November 01, 2009 - by Anton
Last week, I had the privilege to attend a COACH (Count on Alumni for Career Help) Careers in Real Estate event on October 22, 2009. At this event, we met three successful alumni that are extremely passionate about their work in the field of real estate. The panel consisted of William Anthony Dean, John J. Gutleber, and Dorothy Herman. One of the panelists, Mr. Dean said something very interesting that caught my attention. He stated, "Don’t look at any transaction in your life as a one-time transaction."
I did not expect for something that seems so simple to strike me so, as it did. After his statement, he followed up with an example which directly relates to his work. He said, the same people that are renting from him presently, someday will want to purchase a home – and he will be right there to help them. I am confident that I will follow his wise advice throughout my life.
His statement made me think of how many businesses do not follow this simple, yet crucial piece of advice. Automatically, I thought about the times when I went shopping and I had bad experiences. Certain businesses for some reason, seem like they do not expect nor care if I were to come back to them after my original purchase. How do I know that? Because they either tried to overcharge me by a whole lot and/or they treated me impolitely. I think it’s safe to say that everyone had at least one experience like this.
Let me ask you a simple question: Why do you keep coming back to the same store or a particular individual for your certain needs? A good example can be your barber or a hair stylist. Your answer will most likely be similar to mine - because they expect me to do business with them again, therefore they treat me well.
In the end, I end up questioning myself, what does customer loyalty really consists of? Being treated politely and receiving a fair price for a service or good. Therefore, whether you are employed now, or are planning to work soon, think about Mr. Dean’s quote when dealing with clients – I think it will benefit you greatly.
October 25, 2009 - by Anton
Once you get an internship or a job, start acting like you are the owner. Please don’t think that I want you to boss your colleagues around and tell everyone what to do.
Instead, you should look at the company that you are working for, as a company of your own. Think about the long term goals of the company, and ask yourself, “How can I contribute to them?” The point of acting like “the boss,” is to make you care about the company on a deeper level than everyone else. Why? Because, you will take your job a lot more seriously, and you will perform much better than any of your colleagues.
Therefore, if you see room for improvement in any area of your company, act upon it.
For example:
If you see a way to cut costs, even if it’s just within your department, by all means – cut them.
If you see that people around the office are not recycling because there is no recycling bin nearby – set one up.
Acting like a boss is not easy, because you must look at everything from two different perspectives – as an employer and an employee.
What does this all mean at the end? This concept can allow you to go as far as you want, whether it’s just a pay raise or as much as a big promotion. Try it out. I think you will find your job a whole lot more interesting and exciting!
October 18, 2009 - by Anton
When we update our computers, we introduce them to new information. Therefore, this new information makes them a bit "smarter," which directly results on better productivity and efficiency of the machine.
The same theory can be applied to people, minus the wires and plugs.
Are you interested in economics and news from all over the world? Then pick up The Economist and stay up to date on current events. Are you interested to find out when we will get out of this economic downturn? Pick up a copy of The Wall Street Journal and find out what the experts are saying. Or are you interested in politics, healthcare, or environmental studies?
For example, every morning I read The Wall Street Journal, or at the minimum I skim through it. Personally, I feel the need to know what is happening in the world and why it is occurring. Then, I analyze the impacts of these events on various sectors of business, politics, and life.
There is a ton of information out there to keep you updated on virtually everything and anything. Ask what sources your friends and/or peers are using, and try them out. Learn what sources work best for you and only you, and continue to use them on a continuous basis.
As my good friend, Stephen Prenner from Adelphi University once said "Anton, don't ever stop, otherwise you will end up going backwards " What he means, is that whatever it is that you are doing, keep on doing it and always improve on it. Otherwise, you will fall behind and you will stay behind.
Don’t get lost in yesterday, stay updated today, and be ready for tomorrow.
