Jessica Hodgson

University of California Los Angeles’ Anderson School of Management

“British girl stuck somewhere between a laidback spontaneous traveler and obsessively organized spreadsheet enthusiast.”

Hometown: London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: The item at the top of my bucket list is to see all of the (new) Seven Wonders of the World, I’m currently on 4 out of 7!

Undergraduate School and Major: Loughborough University, UK – Management Sciences

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Cazenove Capital, London – Assistant Portfolio Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: A year into my first job after university, my boss retired and I took on her book of private HNW clients. I had no idea what I was doing and was completely overwhelmed, but I persevered and spent a lot of time working on my relationships with the clients until I won over their trust. Being thrown in at the deep end meant I had to adapt and learn quickly, but I’m thankful for the experience and believe it instilled some important skills in me, the main one probably being: don’t be afraid to ask for help!

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Everyone’s enthusiasm and ambition really struck me – we Brits aren’t very open in that respect. I love hearing about my classmates’ diverse backgrounds and all the weird and wonderful things they are hoping to do next. I can’t wait to see what everyone has achieved 10 years down the line.

UCLA Anderson is founded on three pillars: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change. Which pillar resonates most with you and why? It’s hard to choose, but I think I relate most strongly with the idea of driving change. One of the main reasons I decided to do an MBA was to make some sort of positive impact on the world.  I’m particularly interested in the sustainability of food production, so I would be incredibly excited to pilot an idea that truly influences the way humans live that is beneficial to both future generations and the Earth itself. That said, I don’t think I could do it without the other two pillars – they’re both distinctly evident in Anderson’s culture.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The exceptionally high reputation of the Parker Career Center really interested me. As a career switcher (leaving Investment Management to pursue Social Impact), I was feeling quite daunted about all the possibilities out there and how I would be able to make some really tough decisions that would shape my life going forward. Every Anderson alum I spoke to would sing their praises for the guidance they had received and in the short time I’ve been at Anderson so far, I can already join that chorus.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Anderson Outdoor Activities Club – Coming from London, it’s rare to really enjoy being outside! I’ve already been on a few hikes organized by my classmates, but I’m looking forward to some more challenging trails and learning to paddleboard.  Something special about Southern California that a lot of people mention is that it’s one of the few places in the world where you can ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon, so I’m hoping to tick that off too.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? What matters to you most and why?  Although it seems simple, choosing one thing and condensing it down to 300 words was extremely difficult. It’s not something I had considered much but actually forced me to really analyze my priorities.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Since graduating, my values and motivators had started to change and I wasn’t getting enough satisfaction out of my career in investment management anymore. I felt like I had gained valuable transferrable skills, but needed further education to make the switch and achieve what I really wanted. Having worked in Finance for 5 years, I was able to ascertain what I liked and didn’t like about both my role and the industry, which gave me confidence that sacrificing it to attend business school was the right decision.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None! I decided to apply to UCLA Anderson in round 1 and would apply to Columbia Business School and Berkeley HAAS in Round 2 if I didn’t get in. Luckily, I did!

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Initially, my priorities were post-MBA career prospects and being able to create strong networks in my desired industry. However, after attending a few Business School events in London, the culture and fit became a huge differentiating factor for me. The Anderson alumni really stood out from other schools. That was not only because of the great relationship they had amongst each other, but also the way they spoke so genuinely and enthusiastically about their time at Anderson.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? During my undergraduate degree, I took a placement year and spent 12 months working at Goldman Sachs in the Margin Lending team. It was extremely demanding, with long hours and a huge amount expected from each individual – especially interns – which required an incredibly high work ethic. Something that really resonated with me was the strict etiquette and values throughout the company. This very quickly taught me how to act with integrity, communicate professionally with colleagues in various levels of seniority, even in a high-pressure environment. There is also a huge emphasis on efficiency and a constant drive to find the quickest and most effective way to complete tasks. I think these skills have been instrumental to both my career and personal achievements, I definitely would not be where I am today without this experience.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?  I hope to either be managing projects aimed towards sustainability or running a venture capital firm that invests in these projects with a team of like-minded individuals. I would like to have done a lot more traveling and finally have a house with a garden big enough to have a chow-chow!