Michelle Domanico W'08
What did you study at Penn and when did you graduate?
I graduated in 2008 with a triple concentration in finance, accounting, and legal studies.
What were you involved with as an undergraduate?
In addition to Wharton Women, I was on the softball team in my freshman year, and I joined the West Philly Swingers swing dance troupe and became the captain in my sophomore year.
What has your career journey looked like?
During my time at Wharton, I focused on finance – I went to all the banking information sessions and networked with people in investment banking, and I ended up getting an investment banking internship my freshman year at UBS. I interned there for three years, and I joined their analyst program after I graduated. Because I had already had so experience in the company, I was given much more responsibility than a typical analyst. I then switched from the sell side to the buy side, and I joined the credit group at KKR. I was quickly promoted from an associate to a senior principal analyst, and I was selected as one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Finance. Now, I am a Senior Credit Analyst with Shenkman Capital, where I work on high yield credit investments.
What has been your proudest accomplishment of your career?
Getting directly promoted from an associate to a senior analyst at KKR was a really big accomplishment because it is very difficult to do this without getting an MBA. Another thing that I am really proud of is that I started a Women’s Network Group, and we now have over 150 members.
What has been the biggest challenge of your career?
The biggest challenge of my career has been trying to manage many different workstreams and many different bosses – there are always conflicting priorities on my time.
Would you say that being a woman has affected your career?
I would say that it’s a double-edged sword. There are still not that many women in senior roles in finance, but if you make it to the top, you get that diversity advantage when it comes to hiring. However, it can be isolating if you are the only woman in that senior position at the firm.
What is the worst career advice you have received?
The worst career advice I received was to dress like your boss – in the sense that you should wear suits and dress like a man. I followed this advice in the beginning of my career, and looking back, I would say that you don’t need to do this – you can still be professional while feeling like a woman.
How do you balance your personal life with your professional development?
In investment banking, there really is no work-life balance. Especially in the beginning, you will be working so many hours, and you won’t have much time to sleep or go to the gym – I remember doing pushups at 4am with my coworkers in our cubicles. You will be pulling lots of all-nighters, and in my first year, we weren’t allowed to take any vacations. However, work-life balance has been something that I have been increasingly able to add into my life over the years, as I move up in my career.
Do you have any advice for our members as they begin exploring careers and internships?
The best career advice I received was that especially in a high-stress work environment like banking, the 3 most important traits to have are attention to detail, being a fast learner, and having a great attitude. With these three things, you will be able to learn anything, people will enjoy working with you, and you will be successful at whatever you do.