Dublin High School’s Collin Hartland on Life after College: from Colorado College to Wall Street

In just a few weeks, Wall Street will be the new home to Collin Hartland, a recent Colorado College grad and Dublin High School alumnus. In his interview with One.Dublin.org, Hartland provided excellent insights into how he was able to successfully navigate his years as a college student and his transition to a full-time career. To begin, Hartland spoke about his search for a college to attend as a high school senior. Although many of his peers looked for schools within California at the time, Hartland explained that he wanted to leave California in search for new people and a different perspective. With the help of soccer, Hartland was introduced to Colorado College, a university that provided him with just what he was searching for.

Collin with his proud mom Mita!

At Colorado College, Hartland majored in mathematical economics along with multiple computer science courses. One of the most unique aspects of his school, and a factor that drew Hartland into attending, was Colorado College’s block semester plan. Instead of taking all of his classes at once during a semester, the block plan allows students to take one class at a time, from 9 am to noon, for 18 days. Hartland explained that he really enjoyed the block system because it allowed him to focus on one subject at a time, and if he didn’t particularly enjoy a class he did not have to experience it for long. In addition, because Colorado College’s student body is only 2,000, Hartland never had trouble getting into classes he wanted and was able to graduate in the time that he wanted to.

During his first two summers as an undergrad, Hartland worked as an intern for iTrade Network, a local start-up in the Bay Area. While many of his friends searched for internships in big cities, Hartland explained that working close to home can be just as enriching, and that “any internship is valuable to you. You will gain experience no matter what it is.” Throughout his college career, Hartland also became a tutor at his university’s library center. Hartland not only enjoyed his time as a tutor, but explained that his experience tutoring other students became very valuable during his job search later on. According to Hartland, companies he interacted with loved to see that he was a tutor because it showed that he is capable of learning things quickly, passing on knowledge, and working well with others.

By the summer of his senior year of college, Hartland had already begun preparing for life after graduation. Hartland’s major piece of advice for anyone looking to secure a job after college is “to start early”. By beginning research for jobs during the summer, Hartland was ready to begin applying for jobs in the fall of his senior year. Before the month of November had ended, Hartland had applied to 40 different companies. In deciding which jobs to apply to, Hartland explained that it was crucial to find companies where he knew someone. As his college professor advised, “It’s not what you know or who you know, but who knows you.”

Out of the 40 companies he applied to, Hartland heard back from 10 and received interest from 5, all of which were companies where he had connections. Hartland emphasized to not be afraid to reach out to the connections that you have when applying to jobs, because a good word can go a long way. “Don’t be ashamed of who you have as a connection,” Hartland says, “Connections are so valuable.” Thanks to his hard work, and 10 hours of interview prep, Hartland begins work as an analyst at Deutsche Bank in New York City this July.

Before ending our interview, Hartland had a few last pieces of advice for Dublin High students looking towards their future as college students. “I wish that people at Dublin High would explore their options,” said Hartland, “There are so many cool schools out there that we don’t know about. If you want it, there is so much more to explore.” Although California’s state and UC schools are excellent, Hartland emphasized to not be afraid to look beyond the immediately recognizable schools. And finally, Hartland said, “Don’t predict that your college experience will be what is on social media. Nobody is going to post a picture of them studying at a library at 3 am. The people who are most disappointed are the ones who think that the party aspect is everything.”

One.Dublin.org wishes Collin all the best in his transition to New York City!