I was also grateful to be able to find a mentor in the persona of my supervisor Dr. Levin. Being able to analyze portfolios and conduct background research were critical duties for Merrill Lynch, and I was honored to have earned the esteem of such a respected member of the firm.
Job 2:
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
October 2008 -- February 2009
Research Assistant
Involved in the stock option research of the Leventhal School of Accounting
Analyzed and collected 2759 sets of stock option data of various American corporations from the EDGAR
Analyzed and organized the annual report data into research spreadsheets
This position was an exciting introduction to the deadline-driven nature of being a research assistant. Being able to balance the time demands of my work as Professor Erkens' assistant and my own research for my classes schooled me in how to deal with multiple responsibilities, to prioritize, and to stay cool under pressure. My professor entrusted me with critical aspects of his research, and I had to cope with large amounts of complicated data and summarize them accurately and efficiently. I also had to deal with the unexpected, sudden increase in my workload when two of my fellow research assistants quit in the middle of the busiest part of the semester. I was able to work over my Christmas holiday to meet my obligation to my professor and to finish...
Because of my dedication, Professor Erkens was kind enough to provide me with advice and guidance regarding my future career development, and I have often returned to ask him questions pertinent to my studies and professional career.
Job 3:
Joint Educational Project, USC
January 2008 -- May 2008
Teacher
Developed curriculum to educate a class of third graders about geology
Managed classroom environment of twenty-five local school children
I was invited by Geology Professor Sammie to develop and teach a weekly geology workshop for third graders. My class of twenty-five students introduced me to the melting pot environment of California. My students came from Chinese, Caucasian, Mexican, Spanish, Korean and Japanese backgrounds. Teaching the class was a bracing initiation to classroom management. The experience educated me as well as my students. I learned the skill of making informative presentations in a comprehensible and engaging fashion. Three of the students had learning disabilities, so I also had to modify aspects of my teaching to suit their needs. I was able to work closely with their class teacher, Dr. Purcell, a Psychology PhD of USC while developing my approach. My interpersonal communication skills grew stronger and I was proud to see my student's intellectual curiosity and knowledge flourish over the course of the semester.
