When Kathleen (Kat) Jerome pivoted from finance to real estate, she pursued a Harvard Extension School graduate certificate to build upon her business foundation and develop industry-specific skills.
Building a Life, Building a Career: Why I Chose to Earn a Graduate Certificate at Harvard Extension School
I didn’t start my career in real estate; I earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Villanova University, and right out of college I went into accounting and finance. That gave me some great foundational skills that transferred to real estate valuation. But I felt like I was missing some concepts. My company at the time had a tuition reimbursement program, so I also really wanted to take advantage of what was given to me, internally, at work.
I did a lot of research on what was available in the Boston area before signing up for the Harvard Extension School (HES) program. I was looking for something I could do in a flexible format, something that aligned with where I was in both my personal and professional life.
At the time, I was extremely busy with my workload, attending external networking events, planning my wedding, and buying a house.
When I came upon the online Real Estate Investment Graduate Certificate at HES, I was attracted to the setup of the coursework and how I could play back the asynchronous lectures. I also liked that instructors had live office hours available. It all seemed like just the solution I was looking for to help build my skillset in the industry, while also flexible enough to fit my life.
How the Real Estate Investment Graduate Certificate Helped Me in My Day Job
When I started the program in 2022, I was in an interesting position in my professional career. I had pivoted into real estate and had two years of experience under my belt, but I was about five years out of school. I wanted to grasp all the information I could in order to excel to that next level, so I decided to earn a graduate certificate to advance my knowledge.
Throughout the certificate program, I had a lot of light bulb moments. I was learning things I could immediately apply to my day job, which then focused on office assets. One of the first courses I took was Real Estate Principles, and it explored how everything is cyclical in this industry: when it’s on the up and up — and how to spot the signs that we’re getting to the bottom of a cycle. During those years the office market was challenged, so seeing those concepts was really an “a-ha” moment. That class also covered financing and lender relationships and how to communicate with transparency during challenging times. That’s something I saw every day at work.
From start to finish, it took me about three years to complete the graduate real estate certificate. The program was great: the teachers, the office hours, everything.
My daughter was born during my final year at HES, so it was really a full-circle moment when we got invited to the certificate awarding ceremony and I was able to bring her along. As a remote student, getting the experience to come on campus at the end of the program was extremely rewarding.
Immersed in the Experience: Finding a Routine, Finding Community
I think HES works extremely well for people who have a busy lifestyle. I was expecting it to be a little overwhelming at first, especially balancing work with family, friends – and while planning a wedding. But it ended up being completely doable; it was just about time management. I’d watch lectures during my lunch hour and chip away at assignments before work or over the weekend.
I’m an over-studier, and I make notecards for everything. Beginning with the first course, I would study them on my train into the city and back home. I loved going back through the materials and making sure I totally understood it before heading into quizzes and exams.
Another thing I loved about the real estate certificate program is that there was a timeline of three years, and if you didn’t complete it within that timeline, then you wouldn’t achieve your certificate. I’m a goal-oriented individual and having — and meeting — that deadline is something I’m really proud of.
My daughter was born during my final year at HES, so it was really a full-circle moment when we got invited to the certificate awarding ceremony and I was able to bring her along. As a remote student, getting the experience to come on campus at the end of the program was extremely rewarding.
My Career Trajectory: Opening Doors in Real Estate Investment
My motivation for achieving the real estate certificate was a blend of wanting to get Harvard on my resume and to take advantage of the concepts I felt were missing in my career. It opened a lot of doors for me.
When I started at HES, I was an associate in real estate asset management. While I was still in the program, I was promoted to assistant vice president of asset management, and then vice president. Seeing my career trajectory change in real time, I definitely credit the certificate. It helped put me in a better position for that next promotion — and the next. Two years out of the program, I now serve as director of real estate asset management.
Like a lot of my peers at Harvard Extension, I’d call myself a lifelong learner. I don’t think I’ll ever not be studying. Seeing all the options at HES — well, I think I still have a lot of exploring to do.
