"While having a strong understanding of finance and economics has been very helpful in my role, the critical thinking and communication skills I developed at UC Davis have been equally important."

What do you do as a senior commercial loan underwriter?

I am responsible for assessing the credit worthiness of commercial loan applicants. To do this, I gather and analyze financial data about clients, and determine the likelihood that they will be able to repay the requested loan. I identify the key risks that could interrupt repayment, and structure the loan to mitigate those risks if possible. My role requires great attention to detail, strong quantitative analysis skills, and the ability to effectively communicate with others. Prioritization and multitasking skills are also important, since I am typically working on many different loan requests simultaneously.

How did your UC Davis education prepare you for this work?

While having a strong understanding of finance and economics has been very helpful in my role, the critical thinking and communication skills I developed at UC Davis have been equally important. After I complete my analysis, I have to write a credit memorandum that conveys my findings and my recommendations. Each one of these memorandums is essentially a 30+ page research paper. It is critical that these documents are well written, since performing analysis is of little use if I cannot effectively communicate my findings to others.