Aspiring finance professionals often assume they need an economics or business degree to land a job at a firm like JP Morgan. Justin Nelson, Managing Director and Head of the Asset Management and Financial Principals Coverage Team at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Connecticut, says that assumption is not necessary, at least on his team.

“When I’m out looking to hire people, I actually couldn’t care less what your major is,” Justin Nelson JP Morgan said. “I’m looking for people who are interested in finance, have the raw skills to be in this business and are humble and genuine.”

What Actually Matters to Nelson

Nelson leads a twenty person team overseeing more than $15 billion in client assets, and he says curiosity and humility matter more on his hiring checklist than a specific transcript. Candidates who studied psychology, biology, or engineering have found a home on his team, alongside those with traditional finance training.

Nelson points to his own path as evidence that unconventional routes can work. He earned degrees in chemistry and economics from Tufts University, then completed an MBA at Columbia University, training that combined scientific reasoning with financial theory rather than following a single track.

For anyone eyeing a career at JP Morgan or elsewhere in wealth management, Nelson’s advice comes down to genuine interest over pedigree. Nearly three decades into his own career, he still credits that willingness to hire outside the traditional mold with building a team capable of handling both the numbers and the people behind them.

Justin Nelson also tells candidates not to hide an unusual background during an interview. A biology major who spent summers in a research lab or an engineering student who built software on the side, he says, should treat that experience as an asset rather than something to explain away when talking with a firm like JP Morgan. Visit this page for additional information.

More about Justin Nelson JP Morgan on https://tfn.tufts.edu/blog/news/2011/10/01/member-spotlight-justin-nelson-a98-opening-doors-to-students-at-jp-morgan/