Classroom 2 Career Series Segment Courses Career Prep Forms Top 30 Meet the Founder Enroll

The full program · Discover the Industry. Explore Career Paths. Prepare for the Job Market.

From Watching to Launching

Everything behind the door — $49, one payment

You’ve seen the free videos. The full program takes you the rest of the way: six course series — each opening with a short tour of its segment, then going deep on how that business works — plus a career-preparation series that shows you how to pursue the opportunity. In all, 48 video lessons across 8 courses: 3 hours 40 minutes of instruction, with five worksheets and 45 Top 30 company lists to turn it into a target list. Buy it once and it’s yours to keep.

Go beyond general career advice and learn:

  • How the financial services industry works and where different businesses and functions fit
  • What career paths and entry-level roles are available across the industry
  • What those jobs actually involve and what skills they require
  • What employers look for in college students and recent graduates
  • How to position yourself for internships, interviews, and your first full-time opportunity
Join now — $49 See what's inside

Part 2 · All-Access — Learn your business

The segment courses

Part 2 is six course series — one for each business segment, plus shared services. Thirty-eight videos, more than two and a half hours of instruction. Each series covers how the business works, how it makes money, how it’s organized, who the players are, and which entry-level jobs actually hire new grads — so you walk into recruiting season with a target list instead of a blank search bar. One $49 payment covers all six.

  • 01Consumer Finance & FinTechHow banks and lenders serve individuals — the core lending products, how they make money, and the entry-level jobs behind them.
  • 02Commercial Banking, Finance & LeasingLending and financing for businesses — commercial banking, treasury services, owner-occupied real estate, and equipment leasing.
  • 03Commercial Real EstateThe full life of a commercial property — acquisition, financing, development — and the careers along the continuum.
  • 04Wealth Management & Private BankingServing high-net-worth individuals and families — investment advice, private banking, and the client-focused careers behind them.
  • 05Investment Banking & Private EquityAdvising on capital raising and M&A, and investing in private companies — two of the most competitive paths in finance.
  • 06Shared ServicesThe corporate functions every firm runs on — often the most accessible entry point into the industry.

Series 01 · 6 lessons · 37 min

Consumer Finance & FinTech

  • Introduction to Consumer Finance2:32
  • Consumer Mortgage4:53
  • Consumer Credit Cards5:20
  • Consumer Auto and Personal Loans11:09
  • The Consumer Finance Continuum6:51
  • Entry-Level Career Guide5:55

Series 02 · 6 lessons · 31 min

Commercial Banking, Finance & Leasing

  • Commercial Banking, Finance & Leasing — Introduction2:42
  • Commercial Banking5:32
  • Treasury Services5:14
  • Owner-Occupied Real Estate5:28
  • Commercial Leasing6:18
  • Entry-Level Career Guide5:36

Series 03 · 7 lessons · 41 min

Commercial Real Estate

  • Introduction to Commercial Real Estate2:13
  • Buying the Asset5:14
  • Capital Markets7:26
  • Development and Construction7:14
  • Equity vs. Debt4:54
  • The Real Estate Continuum6:29
  • Entry-Level Career Guide7:55

Series 04 · 4 lessons · 17 min

Wealth Management & Private Banking

  • Introduction to Wealth & Private Banking2:08
  • Private Banking5:07
  • Wealth Management6:51
  • Entry-Level Career Guide2:59

Series 05 · 4 lessons · 16 min

Investment Banking & Private Equity

  • Introduction to Investment Banking & Private Equity3:08
  • Investment Banking4:59
  • Private Equity4:02
  • Entry-Level Career Guide4:17

Series 06 · 11 lessons · 26 min

Shared Services

  • Introduction to Shared Services2:18
  • Nine function deep dives — Risk & Credit Management, Operations, Marketing & Communications, Legal & Compliance, Internal Audit, Human Resources, Facilities, Accounting & Finance, Technology & IT~2:15 each
  • Entry-Level Career Guide3:46

NextStep360™ · Included with All-Access

After the videos, a second opinion.

Once you’ve watched the segment videos, take NextStep360: a 20-question survey in three short parts covering how you work, what you can do today, and what you want from the job. It suggests the career paths and entry-level jobs that may be worth exploring, so you can see whether it matches what you were thinking.

