Don’t Trust Your Gut…
…OR AT LEAST QUESTION IT BEFORE YOU ACT.
SAFIA WILLIAMS, ‘17
SAFIA, 2019 WELLESLEY COLLEGE GRAD, LEARNED TO QUESTION HER INITIAL INSTINCTS AS SHE PAVED HER PATH TO A CAREER IN INVESTING.
When I took “Introduction to Python Programming” during my first semester at Wellesley, I had never coded before and, as far as I was concerned, Python was a snake.
It proved to be one of the most humbling classes I have ever taken. I felt inadequate when I couldn’t debug my code and I felt even worse when I saw how quickly my classmates finished their problem sets. By the end of the semester, I was completely drained, and I vowed never to take another computer science class.
During my second semester, I reflected on my experience. In hindsight, I struggled because I held myself to standards that were unrealistically high. However, I had the ability to alter this perception. And if I could change my mindset, what did I stand to gain? An opportunity to develop my problem-solving skills and to apply these skills to any industry. Maybe it was worth a second chance.
Another time I questioned my gut was when I applied for full-time jobs during my senior year
I knew that I wanted to work on the buy-side in a supportive research role and I interviewed at multiple firms, mostly in Boston. I was beginning to get anxious around Thanksgiving when recruitment was winding down and I still hadn’t received a job offer. I was scanning my school’s career page when I saw a job posting for a research associate position at an asset management firm in New Jersey. I applied and was offered an interview, one that I nearly didn’t take.
As I was booking my flight to Newark, I hesitated. A good friend of mine summed up my thoughts exactly, “Safia, you’ve lived in Boston and London. Don’t you think New Jersey is kind of a downgrade?” Fortunately, I listened to the rational side of my brain, which reminded me that this was exactly the type of job I was looking for.
Ultimately, I majored in computer science and became a tutor for the department in my senior year
Since then, I’ve moved to New Jersey and truly can’t see myself working for any other firm.
Despite my instinct to abandon computer science and to reject the possibility of working in a new state, I’m glad that I paused to question the factors that motivated my gut reactions and to ask what I could gain if I ignored my gut.
The lesson, “Don’t trust your gut,” is one that can also be applied to investing. I’ve listened to analysts present on companies where I instinctively thought, “Do you really want to invest in that kind of business?” On the other hand, there are some companies where it’s easy to gush about their innovations and say, “Surely, this investment will do wonders for any portfolio.” I’m here to say that your gut isn’t always right. I’ve learned that first impressions are often incomplete, and that good ideas can come from places that are overlooked. That’s not to say that you should never listen to the voice in your head, but instead, follow author Daniel Kahneman’s advice from his book Noise: “To make the final decision, delay intuition, but don’t ban it.”
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