Name: Mike Charland 1993
Major: Economics/Mathematics Double Major
Current Occupation: Investment Management
Current Company: Wilkins Investment Counsel, Inc.
Babson College MBA
Where did you first move after you graduated? Why did you choose to live there?
Upon graduation I had student loans to repay and no job so I moved back home to the Boston area to regroup.
My first job was working as a trading assistant in the municipal bond department at Eaton Vance in Boston where we managed municipal bond mutual funds. I always knew I wanted to work in the investment management industry. This job offered me the opportunity to sit on the trading desk working directly for a mutual fund manager who managed several funds. I was fortunate to have had such an opportunity early on as I literally had a front row seat to experience all aspects of the investment management business.
What was your natural job progression from there? Did you choose to stay at your company? Move cities? Go to graduate school?
I spent four years at Eaton Vance working under two different portfolio managers. When it came time to find the next challenge, I used my networking skills and business connections to move to my present firm, Wilkins Investment Counsel, also in Boston. I have now been at Wilkins for over eleven years. Over that time, I ran the firm’s bond trading desk, transitioned into equity analysis, was named Director of Research and portfolio manager and eventually became a partner in the firm. Along the way, I also achieved the CFA designation (an important designation in this industry) and earned an MBA from Babson College.
What inspired you to make your next transition?
I was excited to move to a much smaller firm where I could have a greater impact on the organization. Wilkins has eight employees vs. Eaton Vance which had several hundred at the time I left. The ability to “wear many hats” at a small firm appealed to me.
What words of advice would you have for younger Bates alumni going through a lot of similar choices today?
Whatever job you have, do it to the best of your ability. Every day that you come to work, you are shaping or reinforcing the impression that others have of you. Be honest with yourself and find a job or career that matches well with your unique skills and abilities. Life really is too short to be stuck in a position that doesn’t suit you. Continue to build your network of professional and personal contacts as this will prove invaluable throughout your career. This is particularly true in the present challenging economic environment. Strongly consider furthering your education as appropriate given your desired career path. Identify an individual or individuals in your chosen field and unofficially adopt them as mentors, learning all you can from them.
What is your favorite part about your job today?
Making personal connections with our clients as we help them achieve their long term financial goals while enjoying lasting relationships with them is very rewarding. I also enjoy being involved in every step of the research and portfolio management process. Finally, I take pride in my role in helping manage and grow the firm itself. Being a business owner is both a responsibility and a privilege.
What words of advice would you have for people struggling in the recent economic downturn (career advice, job search advice, fiscal advice, general life advice)?
Network, Network, Network! The Bates network is an easy place to start as there are so many groups and events in which to participate (Bates Business Networks, sports team related events, Office of Career Services events, book clubs, National Day of Service events... the list is endless).
What is something interesting that you have read recently that you would like to share?
I still enjoy reading Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged). I also like to escape in fast paced detective/thriller novels from authors such as David Baldacci, Robert Ludlum, Dan Brown, and Stuart Woods. Erik Larson’s books The Devil in White City and Thunderstruck are entertaining real life thrillers appropriately set in historical context.