20 questions · About 4 minutes · Members only

Part 3 · All-Access — Career Preparation

Prepare Yourself to Launch Your Career

Once the segment courses help you understand where you fit, this series turns that knowledge into a practical career plan—building your résumé throughout college, developing your job-search strategy, building meaningful professional connections, and preparing for the journey ahead.

It’s built on decades of recruiting experience and insights gained from employer feedback on thousands of interviews, giving you an inside perspective on how employers evaluate candidates—something you won’t find in a textbook or typical career guide.

Part 3 · 8 lessons · 39 min

Putting It All Together

  • Introduction to Putting It All Together3:49
  • Résumé Progression Throughout College2:51
  • Working While in College — The Tension2:31
  • Job Strategy7:17
  • Networking on LinkedIn6:29
  • Preparing Yourself for the Journey5:37
  • An Alternative Path9:15
  • Series Conclusion1:26

Included with All-Access at no extra charge.

Part 4 · All-Access — Forms & Worksheets

Put Your Career Plan on Paper

Five practical worksheets to help you define your career direction, identify target companies and roles, build your network, prepare for interviews, and execute a focused job search.

  • Career Direction & Target ListPDFMEMBERS
  • Target Company Networking LogPDFMEMBERS
  • Networking Preparation ChecklistPDFMEMBERS
  • Job Search StrategyPDFMEMBERS
  • Interview ChecklistPDFMEMBERS

The worksheets are downloadable in the members area — included with All-Access.

Part 5 · All-Access — Top 30 Company Lists

Who’s Who in Each Segment

Knowing the industry is one thing; knowing who to call is another. For each industry segment, the Top 30 lists name the leading companies in every corner of the business — the employers where entry-level careers actually begin. Forty-five lists across five segments.

Each list ranks the firms, explains how that part of the segment works, and points to the entry-level roles to look for. Every list also gives each company’s headquarters location and its regional offices, so if you’re searching in a particular city or region you can quickly see which employers have a presence there. Use them to build your target list in the first worksheet.

Consumer Finance & FinTech · 8 lists

  • Top 30 Consumer Finance CompaniesRanked by consumer loans held — the whole continuum
  • Top 30 Mortgage LendersRanked by 2025 residential origination volume
  • Top 30 Credit Card IssuersRanked by credit card balances outstanding
  • Top 30 Auto LendersRanked by auto loan and lease portfolio size
  • Top 30 Personal Loan LendersRanked by origination volume and receivables
  • Top 30 Consumer Finance FintechsRanked by origination, transaction volume and scale
  • Top 30 MBS & ABS InvestorsThe funds and institutions that buy the bonds
  • The MBS & ABS Rating AgenciesThe five NRSROs that grade mortgage- and asset-backed securities

Commercial Banking, Finance & Leasing · 5 lists

  • Commercial Banks: National & RegionalThe Big Four plus the top 30 regional banks — by commercial loans
  • Top 30 International BanksForeign-owned banks in U.S. commercial lending — by U.S. assets
  • Top 30 Captive Finance CompaniesManufacturer-owned lessors — heavy equipment, trucks, technology, medical
  • Top 30 Independent Finance CompaniesNon-captive lessors — equipment, fleets, aircraft, rail, medical, technology
  • Top 30 Non-Bank Commercial Lenders & FintechsPrivate credit, asset-based lending, online business lenders and embedded finance — no real estate

Commercial Real Estate · 12 lists

  • Top 30 CRE Investment & Holding CompaniesPrivate equity real estate and institutional owners — by real estate AUM
  • Top 30 REITsPublicly traded real estate investment trusts — by equity market cap
  • Top 30 Development CompaniesVision, entitlement, construction — earliest risk, highest reward
  • Top 30 General Contractors & Top 15 A/E FirmsWho builds the building — and who designs it
  • Top 30 Construction LendersFinancing the build — from permit to certificate of occupancy
  • Top 30 Stabilized LendersPermanent loans — long-term, secured by income, taking out the construction loan
  • GSEs & Top 30 Agency LendersFannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD/FHA and the lenders that originate for them
  • Top 30 CMBS LendersHow a commercial mortgage becomes a bond — originate, pool, tranche, rate, sell
  • Top 30 Mezzanine LendersGap capital between the senior loan and the equity — 70–85% LTV
  • Top 30 Preferred Equity ProvidersGap capital — equity with priority, 80–90% of the stack
  • Top 30 Brokerage & Capital Markets FirmsInvestment sales, mortgage brokerage, leasing and valuation
  • Top 30 Property Management CompaniesRunning the building — tenants, leases, rent collection, maintenance, operating budget

