For my final blog post on the career portion of the blogs, I decided to go to the Finance 101 workshop through the Starr Career Center on Wednesday, October 25th from 5-6:30 in the afternoon. At the workshop, the instructor went over many of the careers in the finance industry that I had been thinking about going into. She also described what type of classes, skills, and knowledge would be helpful in going into the different financial careers. One of the main careers that interested me was regarding corporate finance since you can work in the finance department for a company or organization you care about. Also, there is good growth potential and it involves problem-solving which interested me as well. Besides this, investment banking was something that I along with many other people were interested in. Investment banking involved different kinds of careers within the field including in sales and trading, research, and banking itself. I enjoyed the sales and trading portion of the workshop for investment banking. It involves individual work, high pay, and client interaction which I would also enjoy. Besides these traits, it also involves understanding the markets and risk taking which I enjoy, but the only trade-off is the long hours you must work almost every day. Some of the other careers were interesting to hear about as well, although I don’t think I would want to get involved with them in the long term. While learning about retail banking was interesting, I didn’t like how repetitive it was and that there was only moderate growth potential. As for portfolio management, I didn’t like that there were risks to lose your job and as for insurance and CPA firms, I don’t like the job characteristics much either. The most interesting job would have to be asset manager. This job requires a lot of education and training, but can potentially be high paying and come with great incentives. To help me have more knowledge and know what to expect from these careers in the future, I can tailor my classes to what careers I want and also go to other Starr Center workshops and visits from companies so I could network and learn what to expect in those careers in the future. Overall, going to the finance workshop was very helpful and helped me prioritize what skills and training I would need for the careers I might like to have in the future.
Author: e.levanti
Walking Through Life
My most routine walk would have to be my commute from Grand Central to school. I often enjoy looking at the beautiful architecture of the older buildings on Park Avenue or the quaint storefronts on Lexington Avenue. I’ll look at the fellow commuters and reflect on the weather of the day. Is it hot or cold? Is it bright or dark out? Walking for me is more than just a way to get to the vertical campus though, it is also a way to clear my head and regroup after a strenuous week. I take comfort knowing that I can walk through Central Park and look at the skyline on Billionaire’s Row or at Wollman Rink in the winter and see all the vibrant colors of the buildings at night mixed with the colors of the rink itself. Walking allows me to take a step back and just admire the beauty around me. There are no worries or imminent problems and I can observe the world around me almost from the outside. Whereas with school I have to pay attention to assignments and due dates for upcoming projects, when I walk I can just relax and be one with my surroundings. Usually, I will walk for a few minutes at a time, then I will sit down and look at my surroundings, trying to memorize what is going on at the time. I enjoy walking around many places like museums or around Midtown where there is a lot going on. I feel like I blend in and I like the stimulation of everything going on around me. Walking allows me to notice things that I would not have noticed before like a new restaurant, store, or place that I want to go back to in the future. While walking to many may seem boring, it is very exciting for me to be able to breathe the fresh air of the city and learn as I go. Walking gives me a chance to explore new areas in a way that driving or taking a bus through wouldn’t. It helps me connect to my surroundings and experience the culture firsthand. I often find things I don’t expect to like graffiti on the side of a building or a new park that I didn’t know about before. The vibrant colors of a new neighborhood burst into my eyes and I am often in amazement when I walk into a place and I’m seeing it for the first time. Even places that I have been to countless times still amaze me. The greenery of Central Park makes me in awe every time I see it. The beauty of the Plaza Hotel both on the inside and out makes me feel happy knowing there is still that old school regal hotel in the midst of all the new towering steel and glass buildings. Walking around Chinatown makes me feel like I’m in another part of the world and going to my sneaker stores is an adventure every time I walk in. Walking opens you up to unexpected adventures. I often times even meet many of my idols while walking whether it be e-commerce pioneers, NBA players, supermodels, and everything in between. Some of my fondest memories are walking with my Mom and just talking about the news and what is going on with school and everything. With life being so hectic, walking gives me a chance to calm down, take in the views, and just let go of all my troubles.
Economics Club Meeting
For my second activity for the freshman seminar, I went to the Finance and Economics Society meeting on Thursday during club hours. I initially joined this club because I had to join one for freshman seminar, but also because economics is my favorite class and I could put it on my resume to impress places that I’m looking at for internships or jobs in the future. To start off the meeting, I introduced myself to some of the club members because I hadn’t been to the club before. I talked to one of the clubs directors who gave me the sign in sheet and told me to put my name and email down to join. He told me that although I had missed that weeks activity of having my resume looked over, that I could still bring it In next week to have it looked over even more. Besides this, I was told that the club talks about economic issues going on around the world, concepts that are taught in certain classes, as well as how the economy affects us daily. For this meeting however, we went over the resumes and as soon as that was done, we then were allowed to talk to one another. I didn’t know anyone else at the meeting so I talked with another freshman at the club, Michael. He turned out to be a very interesting person and we share the common interests of the company Alibaba, sneakers, and the stock market in general since he is an investor as well. Overall, it was very interesting going to the meeting and I look forward to staying with this club for the rest of the year.
Trip to Museum of Modern Art
For my first blog post, I went to the Museum of Modern Art, or MOMA, and went through some of the exhibits. The first exhibit I went through was based on Frank Lloyd Wright and it was titled, “Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive.” This exhibit focused on many of his achievements as an architect and designer, with many pieces on his most famous works including the Guggenheim Museum and other works of his from across the country. Also, there where were pieces of his from the 1890’s to the 1950’s and they included drawings of his works as well as models of the buildings that were later made. Another exhibit I saw was “Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends.” This exhibit focused on an open dialogue among people and on an openness of ideas. It also went into great detail with dance and many of the exhibits pieces were in the form of video and of dances made by groups. Both these exhibits relate to my time at Baruch College by relating the ideas of freedom of expression and an openness in sharing ideas and thoughts. Also, these exhibits have helped me at my first semester at Baruch by helping to reinforce ideas on society that I have learned in anthropology and also in English. These ideas are about how society works and runs as well as how interconnected the world is. Besides this, the museum also displayed some of the ideas I am learning about in my art class in a more realistic manner. Many of the ideas that my teacher has taught us including about lines and materials used for paintings and drawings were displayed there and it helped me visualize what she has been teaching us even more. Overall, the museum was great to go through and I am very happy I went there.