Job shadowing helped this business major hone his career goals
Photo Credit: Gaelen Morse
December 2, 2025
Matthew Chafin ’27 is no stranger to the winding path of self-discovery and career exploration.
Coming to Brandeis from suburban Boston, Chafin arrived on campus with the notion of following in his father’s footsteps in business, and declared a double major in business management and finance.
Yet guided by passionate professors and a flexible curriculum, Chafin also developed a serious interest in religious studies, taking courses that challenged his worldview and introduced him to new perspectives on faith and culture. In fact, now he’s considering a minor in religious studies.
“I never thought I’d be taking classes on Christianity, Judaism or even the Quran,” Chafin said. “But Brandeis made it so easy to try something new. It’s changed how I see the world.”
Beyond the classroom, Chafin has sought out career experiences to help shape his professional ambitions. But it wasn’t until sophomore year that he began working with the Hiatt Career Center to build his resume, craft cover letters, hone his interviewing and networking skills, and develop a strategy for landing a meaningful internship in finance for next summer.
“It wasn’t until I was ready to receive help from the career center that I was able to find firms that were the best fit for me,” said Chafin. “Before then, I was applying to these big firms that I didn’t know anything about, and they were super competitive. Once I started working with Hiatt I was able to find smaller firms focused on impact investing — where I’m able to make a societal impact — because that’s where my values lie.”
Through Brandeis’ alumni network and Hiatt connections, he landed job shadow opportunities this fall at Beacon Pointe and at Equitable Advisors, both in Boston. At Beacon Pointe, he shadowed a handful of people, including recent graduates and managing partner Robert Santamaria ’16. He gained insight into impact investing and the importance of workplace culture — the human side of finance.
“The hands-on exposure you get through Brandeis connections is amazing. I learned that every role, even with the same title, looks different depending on the company, and that’s something you only understand by seeing it up close,” Chafin said.
His job shadowing experience at Equitable Advisors, which he clinched after networking at Brandeis’ All Majors Career and Internship fair in October, focused on meeting and shadowing a managing partner. There Chafin got a glimpse into a different workplace culture and type of wealth management.
“Brandeis has this way of helping you find your people,” said Chafin. “The career center staff guided me not just in my job search but in finding work that matters to me.”
Chafin’s advice to fellow students? “Show up, be open and don’t let setbacks stop you. The only real failure is in not trying again.”