October 11, 2009 - by Anton
This week at the Adelphi University Finance Society meeting, Doug K. Flynn and Richard J. Zito from Flynn Zito Capital Management, gave career and life advice to students. I completed an internship with this company over the summer of ‘09, and got to know Doug and Rich very well. Therefore, I invited them to Adelphi to speak and enlighten young minds of our University with their advice. Their presentation was extremely informative and inspiring. What really caught my attention from their presentation, was their emphasis on “the little things.” Doug and Rich said, “As business owners, we might not be able to do everything every day. However, we do notice everything that gets done.” For example, if you walk by a plant in the office and see that it needs water, get a cup of water and water it (especially if it’s not part of your job description). The employer might not have enough time to do it, but I can guarantee you that he/she will notice it. If you learn to apply this concept to its full potential on the job, you will get recognized by your employer as a hard worker. Furthermore, you will simultaneously benefit your career by becoming the person that pays attention to detail. I would like to leave you off with a quote by John Wooden, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
October 04, 2009 - by Anton
Everyone knows that networking is important. However, a lot of people don’t take complete advantage of it. In my opinion, good networking skills are as crucial as your college degree, when applying or looking for work. Most of the time when we network, we don’t even realize that we are networking because there isn’t one particular way of doing it. When I am in the gym working out, and I am attempting to push my weight resistance to a new limit, I would normally ask someone to “spot me” (make sure I don’t drop the weights on myself). After, I would thank the individual and I would introduce myself, and now I know one person more at my gym. Eventually, we would get to know each other better, and this is how we would build on our network. The same theory can be applied to any other activity or situation. For example, I network at the Adelphi University Finance Society meetings, at my local/online car club, at seminars and lectures, and even in class with students and professors. This is what I am trying emphasize on - networking can be done in numerous ways. A person can find a way of networking by simply using their imagination. My suggestion to you is, if you are strongly considering improving your networking skills, is to read Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. This book will provide you with essential skills from the basics, to the most unusual and effective ways of networking. I am going to finish this post with a quote by Mr. Ferrazzi, “Because, flat out, people do business with people they know and like. Careers – in every imaginable field – work the same way.”
September 28, 2009 - by Anton
This week, was a very special week at Adelphi University. Two highly reputable guest lecturers emphasized on corporate responsibility, thanks to the Hagedorn lecture series.
Stephen B. Heintz, President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, went a lot deeper in his lecture than simply telling young minds to do the right thing. His lecture concentrated on how to help our world reduce pollution and emission of toxic gases into the air. “Private, public, and non-profit sectors must work together in order to save our planet,” he stated. Otherwise, by the next century parts of Manhattan and Long Island will be deep under water due to the rise in the global temperature, not to mention many other parts of the world. The way we can prevent that, Mr. Heintz said, “is to make clean energy cheap, and to make dirty energy expensive.”
Robert B. Willumstad, former Chairman of the Board of AIG spoke about his first-hand experience during the midst of the financial crisis. This was the first time he spoke publicly about what went on at AIG during his 91 days as the leader of the organization. He broke down his career at AIG into days, hours, and even minutes to remind us what happened and what impacts that had on his decisions. “If it was not for my persistence with the Federal Reserve, AIG would have went bankrupt,” Mr. Willumstad said. As soon as he was able to acquire a loan of $85 billion from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, his career ended as the chairman of the firm. He was issued a $22 million severance package from AIG, but he declined it, “I prefer not to receive severance payments while shareholders and employees have lost considerable value in their AIG shares.”
Both speakers inspire corporate responsibility from different perspectives. All companies have responsibility to earth, because without a healthy planet there will be no businesses. In the mean time, individuals must be corporate responsible, because corporate responsibility starts from individual right doing. Being responsible on the personal and corporate level is extremely important, because it directly promotes consumer confidence and trust in you.
September 21, 2009 - by Anton
Can your résumé use a little more information on order to impress recruiters?
A simple way to do that is to get involved on campus and/or off campus. Sounds simple? Yes it is. It is crucial in decision-making process for employers. Employers know you are applying for that specific job because you are interested in the field of work. However, they do not know much about you as a person. Show them who you really are by giving examples of what your interests are and what you do outside of the classroom. They only ask because they want to make sure that you will be a good fit for their company.
How can you do that? Join a club, a society, a fraternity, or a sorority! You can put their name on your résumé under “Activities.” If you are a finance major, you can join the Finance Society at Adelphi University. It is a great way to network, to learn from guest speakers, and to share interesting stories when your interview comes around. There are different clubs on campus, for every major and almost every interest group. If you can’t seem to find a group that you are interested in, start one yourself! Nothing looks better than seeing leadership skills on a résumé.
Why do I concentrate on this topic so much? This is because on all of my previous interviews for internships, the majority of questions asked were concentrated on what my interests are, and what I do outside of the classroom. I cannot stress it enough, how important it is to show the employers that you are more than just a good student.
In conclusion, recruiters simply hire people that they like. Therefore, paint your picture in a way that they would absolutely want you to work for them. And as alumnus Kanishka Kelshikar said, go to the Career Development Center to get your résumé reviewed before sending it out anywhere.
Good luck, and get involved!
April 01, 2009 - by Kanishka Kelshikar
Last Friday, I had an interview with an economic and litigation
consulting firm for a research analyst position in their Washington
D.C. office. This development is testament to the fact that some firms,
although few in number, do have a spring recruiting process. Now, I
don't know how you can find out which firms have such a process, but I
definitely recommend not eliminating any options before you ultimately
contact the firm.
