How to Make the Most of Summer 2020 No internship this summer? Has COVID-19 thrown a major wrench into your plans? DON’T PANIC! Pulsifer Career Development Center has compiled a list of suggestions to help you have a productive summer. While the summer may not look as you initially planned, show employers that you are motivated, creative and resilient by piecing together several different experiences to position yourself for success for the next recruiting season!
Volunteering for a local organization in need of help is a great way to boost your morale and help you feel like you’re making an impact this summer. While many organizations need help on the front lines, some also need help in the areas of finance, accounting, analytics, and marketing. Need additional motivation? A recent survey by Deloitte found that 82% of interviewers prefer applicants with volunteer experience, and 92% say volunteer activities build leadership skills. Check out VolunteerMatch to find opportunities near you. You can also search by Causes Areas, including Advocacy & Human Rights, Animals, Children & Youth, Education & Literacy, Disaster Relief, Environment, Hunger, People with Disabilities, Sports & Recreation and more. There’s something for everyone!
LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps you discover and develop business, technologyrelated, and creative skills through expert-led course videos. With more than 5,000 courses and personalized recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your field and interests. You can also choose to add these courses and related skills to your LinkedIn profile once you've completed them. Explore subjects such as: Business Analysis and Strategy, Finance and Accounting, Professional Development, Excel, Python, SQL and much more!
Did you know that the Trading Room has been hosting a new event series: FIRESIDE CHATS | Connecting you with industry experts? Attend these chats virtually to stay engaged and continue your professional development. In addition, several of the Trading Room’s key databases are available remotely. Take advantage of the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the programs that are relevant to your career interests.
FactSet: FactSet is a complete source for financial information, combining more than 200 databases from industryleading suppliers and powerful analytical tools into a single information system. FactSet has more than 50 applications that allow users to analyze companies, portfolios, markets, and economies seamlessly. The program's platform enables users to customize data and to present data in an infinite variety of formats, including
customized reports and charts. Some of the tools included are: Company Analytics, Real-Time Market Data, Market Analysis, Ownership Analytics, Deal / M&A Analysis, Hosted Data Storage, Portfolio Analysis, Risk Analysis, Fixed Income Analysis, Screening Tools, and Spreadsheet Models. Apply for an account for remote access here.
Capital IQ: Capital IQ Platform is a web and Excel-based research product that combines deep information on companies, markets, and people worldwide with robust tools for fundamental analysis, idea generation, and workflow management. Capital IQ Platform is deployed at over 2,700 leading investment banks, fund managers, private capital firms, and corporations worldwide. Apply for an account for remote access here.
Morningstar: Morningstar Inc. provides a wide range of independent investment research to individual investors, financial advisors, and institutional investors. The company's information products cover approximately 100,000 different investment options and are distributed in a variety of print and electronic formats. Its reports provide coverage of closed-end funds, college savings plans, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, separate accounts, stocks, and variable annuities. In addition, the company offers asset management, indexes, investment consulting, and retirement planning services. Please visit the Bentley University Library website to get more information on how to access the database remotely.
For more information on the Trading Room, including its calendar of events and hours of operation, click here.
Actively follow the markets! Regardless of what specific area within your program/concentration you’re looking to pursue, having a good understanding of what’s happening in the markets will always work in your favor. Here are a few sites to check out:
The Wall Street Journal: Bentley University students have free access to The Wall Street Journal website. Learn how to register here.
MoneyBeat: A pre-markets primer packed with market updates, insights and must-read news links. Macro Horizons. WSJ editors analyze the overnight economic and political events affecting global markets.
Bloomberg: Bloomberg delivers business and markets news, data, analysis, and video to the world, featuring stories from Businessweek and Bloomberg News.
MarketWatch: MarketWatch provides the latest stock market, financial and business news. Get stock market quotes, personal finance advice, company news and more.
MorningBrew: The daily email newsletter covering the latest news from Wall St. to Silicon Valley. Informative, witty, and everything you need to start your day.
