The Economics Ethan Origin Story: A Tale of Trial and Triumph!
So...who exactly is "Ethan"? An animated Chad with a multi-million dollar salary?
In this Substack post, I will walk you through my background and explain exactly how I could help you!
“Started from the bottom…”
I grew up in a lower-middle-class neighbourhood in London, where there were few opportunities for social mobility.
Just like many of you reading this - I could quickly see how this regular town, which was once a safe area for all was swiftly changing.
Early on, kids could play with the park and friends could hang out at the local shopping mall. And then, almost overnight, there was a rapid change in the local area.
Increasing crime rates, social tensions between different demographics and sky-rocketing living costs swiftly turned my hometown into a daily obstacle course to stay out of danger and destitution.
I knew 1 thing - I have to get out of here ASAP…
By staying true to the common immigrant mantra: “Education, Education, Education” -I was able to consistently score top grades, even at an early age in primary school.
This solid educational foundation allowed me to successfully score top marks in the highly-competitive entry exam to attend one of the UK’s top high schools (Wallington County Grammar School for boys).
At this esteemed educational institution, through continued dedicated studying and a strong commitment to academic success, I successfully scored the highest grades in all subjects I studied at GCSE (12 A*s), winning both a trophy and my name in the local newspaper.
Finally, I was almost out of the challenging environment that I grew up in, but there was 1 Last Step to take…
Applying to a University that would allow me to jumpstart my future aspirations of having a Financial Career…
These academic achievements combined with a strong application essay (i.e. University Personal Statement) secured me interviews to study at both the University of Cambridge and London School of Economics. After receiving an offer from London School of Economics, which is one of the Top 10 Economics Universities in the World, I prepared to leave my hometown and move to Central London, a major global financial hub.
Trial & Triumph
At LSE, I developed an even stronger interest in finance through studying an Economics-based degree at the London School of Economics.
While at university, I quickly realized that meritocracy is only a tiny part of the path to success. Unfortunately, studying hard and scoring top grades does not necessarily yield incredible career opportunities.
The truth is that many top professions, including Finance, are dominated by a network of upper-class elites that would recommend each other in applications for top jobs.
These Elites are not interested in offering opportunities to competent, hard-working, young finance professionals outside their exclusive circle. It was incredibly disheartening to realize that hard work certainly does not pay off.
Finally, I accepted that I was outside of this exclusive circle, and my determination grew to take charge of my career path and pursue every opportunity available.
“The truth is that many top professions, including Finance, are dominated by a network of upper-class elites that would recommend each other in applications for top jobs. In order to be successful, you need to be able to infiltrate this system.”
After countless applications to Spring Weeks, Internships, and Entry-Level Job Roles, I received an offer for my first summer internship at a Financial Data Analytics firm (Markit) that was the main competitor to Bloomberg.
A year later, I secured my second summer internship at the largest European Investment Bank (HSBC) in their prestigious London offices.
These two summer internships involved excruciating hard work and long hours both on weekdays and weekends. Working in finance involves a challenging balance of completing work assignments and networking with colleagues.
The major solo project of the second internship in Investment Banking involved preparing a well-researched presentation for senior management. This presentation was crucial because it plays a large part in deciding whether an intern receives a job offer.
After becoming acclimatized to this hyper-competitive corporate environment, I found a way to succeed through sheer willpower and focus. Thankfully, I was among the few Summer Interns fortunate to secure a job offer.
This job offer was a life-changing opportunity.
These two summers of hard work allowed me to ascend from a hard-working lower-middle-class student to an esteemed Finance Professional.
“I transitioned from simply reading economics textbooks as a student to working on the trading floor of several international Investment Banks. Before I knew it, I was a seasoned industry veteran with over ten years of experience.”
My Career continued to reach new heights, with several promotions and increasing responsibilities on the trading floor of several of the Top American Investment Banks, including Goldman Sachs - the World’s #1 Investment Bank.
I would review marketing material that would be sent to billionaire client companies, lead training sessions for million-dollar traders and manage global projects to accelerate business growth in emerging markets.
After reflecting on my ten years of experience in the Investment Banking industry at four major financial institutions, countless job interviews, and relentlessly climbing the corporate ladder - I realized that I wanted to help other professionals in a similar situation as I once was.
“…now we’re here”
Through Blog Posts, Videos, Social Media, Courses & Services, I aim to offer the world a wealth of wisdom in the 2 Key Focus Areas outlined below:
Finance & Career Consultant. By leveraging my experience, I will assist professionals (just like you!) to succeed in their careers in three stages. Firstly by enhancing their personal professional brand & interview skills and secondly through developing effective career growth plans. Also, I will share valuable guidance to others pursuing success in these other areas: Personal Finance, University applications, FinTech & Crypto innovation.
Freelance Finance Copywriter / Content Writer. I will leverage my financial expertise to write excellent Substack blog posts! Additionally, I am available to produce written content for other companies in these niche areas: Finance, Careers, Crypto and University. Are you seeking a talented, experienced writer? Let's discuss how I could help you in a FREE Discovery Call, or email me here: EconEthan@yahoo.com.
Hopeful this provided some valuable background context. I look forward to helping you on your journey to success!
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will be sure to respond.
Found this post helpful? Receive more FREE Financial Commentary & Career Advice from Economics Ethan on Twitter, YouTube & Instagram. All Economics Ethan links can be found here.
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→ Check out the latest YouTube Videos to help Your Career flourish.
See You Next Time, Best of Luck!
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