Brooklyn girl Brianna Amato shares her experience of persistence while navigating the ups and downs of the big city.
Written by: Anthony Grech
Persistent. When tasked with the question to describe herself in one word, 24 year old Brianna Amato did not hesitate when she answered and stated confidently that she was persistent. Ms. Amato grew up in Brooklyn, New York, but always had dreams of living in the city. She attended PACE University in Manhattan with a major in economics and a minor in finance. Today, she works at one of the largest investment firms in the world: BlackRock. Ms. Amato’s inspiring journey of persistence helped to get her where she is today.
Ms. Amato's business journey begins in September, 2018, as she began her freshman year at PACE University as a business undecided major. According to Ms. Amato, “I excelled in Introduction to Economics and kept choosing to take more courses on the topic as electives, until I realized that I was taking enough economics credits for it to be considered my major.” As Ms. Amato verbalized it, she did not pick the major, rather, the major picked her. When asked about her strengths in school, she once again brought up her unwavering sense of persistence and shared a very interesting story. “In my freshman year, I tried really hard to get an internship, but all of my peers told me I was being unrealistic and that I would never get it because I was only a freshman. I submitted application after application, and went on countless interviews, never giving up hope that one would be accepted. Thankfully, I got an internship at Aflac, and was given the opportunity to become certified in selling life and health insurance.” At the young age of 18, Ms. Amato already began creating a name for herself and took every opportunity she got to gain knowledge and experience that would one day benefit her after graduation.
One of Ms. Amato’s greatest challenge was adapting to remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak that occurred in 2020, which was right in the middle of her sophomore year. She was forced to learn through zoom lectures and lost the ability to communicate with her faculty and peers face-to-face. As Ms. Amato put it, “it is hard to imagine what could have been during that time. I could have had another internship, or maybe I could have done better in some of my classes. But what's really important is that we all got through it and ended up where we’re meant to be.” While the pandemic was a tough challenge for Ms. Amato, she gained experience with remote working, zoom, and the use of technology, which aided her when she began working full-time, considering she works from home often.
Upon graduating from PACE University in 2022, she embarked on the interviewing process. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or intimidated, Ms. Amato describes feeling “comfortable and a sense of familiarity.” Ms. Amato was no stranger to the interview and job application process, with her previous internship experiences. Ms. Amato also spoke very highly of her university's Career Service Department, which helped her prepare a resume that made her stand out amongst other applicants, and also walked her through different scenarios and possible questions she may be asked. Ms. Amato was a part of the Linkedin community, which allowed her to network the business world and meet new people in the field. After her hard work, Ms. Amato was offered a position at BlackRock, where she currently works as a product strategist within the fundamental active equities division. The role requires Ms. Amato is the face of client relations, where she and her investment team work to inform people of the products they offer, such as mutual funds and ETFs.
At first, the switch from being a full-time student to a full-time employee was difficult. Ms. Amato was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and was always a short distance away from her education. While attending PACE University, she was able to dip her toes in the water of commuting, but she mainly took the bus or ferry. When starting her first big job, she had to start taking the train, which she had never really had to do before. She had to get accustomed to the commute route and time, and just working so far away from home in general. Also, when Ms. Amato first started working, she was required to take three exams to prove that she was competent and knowledgeable to efficiently do her job. Ms. Amato reported that “these were the scariest tests of my life. I was always a pretty good test taker, but when my entire future was at stake, I never felt more stressed.” With a lot of studying and persistence, Ms. Amato passed her tests and goes to work everyday with confidence.
At this point in her career, Ms. Amato is ready to explore the possibility of returning to business school, or earning additional certifications, such as a CFA. When asked about pursuing other careers with different companies, Ms. Amato appreciates the flexibility and reliability that her degree offers, but hopes to utilize the internal mobility BlackRock offers. By being a member of different teams, she is able to explore the different set of skills needed and become a well-rounded individual within the company.
As Ms. Amato reflects on her journey, one thing she wishes she could tell her past self was “enjoy it. It all went by in the blink of an eye. If I could do it all over again, I would and I wouldn't change a single thing.” Ms. Amato shares her gratitude for her friends and family who believed in her, as well as for herself, for never giving up and even in the face of many challenges, she persevered. Ms. Amato has big plans for the future, which consist of moving to the city to be closer to work, as well as starting a life with her long-time boyfriend. No matter where life takes her, there is no doubt that she will march forward with the same sense of persistence that got her where she is today.