Before going back to school at Rasmussen College, Veronica Vera had been immersed in a medical billing career that was not fulfilling her aspirations. “Although I had a great career in medical billing, I knew it wasn’t where I was supposed to be,” says Vera. Through the encouragement of a dear friend of hers, Vera found herself headed back to school to pursue a degree in finance. “Finance was what I always wanted to do,” says Vera. “My friend had just pursued his dream career and finished his Bachelor’s degree after serving in the military, so that gave me the extra nudge of encouragement to go after my dreams as well.
When looking for colleges to attend, Vera knew she needed a program that allowed her to keep working full time. That’s why Rasmussen College’s fully online and accelerated Finance Bachelor’s degree program quickly caught her eye. “Being this is my second career, I wanted to finish as quickly as possible and start my new career,” Vera shares.
Once enrolled at the Ocala campus and working as a tutor, Vera began looking for a way to gain experience in the field. “I was trying really hard to find an internship, because my previous career in medical billing didn’t lend me any experience in the finance industry,” she says. When Cassandra Feidt, Learning Services coordinator, heard of Vera’s pursuit, she recommended contacting Career Services. Once connected, Stephanie Daniels, Vera’s Career Services advisor, made her aware of an internship position with TD Ameritrade in Ocala and guided her through the application process. From there, Vera was hired as their branch sales intern in June 2018. If it wouldn’t have been for the support of Career Services, Vera admits she may never have learned about the position.
While interning with TD Ameritrade, Vera was introduced to a new opportunity within the company. And after graduating with her Bachelor’s degree, she was one of 18 individuals chosen to attend the company’s Financial Consultant Development Academy (FCDA) in Chicago, a nine month-long program designed to help individuals earn credentials for the brokerage registration exams, build market expertise and develop the necessary skills to become a financial consultant. Upon completion of the program, successful Academy participants are offered a financial consultant position in one of TD Ameritrade’s branches located across the country. “It was definitely quite competitive to get in, but the classes I took with Rasmussen were invaluable in helping me receive the knowledge necessary to get to the position I am in today. I gained a lot of helpful information about the industry,” Vera says. Through her time as both a student and Peer Tutor at Rasmussen College, Vera was given the opportunity to hone her interpersonal skills while working with others and learning how to best communicate in order to help them reach their goals. “Those skills transfer right over to where I am now helping others achieve their financial goals,” she shares. “While I was only at Rasmussen College for a relatively short time given my accelerated path, I definitely grew a lot.”
Vera is looking forward to growing her career with TD Ameritrade in Chicago. She says, “Working in finance is where I’ve always wanted to be.”
If you or someone you know is interested in making a career change and pursuing a degree in Finance, visit the Rasmussen College Finance Bachelor’s Degree page to learn more.
