidelity in areas like financial planning, asset management, consulting and investment management.

Leverage your network, build experience

The alumni I met at Fidelity shared plenty of valuable career advice.

Chilangwa, who serves as a portfolio manager, made an important point about networking that’s easy to overlook. It’s not always about making new connections — it’s also vital to leverage your existing circle, he said.

“Make sure your friends and people in your network know about your expertise and what you’re looking for,” said Chilangwa. “Because if they ever see something relevant in the job market, they will point it out to you.”

Le, a senior investment manager, shared a story about how she successfully transitioned into a new business unit at Fidelity. By expressing a willingness to learn and help out with extra work, she made a strong first impression with supervisors that ultimately landed her a new position.

“Sometimes you just have to demonstrate to people what you are really passionate about and that you do have the skillset to excel in that field,” said Le.

When asked about resume building, several alumni expressed the importance of investing in yourself, even if it’s not a typical internship or full-time role:

“You need to prove your passion. Want to be an asset, equity or fixed income manager? Don't just say it — show it. Start doing your own research or making your own trades. This will build your credibility and help hiring managers understand why you want to enter this business.”

Student Insights features blog posts produced by current students and recent graduates of Brandeis International Business School. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author.