Wealth Management & Private Banking · 10 lists

  • Top 30 Wealth Management FirmsThe major integrated wealth platforms — by client assets
  • Top 30 Private BanksU.S. private banking platforms for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients — by client assets
  • Top 30 Registered Investment AdvisorsIndependent fee-based wealth management firms — by client assets
  • Top 30 Independent Broker-DealersWhere independent advisors run their own practices — by 2025 revenue
  • Top 30 Insurance-Affiliated Advisory FirmsLife insurers and mutuals that hire the most new advisors — by advisors / agents
  • Top 30 Multi-Family Offices & Trust CompaniesIndependent firms serving ultra-high-net-worth families — by AUM / assets under advisement
  • Top 30 Asset Management FirmsThe money managers behind wealth portfolios — by assets under management
  • Top 30 Online & Discount BrokeragesThe brokerage end of the spectrum — by client assets / accounts
  • Top 30 Wealth Fintechs & Robo-AdvisorsDigital investing and wealth platforms for everyday and emerging investors — by assets under management
  • Top 30 Custodians, TAMPs & Wealth-Tech PlatformsThe operations and technology behind every advisor — by platform assets / AUA

Investment Banking & Private Equity · 10 lists

  • Top 30 Global Investment BanksThe major global banks — by 2025 investment banking fee revenue
  • Top 30 Elite Boutique Advisory FirmsIndependent M&A, restructuring and strategic advisory firms — by 2025 revenue / deal value
  • Top 30 Middle-Market Investment BanksM&A and capital-raising advisers to mid-sized companies — by 2025 deal count
  • Top 30 Restructuring Advisory FirmsInvestment banks and financial advisors for distressed companies and creditors — by 2025 restructuring rankings
  • Top 30 Private Equity FirmsThe megafunds — by five-year private equity capital raised
  • Top 30 Middle-Market Private Equity FirmsU.S. buyout firms beyond the megafunds — by assets under management
  • Top 30 Lower Middle-Market Private Equity FirmsU.S. buyout firms backing smaller companies — by latest flagship fund
  • Top 30 Sector-Specialist Private Equity FirmsIndustry-focused PE firms — by AUM or capital raised
  • Top 30 Venture Capital FirmsPrivate markets’ growth cousin — by venture capital raised / AUM
  • Top 30 Hedge Fund FirmsThe buy side in public markets — by hedge fund assets under management

The lists are downloadable in the members area — included with All-Access.

$49All-Access — Parts 2 through 5 plus NextStep360: every episode, every form, and every company list. One payment, yours to keep. Less than tonight's Uber Eats.

Join the program

Your guide · Chris Bezick

Learn the Industry From Someone Who Has Been on Both Sides of the Table

Chris Bezick smiling in a grey suit, an American flag flying behind him

Chris has spent more than 30 years in financial services. He has actually been in the business. He has built, managed, and grown financial services businesses. And for more than 20 years, he has been on the other side of the table—helping leading financial institutions decide who gets hired.

He understands financial services from the inside: how businesses make money, how the industry is structured, where the opportunities are, what different roles actually do, and what it takes to build a career in the business. And as an executive recruiter, he knows what happens on the other side of the hiring process—what employers look for, why one candidate gets the offer over another, and how to stand out when it matters.

Through Classroom 2 Career, Chris gives students something they rarely get in the classroom: an insider’s view of the financial services industry and the hiring process. He helps students understand the industry, identify where they might fit, find the opportunities worth pursuing, position themselves effectively, and prepare for the interview.

  • Executive recruiter with 20+ years of experience, leading searches for Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, Fannie Mae, Fortress, and other leading financial institutions.
  • Former financial services executive who helped build, manage, and grow a significant commercial real estate loan acquisition and asset management business.
  • B.S., United States Military Academy at West Point
  • M.B.A., Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University

“I’ve been at the hiring table from both sides—first building a significant financial services business, and then spending more than 20 years recruiting the people companies wanted to hire. I’ve worked with companies across every major segment of financial services, so I know how each business works, what employers look for, and where the career opportunities are. I know what it takes to get your foot in the door.”

— Chris Bezick

Ready when you are.

One payment. Every course series, the career-preparation series, NextStep360, the worksheets, the Top 30 company lists, and everything added to the program down the road — yours to keep.

Join now — $49 Back to the free videos