READ! 1. How to Talk to Anyone | Leil Lowndes
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Dare to Lead | Brene Brown Understanding Other People: The Five Secrets to Human Behavior | Beverly D Flaxington Designing Your Life | Bill Burnett & Dave Evans The Power of Moments | Chip Heath & Dan Heath The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference | Malcolm Gladwell How to Win Friends and Influence People | Dale Carnegie HBR’s 10 Must Reads | Harvard Business Review Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation | Marc P. Cosentino Tap Dancing To Work-Warren Buffet on Practically Everything| Collected & Expanded by Carol J. Loomis
Build your professional network! No matter what stage you’re at in your career, having a strong professional network will pay major dividends. Know exactly what you’re looking to do? Conduct informational interviews with professionals working in your target roles / at your target companies to learn more about the day-to-day responsibilities, work-life balance, career path, company culture, and more. They may be willing to keep you posted about future open positions or refer you. LinkedIn is a great way to find alumni who are in the profession/industry/company of your interest, and connect with. You can also revisit your StrenghtsFinder report and complete these On-Line Assessment Tools to further understand your strengths/interests/values: https:www.careerleader.com https:www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths https:www.16pf.com/en_US/ https:www.truly.com/test/type-finder-personality-test-new https:www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Joining a professional association is a great way to boost your networking efforts! Many professional organizations offer a free or reduced membership cost for students. Membership in a professional organization may include access to the following benefits:
Career Resources Networking Events Educational Events
Scholarship Programs Mentorship Programs Membership Directory
Here are a few professional associations to consider:
The Association of Financial Professionals (afponline.org) Massachusetts Society of CPAs (mscpaonline.org)
Job Opportunities Private LinkedIn Groups Newsletters / Other Publications
Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (massbio.org) UXPA Boston - Boston’s User Experience Community (uxpaboston.org) American Marketing Association (amaboston.org) Financial Planning Association (fpama.org) International Institute of Business Analysis (boston.iiba.org) National Association of Asian American Professionals (naaap.org) ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals For America) *There is an ALPFA chapter at Bentley* National Association of Black Accountants – Boston Metropolitan Chapter (NABA) *There is an NABA chapter at Bentley*
In case you’re not familiar with the term, job shadowing is an activity where you can “shadow”, observe, and follow someone in your potential field of interest while the professional is at work. This is the time to observe the career’s culture, explore, and ask questions. It is important to understand that job shadowing is different (and much shorter) than an internship. You most likely will not be “hands on” and you won’t be gaining any career experience. Job shadowing is solely to understand what the professional does in their day-to-day activities. What are some of the benefits of job shadowing? To name a few – it allows you to gain insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of a position and the company culture. Not to mention, job shadowing expands your network and helps you make additional professional contacts. If you had secured an internship offer that was rescinded due to COVID-19, and if the employer returns to ‘business as usual’ over the summer, ask if they might be able to host you for a day for a job shadow opportunity. Ask family, friends of the family, or other professionals that you’ve connected with if they’d be willing to let you spend a day or part of a day job shadowing them.
Learn more about relevant industry exams / certifications / designations that you may want to pursue Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) Certification Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Certification Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certification Please note the following:
You may wind up working for an employer that would be willing to pay for the exam and/or study materials, instead of paying out-of-pocket. In certain cases, relevant full-time work experience is required to officially earn the certification / designation. Consult with your GCD Adviser or Academic Adviser before making any firm decisions.
Continue your internship/job search by understanding the current job market. Check out these links: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/coronavirus-job-resources/ https://www.themuse.com/advice/companies-hiring-during-coronavirus-covid-19 https://www.themuse.com/advice/job-search-coronavirus https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/how-to-job-search-during-a-pandemic/ https://www.workinsports.com https://www.idealist.org https://www.bizjournals.com
Consider looking for temporary jobs through a staffing agency. Temporary jobs can be a great way to gain professional experience and boost your resume, and you can find temp jobs in almost any industry. Check out this helpful Guide for Using a Temp Agency to Find Work from The Balance Careers. This suggestion will also be dependent upon how things progress with regard to COVID-19 over the next few months‌
Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. These projects enable Career Launchers to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks as they seek the right full-time role. Unlike traditional internships, Micro-Internships can take place year-round, typically range from 5 to 40 hours of work, and are due between one week and one month after kick-off. MicroInternships are used by companies ranging from those in the Fortune 100 to emerging start-ups, and go across departments including sales, marketing, technology, HR, and finance. Micro-Internships are facilitated via the Parker Dewey platform, which connects Career Launchers with Companies in need of support: www.parkerdewey.com
So now that you’ve had a really productive summer, how can you convey that on your resume? Below is a
suggestion. SUMMER 2020 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • Committed approximately 20 hours per week to studying for CFA Level I; sitting for exam in June 2021 • Completed LinkedIn Learning modules to develop and enhance techical skills: • Read several popular business books including: • Explored the various features and functionality of FactSet and Capital IQ via remote access granted through the Bentley Trading Room; spent approximately 10 hours of time learning each program • Conducted informational interviews with three professionals in the ………. industry to better understand dayto-day repsonsibilities, career paths, and company culture
Next fall, if you were in the shoes of a recruiter, wouldn’t you be impressed by a candidate who took this kind of intiative over the summer?!