Student Profile
Robert Ross, 2007
In May 2007, I graduated from Miami with a Bachelor’s degree in Technical and Scientific Communication with an emphasis in Computer Science. I really enjoyed being a BATSC major, and I feel like I got a lot out of the program. After I graduated, I began working at PowerShares Capital Management, LLC in Wheaton, Illinois. PowerShares (www.powershares.com) is the advisor and sponsor of a family of exchange-traded funds, or ETFs.
ETFs combine the characteristics of an open-end mutual fund and a stock. Similar to an index mutual fund, ETFs represent a fractional ownership in an underlying portfolio of securities that track a specific index. Similar to a stock, ETFs shares are bought and sold on an exchange.
The summer between my sophomore and junior year at Miami I took the Summer Business Institute, a 9-hour crash course for non-business majors. However, going into PowerShares, I knew little about the financial services industry. I studied the industry and familiarized myself with the company during my first couple of weeks on the job. Eventually, I began editing advisor guides, creating presentations, and preparing marketing materials.
My background as a technical communicator prepared me for the tasks at hand. Every day I interact with nearly every department within the company: marketing, sales, public relations, new product development, accounting, and research. I love my job, and I now have a very strong understanding of exchange-traded funds. In the fall, I plan on continuing to work for PowerShares in a smaller capacity as I travel overseas to begin working on my Masters in International Business at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.