Investing in the future

Homecoming weekend brought alumni to campus for more than just football. Career Services and Alumni Relations used the alumni presence on campus to help students gain advise about jobs in investment banking through a new program called

"Tufts on Wall Street" that was held last Thursday.

What was most special about the event was not that it was new but that that idea and much of the planning legwork came from a student, senior Maura Ferman. Ferman, heard about an annual program at Harvard called "Minority Investment Banking Recruiting" and thought Tufts should have a similar program.

Ferman began working with Associate Director of Alumni Relations Jonathan Kaplan last spring. He presented the idea to President Larry Bacow, who offered him funding and put him in contact with Career Services Director Jean Papalia and Alumni Relations Director Tim Brooks.

To organize the event, Ferman used the Career Services website and e-mailed every prominent Tufts alumnus on Wall Street.

"The response was overwhelming," Ferman said. "Thirty-three people responded back and said they were interested."

After much research and planning, the two reduced the list of invitees from 33 down to nine. Kaplan, Ferman, Papalia and Brooks had weekly meetings to discuss the progress of the event.

"Career services was very successful in marketing it," Ferman said.

The response from the student body was overwhelmingly positive, as 175 students attended the two panels and open networking event.

"Usually with Tufts events, I find that people don't really care, but I was very pleased with the turnout," Ferman said. "It really shows that there is a genuine interest in Wall Street."

The program began with a private networking reception. A total of 91 graduate and undergraduate students applied for the event, though only 30 undergrads and 5 graduates were accepted.

After the private reception, two open panels on Investment Banking were presented to the Tufts community. Alumni in the first panel, "The Ins and Outs of Investment Banking," spoke about what they do and what Investment Banking actually is.

They discussed their backgrounds, most of which were not economics or business related, and how whatever major students choose as an undergraduate can be applied towards a career in Investment Banking. The major point conveyed by the alumni to the students was that showing an interest in Investment Banking would result in success even if one doesn't have a strong background in the field.

Alumni in the second panel, called "Breaking Into and Surviving Investment Banking," focused on networking and interviewing. They discussed how they came to their current position, and what they thought were the keys to succeeding in the business.

The panelists also gave the students various tips on the interviewing process, advising them to try to be as unique as possible, and to pay close attention to detail. The most important message that each alum stressed was to "be persistent but not to the point of annoyance."

The panels were followed by an open networking event, which gave students had the opportunity to talk freely to the alumni.

While events such as these can be useful in helping current seniors find jobs, they also build relationships between Tufts, alumni, and Wall Street business that will benefit future classes.

"An event like "Tufts on Wall Street" provides a strong presence for our students in the minds of leading financial organizations, Kaplan said. "Once employers see the high caliber of candidates from Tufts every year, they want to recruit our students more than ever."

Students in attendance found the panels to be a useful experience.

It "was the first visible attempt by career services to network students with alumni that has generated concrete results," Junior Suman Rao said.

"I learned what Investment Banking is about, and after going to this, I know exactly which resources are available and which alumni are available," said senior Tanai Kamat.

While mostly upperclassmen attended the event, some freshman and sophomores were present. "I have spoken with several seniors and they unanimously told me that you have to start networking early to be competitive in the job market," freshman Riyadh Mohammed said. "Overall, I was very pleased with the way the event turned out, and it was definitely worth attending."