Moyinoluwa Abiola, MSF’20 pushed herself outside her comfort zone to make the most of her time at Brandeis International Business School.
Moyinoluwa Abiola, MSF’20 pushed herself outside her comfort zone to make the most of her time at Brandeis International Business School. It paid off with a job at Goldman Sachs.
Moyinoluwa Abiola, MSF’20 has a secret: She is an introvert. The countless students, staff and faculty on campus she interacted with as an active, outgoing student leader would be shocked at the news.
Abiola, known affectionately as Mo, decided at the start of her educational career in the United States to push herself outside her comfort zone. She kept pushing — into new places, new activities, new clubs and, importantly, new networks. By pushing her boundaries, Abiola eventually built the tools and network to land a job as a senior analyst at Goldman Sachs.
“My experience at Brandeis gave me the push I was looking for,” said Abiola.
A native of Nigeria, Abiola said economics was a natural fit. Her father, an economist and accountant, would talk with her about inflation and other economic fundamentals at home, leading her to choose an economics program in high school.
“My father and I talked about things like this all the time, so it was a no brainer,” said Abiola. “And I was good at economics. It came easy to me.”
In Minnesota for college, she pursued economics while minoring in international business and management. “I realized I really loved business and I really loved markets, so I added on top of it,” she said. “I started to explore by adding on to what I already had on my plate.”
She also dove into campus life, serving as a resident assistant, giving campus tours as a so-called Dragon Ambassador and leading the African Student Union. “It makes you feel like you are in a community,” she said. “I know the benefit I got from being active.”
After graduation, she took a year in Chicago to develop practical skills as a corporate trainer at NRG Global Inc. “That helped build my confidence,” said Abiola. “I was a shy person, and that got me out of my comfort zone.”
But all along, she knew she needed to do more. While researching master’s programs, Abiola discovered Brandeis International Business School and knew it offered exactly what she was looking for: a school connected with established firms that takes an active role in career development.
“I wanted a school that would focus on building my career, and the Career Strategies and Engagement Center is very active and proactive with providing the right resources. It was an easy choice for me,” she said.
Once at Brandeis, she dove in again, joining ALPFA, leading the Brandeis African Business Association, working with the Admissions team, becoming a student ambassador, and engaging as much as possible in class projects and case studies.
“When I left Minnesota after four years, it was like leaving home,” said Abiola. “I really wanted to bring as much of that experience with me to Brandeis. If I just come to class and then go away, I won’t be getting the full length of the Brandeis experience.”
Beyond the invaluable personal growth, Abiola said the networks, and just as importantly the practice of building relationships, helped her land her jobs after graduation. An alum she met during an Industry Trek to Deloitte helped her secure a round of interviews. While she ultimately didn’t sign on there, the practice was critical to her getting her first job with Fidelity in Dallas.
After nearly a year at Fidelity honing the skills to jump start her next move, Abiola set her sights on Goldman Sachs.
For a shy person, she says she made the most of all that Brandeis has to offer. It’s all there, she said. You just have to reach for it.
“People still find it hard to believe that I’m an introvert. They laugh,” said Abiola. “I get my energy from being by myself, but I understand the benefit that comes with having one-on-one interactions with people and having face time and networking. For me, that was the only way to get myself out of my comfort zone.”
This article by Douglas Moser originally appeared on the Brandeis International Business School website on December 20, 2021.
