From India to Wall Street: Finding My Voice in Finance as a First-Generation Woman
From India to Wall Street: How I Built a Career in Finance by Trusting My Own Voice
I grew up in India in a family where stability mattered more than ambition, and practicality often came before dreams. When I moved to the United States for college, I didn’t arrive with a roadmap, industry connections, or even a clear picture of what a “career in finance” really looked like. I only knew that I wanted to build something meaningful for myself—and that I was willing to work for it.
At Queens College, I chose to major in Finance & Economics with a concentration in Technology because I was fascinated by the intersection of data, markets, and decision-making. I wasn’t the loudest person in the room, and I didn’t always feel like I belonged in spaces dominated by confidence and credentials. But I learned quickly that consistency and curiosity mattered more than pedigree.
My first internships were not glamorous. Cold calling at Northwestern Mutual taught me resilience. Sitting with senior advisors taught me how to listen. At Equitable Advisors, I learned how financial decisions shape real lives—not just spreadsheets.
Everything changed when I joined Build America Mutual as a Credit Analyst Intern. For the first time, I was trusted with real responsibility: underwriting insured credit reports, analyzing municipal market trends, and presenting directly to senior leadership. That experience showed me that I could operate in high-stakes environments—and that my perspective had value.
Later, at GLG in Private Equity Client Solutions, I worked on multiple private equity projects, led over 50 expert diligence calls, and helped my team exceed revenue targets. I wasn’t just supporting deals; I was helping shape investment decisions.
Along the way, I also leaned into technology. I built a credit risk prediction model using machine learning—not because it was required, but because I wanted to understand how data could make finance more precise and fair.
The hardest part of this journey hasn’t been developing technical skills. It has been learning to trust my own voice.
As a first-generation immigrant and a woman in finance, imposter syndrome shows up often. There were moments when I questioned whether I belonged in these rooms at all. What helped me push through was remembering that progress is not about perfection—it’s about showing up, learning, and staying the course.
Today, I see my career not as a straight line, but as a series of small decisions that added up: choosing discomfort over comfort, learning instead of proving, and growth over fear.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: you don’t need to look like everyone else to succeed.
You just need to keep going.
And sometimes, that’s enough to change everything.
