Last week Tuesday, I went to my first career-related event at Baruch, a Cover Letter Workshop hosted by the STARR Center. Before attending this event, I was more invested in my student life than I was in my professional life. I didn’t even consider myself to be a professional. But attending this workshop was the beginning of my transition from school to the workforce, from student to professional.

The workshop was led by Ricki Weitzen, a STARR employee, who was very patient to answer my many questions. Through the use of a  detailed PowerPoint slide, she went in depth about cover letters and about how to write them. We learned all about the different ways to format a cover letter and what type of content will make your cover letter stand out to a potential employer. The workshop was also very interactive as we had to participate in quizzes after going over a certain point. We were even put into groups and asked to use our new knowledge to analyze a set of cover letters to determine which was the most effective.  At the end of this section, she gave us a handout summarizing everything she went over that can be used as a reference when we have to write our own cover letters in the future. The final section of the workshop was a brief overview of letters for informational interviews and how to write them. Ricki even told us that she got two jobs offers because she requested and attended informational interviews.

I’m happy I went to this workshop because it was very informative and helpful; I plan to go to many more career workshops during my time at Baruch. They really do teach you all that you need to know about thriving in a professional environment which will become necessary for when I get a job/ internship in the near future.

Continue reading →

On Saturday, October 7, 2017, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since I’m not an art fanatic and I don’t usually find museums to be interesting, I brought with my friend Brandi along to make the experience more fun. This was my first time at the MET and it definitely was not boring. I was impressed by the artwork that I saw But before I get to the exhibits, let me start by describing the breathtaking view on the way there. The walk on Museum Mile is very scenic and beautiful at night. We walked through an aisle of manicured trees and on the other side of them was a water fountain that overflowed but didn’t get the sidewalk wet somehow. There was also a trumpet player in a corner playing nice jazzy music which really added to the ambiance of the museum. Then we came to the stairs of the museum where many patrons and tourists sat and took selfies. At the top of these stairs, you can see an overarching view of the scene I just described.

Once we got inside, in the main lobby, there was a huge marble sculpture of an Egyptian pharaoh that glistened in the light. It was so beautiful that we had to see more, so we started with the Egyptian art exhibit. This was my favorite exhibit. Everything — the sculptures of pharaohs, scribes, and captives, the ceramic house decorations, the miniature models of everyday life in an Egyptian city, and the open tombs that didn’t have mummies in them — was so fascinating to me. I thought I had seen it all until I went into an adjoining room and saw a long black pool (maybe representing the Nile River)  with sculptures of a Pharaoh and his queen, of different Egyptian gods, and of course, of the famous Sphinx surrounding it. This room was by far the most awe-inspiring thing I had seen all night.

That’s not all we saw. We also went to the American Art, Medieval Art, and Neoclassical art exhibits before the museum closed. Overall, I had a great time at the MET. Everyone should go. And even if you aren’t an art fanatic, like me, you can still have a really good time.

On Thursday September 7th, I attended a general interest meeting for the National Association for Black Accountants at Baruch. I first learned about this club at the club fair on Convocation Day and was immediately drawn by their motto “lifting as we climb.” NABA’s mission is to prepare freshmen and transfers, especially those who are minority or people of color, to be equipped for any field of work by providing them with priceless opportunities — going on an all expense paid trip to a NABA conference in another state, attending professional development workshops, and networking with alumni who have influence in the finance, business, marketing, and accounting fields. I wanted to tap into this resource, so I was really excited to go to their first meeting. And I was not disappointed.

The meeting was barbeque themed which means that food was served in the style of a black family bbq with macaroni pie, rice and peas, fried plantains, barbeque and jerk chicken, salad, and of course, watermelon. It was all very delicious. There was so much food and laughter and good conversation that I felt right at home; I even saw friends there that I hadn’t seen since convocation. We met the E-board who looked amazing dressed in their professional suits, and we listened to them speak more about the club, all it has to offer, and their experiences. There was even a representative from STARR who gave us a rundown on applying for jobs and how to take advantage of that resource on campus. Finally, there was a raffle. The winner received free membership into the club (membership costs $35/year). I didn’t win, but I will probably join anyway because that meeting left a great impression on me. I really think I’ll achieve a lot professionally, socially, and academically there while having fun.