5 Companies, 60 Minutes, 3 Breakout Rooms

The latest Networking from Home series event focused on all things finance. We hosted representatives from Vanguard, SMBC, Mastercard, Novantas, and Bank of NY Mellon for a 60-minute networking session on Zoom.

Students were introduced to all the representatives through learning quick facts about their organizations and preferences.

We then moved to three rounds of breakout rooms that lasted 15 minutes each. During the breakouts, students were able to ask any questions they had about the finance industry.  

Large Group Takeaways 

  • Details matter in your materials and that you meet the requirements when applying 
  • Understand how you could fit with the organization values and culture 
  • Ask about work perks to see if that is something that you personally value and could be an asset when applying for that organization 

Breakout Room Takeaways 

  • When networking, don’t be afraid to ask about the things that really matter to you. No matter the employer’s response you’ll learn a lot about their values, culture, and priorities. 
  • Some organizations are looking for fit, not a specific major. Pay attention to the backgrounds of the people currently working for the company and look for ways to highlight your passion through your experiences. 
  • If you want to assess a company, look beyond what their stated mission is. Look at how they reinforce their mission through company policies and procedures. 

BENEFITS OF NETWORKING

Networking is a skill that you can practice in person or virtually. Although this experience was different than an in-person networking event, students were able to gain insights from all of the representatives about their organizations and had space to introduce themselves and ask specific questions. Think about your questions and how they will give you the information that you need to determine fit both personally and professionally! 

Check out our library of networking resources to gain confidence before your next virtual or in-person networking event. 

Our next Networking from Home event is focused on the consulting industry, May 26th at 3 PM and you can register here!