Kyle Shinnick

Personal Information

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School: University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign

Major: Finance

Years at College Works: 2003 to 2004

Career Information

Company You Work For Now: Ryerson, Inc.

Title: Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst

Industry: Manufacturing

Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities

I work on all aspects of our corporate development function, from sourcing through integration, of our potential target companies.

What Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?

Being able to get into a career path that can satisfy my long-term goals. Right out of college, I took a job that kind of fell in my lap. It wasn't the career that I wanted. I feel like I've been playing catchup since then, and am now in a place where my long-term career goals are in reach.

CWP Career Impact

In one sentence, what has CWP meant to you?

CWP taught me invaluable career skills that you can't obtain through school, namely work ethic, professionalism, and management skills.

How did your CWP experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?

I believe that the work ethic I developed through CWP set the tone for how I approached my jobs out of college through today.

What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CWP experience?

You will always be selling something in your career, whether it's a product, an idea, or yourself. Sales skills are not just for sales people.

Advice

What advice do you have for potential CWP participants? Current CWP participants?

The one distinguishing characteristic between successful managers and those who flame out is work ethic. If you are willing to work hard, you can be very successful in this internship.

What's your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?

I would look to obtain a strong understanding of corporate finance and accounting. As a general observation, a lot of people in this field have experience working with a large accounting firm earlier in their career.

What's your favorite memory from CWP?

Payrolls in Windsor

Last words of wisdom

Career is important, but life is more important. Work/life balance will/should become paramount someday