Shefali tells us about how she is building a career at Mongolia International Capital Corporation (MICC) and what experiences led her to working there as an analyst. 

What are you doing now?

I’m currently an analyst at MICC in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia through the Princeton in Asia fellowship program. MICC is a financial advisory firm that helps local businesses apply for financing from international financial institutions and private investors. On a day-to-day basis, I produce market studies, business plans and financial models for our clients.    

What do you like most about this position?

Because Mongolia’s economy is relatively young and recovering from a years-long recession, much of the affordable lending accessible to our clients comes from international financial institutions (the European Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, etc.). Working in a concessionary lending environment has been fascinating, especially after interning in finance in New York City. It has also been exciting working in a country with a very small population (3 million people, of which approximately half reside in Ulaanbaatar), as one can see the political and economic decisions play out almost immediately.  

Furthermore, I work on a small team comprised predominantly of women, which is not an experience I had during internships in business and finance while I was in college. The mentorship I have received and friendships I have formed in this position have been incredibly rewarding.

What are a few experiences that helped you realize this post-graduation plan was a good first-step for you?

I knew going into senior year that I wanted to work abroad for at least a year. However, I was not sure how to be deliberate about choosing the type of opportunity I wanted to pursue. I had a resume and cover letter review session at [the Center for Career Development] at the very beginning of senior year. Going over my past academic, extracurricular and professional experiences in the advising session, I was able to clearly map out and identify aspects of different roles that I had liked and excelled in.

Once I had my skills and strengths clearly laid out in front of me, I had much more clarity on what type of job I wanted to apply for. When I heard about the Princeton in Asia position at MICC, I realized that this was in line with what I wanted to do with the skills I already had, and in line with the new skills and experiences I wanted to develop.

Did any previous work experiences play a part in your decision to pursue this role?

I worked as a sales and trading summer analyst at J.P. Morgan the summer after my junior year and as a business development intern at a startup in Singapore the summer after my sophomore year. Both of these experiences showed me that I enjoyed learning new business, finance and economic concepts; being challenged to adapt to different types of work environments; and living in new cities for extended periods of time. These factors all shaped my decision to pursue my current role as an analyst at MICC.