• February 7, 2025

Continuous Learning Key to Finance Career Success, Says Levi Pettit

In an industry as dynamic as finance, the ability to adapt and continuously learn can make the difference between career stagnation and growth. Few understand this better than Levi Pettit, an investment professional whose commitment to education has shaped his career trajectory from college graduate to family office executive and beyond.

“You think that you have a college degree and you know everything now; but that’s not the case,” Pettit recalls his first boss telling him. “You need to realize you will need to continue learning for the rest of your career.” This early advice would become a guiding principle throughout his professional journey.

Levi Pettit’s Educational Foundation and Professional Development

After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2018 with dual degrees in finance and economics, Pettit could have rested on his academic laurels. Instead, he approached each new role as an opportunity to expand his knowledge base. From his position as an enterprise risk management analyst at Independent Financial to his role as a credit analyst at Veritex Bank, Pettit consistently sought to broaden his understanding of the financial sector.

His next significant career move came through networking—a lunch with a former internship boss that led to an investment associate position at a first-generation, single-family office. There, Pettit immersed himself in alternative investments, private equity, venture capital, and commercial real estate, managing both direct investments and fund allocations.

The Impact of Mentorship and In-Person Learning

Despite the increasing prevalence of remote work in finance, Pettit emphasizes the irreplaceable value of in-person learning experiences, particularly for early-career professionals. “Young people who want to pursue finance may find remote work attractive,” he acknowledges. “However, it’s important for those in entry-level positions to seek opportunities where they can be face-to-face with people every single day.”

This perspective stems from his own experience in environments that fostered direct communication and mentorship. In the family office setting, Pettit appreciated the ability to learn directly from decision-makers. “It never felt like I had to talk to a boss, who had to talk to their boss, who had to talk to somebody else’s boss,” he explains. “I could be completely open and honest to even the managing partner about what was going on.”

Currently pursuing an MBA at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, Pettit continues to expand his expertise. His academic journey reflects his belief in the importance of formal education combined with practical experience. For young professionals entering the field, he recommends seeking positions that offer both structured learning opportunities and daily interaction with experienced colleagues.

“If I was graduating today, I would try to find something that required me to be in a seat five days a week, and make sure there was some type of team culture,” he advises. This approach, he believes, provides the optimal environment for professional growth and development.

Looking ahead, Pettit plans to leverage his diverse educational and professional experiences in the registered investment advisor space, where he sees an opportunity to serve multiple high-net-worth clients as an outsourced family office. His journey from college graduate to his current pursuit of an MBA demonstrates that in finance, success often comes to those who view their education as an ongoing process rather than a completed achievement.

For emerging finance professionals, Pettit’s career path offers a valuable lesson: in an industry that constantly evolves, the most successful practitioners are those who never stop learning, whether through formal education, mentorship, or hands-on experience. His story suggests that while technical knowledge is important, the willingness to continuously learn and adapt may be the most valuable skill of all.