Finance and Networking Clubs Set High Bar for Future Events
On October 30, the Finance Club and Networking Club teamed up to host an event titled “What is Wall Street?” The Sky Café was buzzing with excitement as students gathered for one of the first club events of the year. A panel consisting of six student speakers discussed business topics and aspects relating to the internship and job search. Over 50 students were in attendance.
The dais consisted of students in their final year at YU who had internships this past summer and are either presently employed or have jobs lined up upon graduation. In no particular order, the following seniors sat on the panel: Solomon Shulman (YC ‘20), who interned in investment banking at the Royal Bank of Canada; Ariella Kohansieh (SSSB ‘20) in wealth management at Merrill Lynch; Tzvi Rotblat (SSSB ‘21) in sales and trading at Natixis, Samuel Katz (SSSB ‘20) in real estate finance at Meridian Capital Group, Sam Schultz (SSSB ‘20) in valuation services at Houlihan Lokey and Avraham Novick (YC ‘20) in equity research at Cantor Fitzgerald. Nathan Hakakian (SSSB ‘22), president of the Finance Club and MC of the event, welcomed everyone and introduced the panelists.
The panelists shared their opinions, pulling from individual experiences in the corporate world to advise the students. They discussed choosing fields, tips for landing an esteemed internship and methods to differentiate themselves from the ever-growing pool of competition. One speaker stressed the importance of proper preparation and research about a company prior to the interview. Upon being accepted, another emphasized the qualities of alacrity and enthusiasm when performing tasks. Novick, for example, used his economics background to create spreadsheets and charts, pleasing and impressing his boss. Other suggestions included the importance of hard work and sincerity. Kohansieh noted that a friendly demeanor and the ability to work with others goes a very long way.
The event drove home the idea that an intern must be skilled and well-versed in the language and techniques of his specific field while simultaneously being motivated to assist the company and capable of working alongside other employees. According to the speakers, the perfect intern is complex, knowing both the technical aspects of the job and having the people qualities of the environment.
When the panel concluded, the students had the opportunity to participate in the networking portion of the night. They mingled with the panelists who stayed behind to answer their questions. The success of the event prompted Hakakian to send an email later that night about the possibility of having a more focused follow-up event with concrete topics and practical tools about internships.
Photo Caption: Nathan Hakakian, MC of the event, introducing the panelists
Photo Credit: Ariel Schneider