With regards to the position, a research analyst's typical tasks might include:
- Analyzing companies and markets
- Building financial, economic, and operational models
- Conducting statistical analysis, running regressions, and estimating cost of capital
- Providing in-depth research, summarizing documents, and communicating with project team members at all levels
- Adapting economic theory to apply to real life questions and problems
So, considering that I am studying Mathematics and Economics, it sounds
like something right up my alley. Also, I like the fact that this is a
small sized firm that pays a lot of attention to the professional
development of their employees.
Now, this is the tough part: even though you are working towards an ideal opportunity, you have to
recognize the environment around you (the weakened economy, increasing
competition because of rising unemployment...) and be realistic about
your expectations. There is a possibility that you might not get that
ideal job right now, which is why you need to keep all of your other
job search efforts active. Simply said—don't put all your eggs in one
basket, because we are working with a very fragile basket at the moment.
April 01, 2009 - by Kanishka Kelshikar
I must apologize to everyone for not keeping my blog updated. March has been an eventful and thus, busy month for me on both, professional and personal fronts. Fortunately, spring break did provide some respite! Alright, so now back to the grind. Recently, I caught up with one of my mentors, who is the managing partner of a private equity fund in midtown Manhattan. We spoke about the economy and how the finance industry will be structurally different going forward.
Needless to say, we hit the topic of careers and job opportunities for graduating students. She did agree that we are in very challenging times in the job markets given that we have been losing over 600,000 jobs per month for the past couple of months. However, she emphasized that in times like these, only the relationships that you have developed that will push your résumé/application through the door. She said that she would connect me with a recruiter at Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, to see if we can get some wheels rolling. Well, I am keeping my fingers crossed about Accenture but for now, I am still reaching out to everyone I know.
February 17, 2009 - by Kanishka Kelshikar
Last week, I met with a recruiter from a reputable
firm which has been one of the largest specialized financial recruiting
services for the past 60 years. The gentleman that I spoke with is
primarily responsible for the Connecticut market, but he said that his
office works closely with others in the tri-state area. We shared
interesting discussions that ranged from my background and experience
to the current state of the economy, especially the bail-out plan. In
fact, we even spoke about music and art. Essentially, I think he was
trying to get a feel for my knowledge, interest and passion for the
industry and beyond.
At this time, according to the recruiter, firms have either finished
their formal recruitment process or have decided not to have one for
the year. This applies to candidates who expect to begin working this
summer. Any other job opportunities that are currently are
time-sensitive and require prospective candidates to begin working
immediately. This puts us students in a difficult position since we are
committed (to school) until May. So, my recruiter friend's opinion is
that, while it may seem like some of us students are stuck in a kind of
limbo at the moment, there should be more viable opportunities as we
get closer to graduation. In other words, there is a light at the end
of the tunnel, but just in case it happens to be a train, make sure you
continue to work on alternative routes.
February 09, 2009 - by Kanishka Kelshikar
This winter I finally went home after three years! Three years is a long time and in that time, a lot has changed back home in India. The landscape is different and 'mom and pop' stores have been replaced by shopping malls and multiplexes. There are even more vehicles on the roads, the streets are crowded and from a distance it looks like the economy is still booming. On taking a closer look, however, I realized that a different picture seems to emerge.
One night, I was having dinner with some friends who are recent graduates of the engineering program at Pune University. India is, for the most part, a service-based economy; my friends aspire to be proud members of the service industry back home. That night, amidst profound conversations about where we planned to go out that weekend and how we wanted to bring in the New Year, we stumbled across the topic of careers and our future. I was shocked to find out that a lot of my friends still had not heard back from the firms that had recruited them in April and May of last year. Some of them were initially set to start working two months ago! They said that the recruiters explained the delays as a result of cost-cutting efforts on the part of the firms. In fact, a significant portion of the previous recruit class was yet to be placed! As a result most of them are now working part time or taking up certificate courses to try and keep themselves busy while the leaders of the country try and fix the economy.
November 20, 2008 - by Kanishka Kelshikar
At the C.O.A.C.H. Wall Street reception organized by the Office of
Alumni Relations and the School of Business last spring, I had the
opportunity to meet with many successful alumni of Adelphi University.
At this event, I met Gary Heinze, VP & Senior Credit Examiner of
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. Now, because of circumstances, I
could manage to speak with him for only five minutes. This, however,
worked in my favor. It gave me just enough time to make a strong first
impression and leave with his contact information and a pledge to
reconnect at some point in the near future.
So a month later, I did meet with Mr. Heinze at a restaurant in Manhattan. We
spoke about his experiences and how he made the transition from a
student at Adelphi to the successful position that he currently holds
at The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. He shared valuable advice
with me and I can honestly say that I learned from his experience.
During our conversation, Mr. Heinze happened to mention that he also
held the position of governor of the Risk Management Association's
(RMA) New York chapter. After a good meal and great conversation, we
agreed to meet again during the school year.
