In a city where cranes dot the skyline and financial institutions are snapping up prime office space faster than developers can build it, young professionals might wonder if Dallas’s finance sector still runs on handshakes and face-to-face meetings. The evidence suggests it does – and that’s precisely what makes the city’s financial community special.
As Dallas transforms into a powerhouse that increasingly rivals traditional financial hubs, the experiences of rising stars like UT Dallas graduate Levi Pettit offer valuable insights for today’s finance graduates looking to build careers in this rapidly evolving market.
Why Levi Pettit Says Dallas’s Traditional Business Culture Still Matters
While the city’s skyline might be changing, the fundamentals of success in Dallas’s financial sector remain rooted in personal connections. “The young people who want to pursue finance may find that attractive,” Pettit notes about the trend toward remote work. “However, [for an] entry-level job, [they] really should be looking for opportunities where they can be face-to-face with people every single day. That’s where I learned the most — and how I grew the most.”
Having built his career at hometown institutions like Independent Financial and Veritex Bank, Pettit’s experience demonstrates the continued importance of relationship-building in Dallas’s financial sector. In a business community where personal connections drive opportunity, his emphasis on face-to-face interaction seems particularly relevant.
What It Really Takes to Stand Out in Dallas Finance
Success in Dallas’s financial scene requires more than just showing up. Pettit’s path demonstrates the importance of going above and beyond. While working full-time at local institutions, he pursued his CFA designation, committing to over 600 hours of study for the Level II and III exams. “Nobody required it of me,” he explains. “It’s something I did on my own. It was a lot of evenings and weekends studying.”
The Dallas Difference: Building Your Network
The Dallas financial community runs on relationships, as evidenced by Levi Pettit’s journey from analyst to family office investment professional. His transition into family office work came through maintaining strong professional connections – specifically, through a lunch meeting with a former boss that led to an opportunity helping build out a first-generation, single-family office.
“You’ve got to do it,” he advises. “You have to put yourself out there. Find mentors — I would definitely not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the mentors I have in my life.” His career trajectory, from his early days as an analyst through his current pursuit of an MBA at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, exemplifies the opportunities that arise from staying connected within Dallas’s tight-knit financial community.
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