NEW YORK CITY-When Clark Finney, 29, joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2007, he came with a newly minted business management degree from Washington & Lee College tucked in his resume. But he says his real education started with his first day on the job, under the guidance of executive vice chairman John Cefaly and his team.

“The business major doesn’t really translate hugely into real estate,” says Finney, who started as an associate and after three promotions is now senior director. “Going to Washington & Lee helped because as a liberal arts college, it gave me a full background in writing, properly drafting documents and analyzing what you’re reading.”

But in terms of professional development, he credits “everything I’ve done to John and to [vice chairmen] Rob Lowe and Gus Field. They take great pride in mentoring junior team members. And from Day One they gave me the opportunity to actively participate in their transactions.”

And as Finney proved his mettle, he increased his visibility and leadership in the transactions. What began as “tagging along” and “sitting in on meetings and conference calls” grew into “responsibility for leading those deals,” he explains. While the final stamp would have to come from the senior members, he reports, they gave the newcomer the opportunity to “figure it out on my own.”

A few deals stand out in Finney’s CV, but one in particular proved to be a great in-the-trenches lesson on how to use a key broker tool. More on that in a second.

Notable deals Finney cites include the 180,000 feet of subleases and dispositions he and the team have closed for data provider Reed Elsevier. He also calls up the lease reviews, financial analysis, term-sheet drafting and proposals he managed in 2009 for media company Sugar Publishing as the team locked in a 5,200-square-foot sublease at 532 Broadway. But the client grew out of the space in short order, and eight months ago, Finney and friends locked into 26,000 square feet at 386 Park Ave. S.

But the deal Finney defines as the definitive learning experience was the 13,000-square-foot Strategic Asset Services lease at 375 Park Ave. While it might not sound like a bell-ringer, the deal actually took two years before it closed in December of last year. And therein lies the lesson.

“The takeaway was persistence,” reflects Finney. “This was by far the most valuable piece of information I learned.” A years-long process marked by ups and downs in the economic cycle and challenges with the various spaces under consideration tested the young broker’s patience, and he clearly passed the test.

“The best thing I learned was not to get discouraged,” he recalls. “You keep working and putting your best foot forward. You have to wake up every day with a positive and creative attitude.” And that’s what turns a novice broker into a pro.