A couple of weeks back, out of the blue, I received an email from Mr.
Heinze saying that the RMA's New York chapter was hosting a networking
seminar at the Bloomberg Tower in Manhattan and that he wanted to
invite me and perhaps a classmate to be his guests at the event.
Needless to say, I jumped on the offer and last week my classmate Greg
Cantone and I attended this networking reception.
The reception was preceded by a presentation on the latest functional
additions made to the Bloomberg Terminal, based on what they called the
World Wide Credit Crisis. These were primarily new analytical tools that risk managers could use to improve their analyses on specific aspects of the market. Mr. Heinze
introduced us to fellow governors, all of whom worked in the financial
services industry with companies such as The Royal Bank of Scotland,
Bank of America, AIG, and First Wall Street Capital. The president of
RMA spoke with us and expressed her interest in encouraging student
participation at their events. In fact, this week a group of five
Adelphi students will be attending another event, which will be held in
the J.P. Morgan Chase building.
This is definitely an example of how one small interaction can have a snowball effect that
could potentially benefit a significant portion of the student body!
Let's keep making those connections, Adelphi!
October 21, 2008 - by Kanishka Kelshikar
C.O.A.C.H. is an acronym for Count On Alumni for Career Help. The C.O.A.C.H. Program is organized by the Office of Alumni Relations and provides Adelphi alumni with the opportunity to share invaluable industry and career information, as well as encouragement, with current students and fellow alumni as they enter their chosen field as a resource and/or mentor.
On Wednesday, October 15, 2008, we had Thomas Morin '95, Vice President, Finance Division of Goldman Sachs, come back to Adelphi to speak with the students about his experiences since graduating from the School of Business with a B.B.A. in Accounting in 1995. Needless to say, this was an event worth attending, especially for finance majors, and even anyone else interested in the economy given the recent market conditions. This program provided us a platform to get to know Tom on a personal level and ask questions an informal atmosphere—something which would not be possible in a more professional interaction.
There is a lot that we took away from the event, and for me personally, Tom's emphasis on persistence and determination really hit home. Not everyone is a genius, but what we lack in this regard, we can definitely make up with hard work. An example that Tom gave was that a colleague might understand a complicated SEC regulation on complex derivative transaction reporting in less that 10 minutes, but in his case, it is possible that it might take an hour. However, after that hour, they are both equals in terms of their knowledge on the regulation. Seems a little obvious, but it's still insightful, isn't it?
Events such as these are extremely helpful to us students and I usually try and attend each of them. I still maintain contact with the professionals that I have met through this program from more than a year ago. They serve as a valuable sounding board for my ideas and are always willing to give valuable advice.
Brian Rothschild, Joseph Geraci, and Tom Ward and their teams at the School of Business, the Office of Alumni Relations, and the Center for Career Development, respectively, do a fantastic job of giving students exposure to the industry and what quite possibly might be a foot in the door. Thank you for all that you do. Your efforts are sincerely appreciated.
Other C.O.A.C.H. events to keep an eye out for are "Want to be an Entrepreneur?" with Larry Kessler, president, Kessler Restaurants on October 27, 2008, and "Careers in Finance" on November 17, 2008. For further information on these programs, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations, the Center for Career Development, or Assistant Dean of Business Brian Rothschild.
October 13, 2008 - by Kanishka Kelshikar
We know that the contraction in the financial services industry has led
to a highly competitive job market. Graduating seniors now have to
compete with candidates that have a few years of work experience and
this obviously puts us at a disadvantage. I mean, look at it from an
employer's point of view. Why would I want to hire someone who has no
or negligible relevant work experience and needs to be trained in order
to start becoming productive when there are so many experienced
candidates that are willing to take up the same jobs and accept lower
salaries considering the economic downturn? Makes sense, right?
So an alternative approach that you could try is to target back office
jobs with well reputable firms. Agreed, back office jobs are not
exactly what most students consider to be glamorous, but they do give
you a foot in the door and the opportunity to make an impression. If
you perform well at your job and make the right connections, it should
be potentially a lot easier to make an internal transition to the front
office once the market enters a growth phase. This is not the only
solution but it is definitely a good strategy to consider.
October 02, 2008 - by Kanishka Kelshikar
We are all aware that at the moment, the market is quite "challenging"
to say the least. True, we have banks that are failing and
professionals that are losing their jobs. This might discourage you
from applying for jobs considering the elevated level of competition
for the shrinking number of available jobs. At times like this is when
I think of the one percent rule.
It goes something like this:
You send out a hundred applications. If you have done your homework well,
perhaps you get ten interviews and if you're lucky you might just get
one job offer. Sounds a little extreme? Well so is the market!
