James Carlstedt
Michigan State University, Broad College of Business
“An enthusiastic, energized & extroverted optimist who believes in people and their crazy ambitions.”
Fun fact about yourself: I’ve been to 12 different countries and lived in Shanghai, China, for a year.”
Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI
High School: Rochester Adams High School
Major: Accounting
Minor: Spanish
Favorite Business Courses: Security Analysis, Financial Modeling & Managerial Marketing
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Freshman Year:
- Student Investment Association, Analyst
- Finance Association, Member
- Intramural Soccer & Beach Volleyball
Sophomore Year:
- Student Investment Association, Sector Head
- Keynote Naturals Presentation Club, Co-Founder & President
- Intramural Soccer & Beach Volleyball
Junior Year:
- Student Investment Association, President
- Intramural Soccer & Beach Volleyball
- International Business Study Abroad to Western Europe
Senior Year:
- The Student Consulting Group, Co-Founder & Director of Finance
- Historical Spanish Studies in Valencia, Spain
Awards
- Eagle Scouts Award, Boy Scouts of America
- 1st Place in Buckeye Capital Investors Stock Pitch Competition
- Sandra Pruente Memorial Scholarship
- Arthur Carter Award
- Cosper Scholarship
- Merten Scholarship
- Doeren Mayhew Scholarship
Where have you interned during your college career?
- Summer 2014 – Northwestern Mutual (Troy, MI)
Position: Financial Representative
- 2015 – May 2016 – Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan (Lansing, MI)
Position: Investment Analyst Intern
- Summer 2016 – Goldman Sachs (New York, NY)
Position: Investment Banking Summer Analyst
Describe your dream Job: Co-founding with several partners a private investment company that’s focused on generating annual cash flows through real estate and private businesses. Once the company is doing well enough, there will also be a focus on opportunistic investments in sustainable energy and technology for the advancement of that sector.
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? I highly admire Dan Gilbert, who graduated from Michigan State, for his entrepreneurialism in Detroit, Michigan. He founded Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures and is using his ideas, capital, and connections to make a lasting impact and change within the city of Detroit.
What did you enjoy most about majoring in a business-related field? I most enjoyed the limitless opportunities that exist within business and the ability to open many of those doors through preparation and professional networking.
Where would you like to work after graduation? Goldman Sachs, Investment Banking Analyst
What are your long-term professional goals? I would like to make a measurable impact in the advancement of technologies within the sustainable energy field through funding opportunistic investments that promise a brighter future.
“I knew I wanted to major in business when…the Great Recession occurred and I didn’t understand the immense global economic impact that followed and why.”
“If I didn’t major in business, I would be…an engineer who focused on the product development and advancement of sustainable energy.”
“Before I entered business school, I wish I had known…the hundreds of different career paths that are possible as this would have allowed more time to narrow down what exactly I would like to do with my future.”
What was the happiest moment of your life? The night of February 4, 2016, when my hundreds of hours of effort, stress, and persistence paid off and I received my internship offer with Goldman Sachs’ investment banking division in New York City.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? After many hours of preparation and networking, I am most proud of being the first Michigan State student to have received a full-time offer with Goldman Sachs’ investment banking division.
What animal would you choose to represent your professional brand? A wolf is the best animal to describe my personal and professional brand. I set my goals and ambitions high and want to take on many challenges, but I never forget that I am nothing without my family, friends, team and everyone else who supports me.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I thank my family for their endless faith, endurance, and encouragement of my career goals and ambitions. I’m a strong believer of “almost everything starts at home.”
What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would like my business school peers to say that I gave Michigan State 100 percent of my effort towards academics, extracurricular activities, and mentoring others who wish to follow a career path similar to mine.
Favorite book: How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Favorite movie: The Matrix
Favorite musical performer: Galantis
Favorite vacation spot: Barcelona, Spain
What are your hobbies? Spending time with friends, outdoor activities, traveling, exercising, reading, and watching movies.
What made James such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2017?
“Jamie is one of the most incredible students I’ve met in my 20+ years at the Broad College. A top-performing student, he is committed to setting stretch goals and surpassing them. Those words can describe many students, however. What sets Jamie apart?
- His willingness to take risks. He mentions in this document the effort he put into landing his internship at Goldman Sachs. What he didn’t say was that he turned down two great investment banking offers that most students would have died to receive because their acceptance deadlines were well in advance of Goldman interviews. He could have easily played it safe and been viewed as very successful, but he would have let himself down. He believed in himself and his crazy ambitions, just as he noted he does in others!
- His commitment to helping others. This fall I asked Jamie to assume the role of trainer for the junior students in the Financial Markets Institute. The amount of time and effort he put into each individual wildly surpassed my expectations. And he did more of the same for students not in the institute. He puts others ahead of himself and, as such, is their greatly respected role model.
- His boundless determination, energy, and enthusiasm. He never stops! I hope I am around to witness the success of the private investment company he wishes to start in the future. He will not stop short of great success! But the old saying that “all work and no play make Jack a dull boy” does not apply to him. He makes time for fun experiences and enjoys them with friends and family – he’s very well-balanced for someone his age.
It is an honor to know Jamie. He is a regular source of inspiration and motivation for me.”
Helen Dashney
Director, Financial Markets Institute
Broad College of Business
Michigan State University
DON’T MISS: THE FULL HONOR ROLL: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2017
Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.