By: Dan Milgate
Contributing Writer
Equity Fund: $252,878
Energy Fund: $241,100
NYC Trip Recap
From Sunday, Oct. 26 to Tuesday, Oct. 28, 21 students and faculty went to New York City for our annual SIMM/Finance Club trip. We met with a variety of banks and financial services companies including UBS, CIT Group, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and KLR Group. We also had the opportunity to tour the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and watch the opening bell, while seeing how traders and market makers function in a technological-driven environment. Here are the biggest takeaways that our students had regarding the trip:
- The Power of Networking
- Résumé Building
- Importance of Grades
These three takeaways were present at all of our stops in NYC. Not only did we get professional opinions from Bonaventure alumni, but we also had the privilege to meet influential people in these businesses that offered us advice on the importance of our education here at St. Bonaventure. In my opinion, the most important advice that alumni offered to us was the significance of networking. It is well known that it is difficult in our economy to come out of college and find a job. That being said, the alumni we got to meet with put it in perspective that getting a job today is most likely through a connection of some sort. Whether it is a family connection or a Bonaventure alumnus, it is becoming clearer that knowing people is crucial for our generation. A recent graduate of St. Bonaventure that we met with at CIT group told us that one of the most important things to do when reaching out to an alumni or connection is starting a general conversation with them. Asking about their profession and what they do on a day-to-day basis shows that you have an interest in them and not just jumping to the idea of getting a job.
Another topic that was brought up multiple times was the importance of getting good grades in school. A recruiter at UBS offered her advice to us about some of the do’s and don’ts on a résumé, and the one thing she could not put enough emphasis on was putting your overall GPA on your resume. She said that there should be no reason for someone to leave it off because if you do, it looks as if you are trying to hide it and do not want to reference it. She also said that if a GPA did not meet the standards they desired, it was almost guaranteed that it would be looked at. One last thing she told us was to avoid a résumé that’s more than one page, especially coming out of college with little to no experience. Overall, our trip to NYC was something that was beneficial to all of us, not only in a business context but it was more of a learning experience to find out what we want to pursue in our lives. A final tip that I can offer to anyone that goes to St. Bonaventure is to take advantage of the connections you make here. Alumni want to help us succeed in our careers, so it is up to us to take the initiative to reach out to them and keep the St. Bonaventure connection going.
SIMM is a club that meets every Monday and Wednesday from 4pm-5:15pm in the Financial Services Lab (Swan 101). Any major and all experience levels are welcome. Researching companies and presenting recommendations help you develop personal investing skills that can’t be found in any other class. If you are interested, feel free to contact Steve Zimmer at zimmersm11@bonaventure.edu
