My First Job: Fork in the Road

Sometimes a first job can teach you what not to do.

Long before Daria Lorenzo (MSBA’22) was vice president of collateral management at Goldman Sachs, she was working in hospitality as a recent graduate. “I had an idea that I wanted to be an event producer,” she says. “But I learned over time that I didn’t like the job itself and it wasn’t a great fit for me.” 

Lorenzo left hospitality management with a new skillset and attitude. “I gained a lot of experience in customer relations,” she says. “I learned to be open-minded and understanding, because even if the customer is not right, you have to make it right for them”—a mindset Lorenzo took with her when she made her way to Goldman Sachs in 2018 after two and a half years in hospitality. 

With a curious attitude and a driven spirit, Lorenzo chased the career path she desired in finance—with a little help from her experiences in hospitality management. “By having different jobs in different fields, you are open to observing a new experience and learning from that opportunity,” she says. 

Throughout her career, Lorenzo sought experiences to broaden her understanding. “At Goldman Sachs I needed additional knowledge to communicate properly with our engineers and our technology,” she said. “I went to Georgetown to learn about business analytics and to learn those programming languages.” As an employee and a student, Lorenzo found learning opportunities to spark growth and advancement. From hospitality management to collateral management, Lorenzo has one piece of advice for young professionals: “Never let an opportunity go wasted.”

This story was originally featured in the Georgetown Business Spring 2023 Magazine.