January 30, 2013

Recent Alumni Spotlight: Giuseppe Baffaro

Native Portlander, Giuseppe Baffaro, graduated from Lewis & Clark in 2011 with a degree in Economics. A member of the baseball and golf teams, Giuseppe is an avid supporter of all Pacific Northwest sports teams, especially the Blazers. His interest in economics led him to his current position as a Mortgage Broker with Premier Mortgage Resources.

Native Portlander, Giuseppe Baffaro, graduated from Lewis & Clark in 2011 with a degree in Economics. A member of the baseball and golf teams, Giuseppe is an avid supporter of all Pacific Northwest sports teams, especially the Blazers. His interest in economics led him to his current position as a Mortgage Broker with Premier Mortgage Resources.

Center for Career and Community Engagement: Tell us a bit about your position with Premier Mortgage Resources? How did you find out about the opportunity? What does your day-to-day schedule look like?

Giuseppe Baffaro: I am currently working as a loan officer at our Pearl office here in Portland. It is my job to bring consumers and lenders together to provide the most suitable financing,  given an individual’s or a  family’s financial picture; for the purpose of purchasing a home, or re-financing a current home loan when necessary.  We are a correspondent lender, meaning we have established relationships with a few wholesale lending divisions of major banks. This allows us to underwrite and fund loans in-house, giving us an advantage in rates, closing times and document management. We also work with many other mortgage brokers to find the best possible financing options out there.

 I’m running my own business, in a sense, with clients and deadlines typical of a small business owner. My day-to-day schedule consists of, but is not limited to, setting up meetings with realtors in the area, as well as following market trends, and keeping up on all the guidelines; they are ALWAYS changing! I constantly look for opportunities to tell people about what I do. I have to stay on my toes!

3CE: What inspired you to explore this field?

GB: Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions/investment that most people will make in their lifetime, so I feel I have a great responsibility to make that process as clear and straight-forward as possible. I feel honored that I get to be a part of the home buying process! I have family on the real estate side of the business, so I use a lot of the contacts and knowledge I have acquired throughout the years to help grow what I do.

3CE: What skills afforded by your by your liberal arts education resonated with the employer?

GB: There are so many details in this business; it’s hard to pinpoint specific skills. You have to be able to adapt to different situations and be willing to learn and change things along the way. Communication, organization and social skills are all very important in my business, so those are a must. It always helps when 2 of the 4 managing partners graduated from LC!  I studied economics at LC and took an interest in the finance aspect of my courses early on.

3CE: What did you do your freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year to prepare for life beyond Lewis & Clark?

GB: I was a transfer student at LC so the two years I was there mainly consisted of creating good, well rounded relationships that will hopefully last forever! I met a lot of great people at LC; I can’t thank them enough for the genuine friendship they extended to me. I was a member of the baseball and golf teams at LC and couldn’t have asked for a greater group of people to be around.

3CE: What roadblocks did you encounter along the path to your position as a mortgage broker?

GB: None of this comes easy; it takes a great deal of time and patience to establish yourself in this industry. I try and create relationships that will last and help those that are in need, whenever and whatever that may be. I say I’m in the mortgage business, but it’s a people business and I take pride in being a great people person above all.

3CE: Who was/is your support along your career path?

GB: My family and friends have always played a crucial role in my life journey. As a broker, in my capacity, it is so important to establish and market to a specific group. They are the ones who help me move forward and put my name out there. I work with some of the most amazing people in the business and they continue to work with me and guide me along the way.

3CE: What would you tell students, if anything, about 3CE? How, if at all, did 3CE help prepare you for this opportunity?

GB: 3CE was a great resource for me as I finished my career at LC. I came in with questions and sought “job search guidance” on more than one occasion. I had questions about resume building, alumni contacts, major specific job opportunities etc. Nina Olken was an amazing help throughout my 3CE experience! Thank You Nina!