Natalie Kinnear, FCRH '22

Current Position
Associate, Client Services, S&P Global 

Which career path(s) have you pursued since graduating from Fordham?

I started my career working as a Business Development Associate at Openbox, a design research firm that focuses on designing for equity and justice. I ended up having to leave this role due to family health problems. Then I ended up taking some time to fulfill some travel dreams that got put on hold due to my year abroad being cancelled during the pandemic. I traveled around Europe and then decided to get my certificate to Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). I moved to Busan, South Korea to teach kindergarten and first grade! I taught for almost two years before moving back to the United States. I recently started working at S&P Global in the Market Intelligence division as a Client Services Associate and have really enjoyed this pivot into finance. 

What do you like about the work you are doing now?

I love working with an incredible and diverse group of clients everyday. I also enjoy collaborating with other teams and divisions at S&P Global and learning from their expertise. 

How did your experience at Fordham and, in particular, Honors, help you prepare for your current career? Was there a specific course or extracurricular activity that influenced your career development?

Honors Program helped prepare me immensely for my career trajectory. The emphasis on strong communication, both spoken and written, is invaluable. Things like the Interdisciplinary Seminar also honed applicable skills because it allowed me to understand how everything is connected and can be viewed through the lenses of different fields, which lends itself strongly to problem-solving in my career. I also think being a part of SAC has helped me understand how important it is to create authentic connections and community, which I believe is a major part of thriving in any work environment. 

Please describe any internships you held as an undergraduate student that were helpful/relevant to your subsequent job search. 

I started as an intern at Openbox the summer before my senior year. I ended up working part time as an Assistant Researcher throughout my senior year, which led to me working as their Business Development Associate after graduation. I learned so much about organizational skills and time management as an intern, which transitioned into being able to grow skills like maintaining relationships with partners and drafting RFPs. 

What advice would you give to students who aspire to hold a job like yours?

Much of my advice is actually rooted in the idea of cura personalis. I think that companies are often looking to hire people who are well-rounded and whole human beings, with varied interests and passions and personalities alongside those critical job skills and potential for growth. I work in finance despite not having an academic background in it, which I partly credit to having some of the soft, people skills that are necessary for my job and demonstrating that I learn quickly. Being confident in who you are, what excites you, and what you want to do, and being able to express this concretely and truly, is critical.