"FUEL"ing the Leadership Spirit

I’m currently in the midst of an application frenzy. Desperately seeking an internship for this summer, job descriptions have become additional required reading for me this semester. Every job posting I have my eye on is distinct, but what they have in common is that they are seeking “leaders." As a young sophomore, I realized that I haven’t refined my leadership skills to their fullest potential. Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of Fordham University Emerging Leaders, or FUEL for short.

Sponsored by the Office of Student Involvement, FUEL is a ten week workshop for students to develop their leadership skills. Every week we have the opportunity to listen to guest speakers, which include various faculty members, professors, and administrators, present on various topic related to leadership. Some of these topics include motivation, public speaking, diversity, and Ignatian values. We also participate in many group activities, which allows us to meet other students interested in becoming better leaders, and we have weekly challenges to fulfill.

This week we listened to a presentation on values and learned that in order to become a better leader we have to be in touch with our own values as well as identify the values of the people we are in touch with. This week’s challenge, in preparation for next week’s presentation on mindfulness, is to note all the times in the week we are faced with stressful situations.

Prepped and ready to go for today's session.

This year’s theme is “Know the way, go the way, show the way.” Knowing the way is knowing who I am as a leader, knowing those I am leading, and having a clear vision for the future. Going the way is taking initiative and setting an example for others. Showing the way is learning to be the best leader possible and inspiring others to become leaders as well. At the end of FUEL, I will be better equipped to do all three in my academic and social life. Also, hopefully I will finish all my internship applications and ace the interviews, so I can apply what I learned from FUEL to my career as well!

Going to College to Get an Education…….and a Job.

As much as us second semester seniors don’t want to admit it, our undergraduate education is ending this May and we will need jobs. Luckily, Fordham has an abundance of resources and events to help students get just that.

First, there is our Office of Career Services. Here you can have your resumed revised, practice interview skills, and talk to professionals about career options. Many students use Career Services starting as young as Freshman or Sophomore year.  Career Services also hosts on-campus interviews, networking events, and workshops for students.

Second, Career Services manages an online platform only for Fordham students called CareerLink. The major function of CareerLink is internship/job searching. Employers directly post internship and job openings where students can apply.  Students can search by industry, job function, position type and location. There is where I found, applied and eventually accepted an offer for my first internship as a Sophomore.  

Next, Fordham hosts a number of career fairs each semester at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses. At these events, about 100 employers typically come and set up their own table to talk to students.  Here, many students make connections for internships and jobs. There are typically three career fairs each semester, with focuses on Finance and Accounting, Arts and Media, and Non-For-Profit/Service. 

The Gabelli School of Business also has a Personal and Professional Development (PPD) center, where there are multiple career advisors for each major. Students simply can make an appointment with either a PPD advisor or their class dean for industry specific career advice. 

Employed!!

So there are an abundance of resources…but are actually students getting jobs?  I currently work part-time at an advertising agency and plan on accepting a full-time offer for post graduation.  Two of my best friends – both Accounting majors – are set with summer internships at EY and PwC for this summer. A Finance major I’m close with landed a full time analyst job with TD Bank, beginning with an on-campus interview in our Career Services office.  I even know a Rose Hill student who had an internship on the Jimmy Fallon show last semester and is now interning at Comedy Central. And keep in mind, these are just a few examples!

Senior Spotlight: Savannah Coe

Swimming and Diving Headshot

Name: Savannah Coe

Hometown: Auburn, WA

Major: Biology and Psychology

Graduation date: May 2015

Why did you choose Fordham? During my senior year of high school, I was recruited by Fordham to join the Fordham Women’s Swim and Dive team. I had never even been out to the East Coast before, so the idea of moving 3000 miles away from home was a little daunting. But when I came to visit Fordham the campus was so beautiful and the school was what I wanted both academically and athletically that I decided this was the right school for me.

What clubs/organizations/internships have you been involved in? What has been your favorite experience? During the last four years I have volunteered at Montefiore Children’s Hospital, St. Barnabas Hospital, and the Bronx AIDS Society. I also helped perform genetics research at the Botanical Gardens. However, my favorite experience has been as a member of Peer Health Exchange (PHE). PHE members are trained to teach workshops about various health topics to ninth graders in the local public high schools. I joined the club my sophomore year and have worked my way up to become one of the leaders this year. It is really rewarding to teach a class when the students are engaged and you can tell that they are really soaking in all of the information. Plus, it is a great way to travel around the Bronx and see different areas.

Spring weekend: music, friends, and food!

What do you think is the best resource available to students on campus? I think career services is one of the best resources available to students on campus.

What is your favorite personal memory at Fordham? One of the best weekends at Fordham every year is spring weekend. My sophomore year was especially good because we had great weather and on Saturday Andy Grammer and Grouplove had great performances. Who doesn’t love a weekend full of concerts and free food?!

Where is your favorite place to hang out at Fordham or in NYC? It may be a cliché, but I love hanging out in Central Park when I have some free time to relax. Generally that only really happens in the summer, but it is a great place to workout, relax, or escape the noise of the city.

What are your plans/goals/aspirations for post-graduation? My plans are to attend medical school, but right now I am still waiting for acceptances so I’m keeping my fingers crossed! 

Three Important Resources in the Gabelli School of Business

As an accounting major in the Gabelli School of Business, I’ve found that Gabelli offers many different resources for students to develop professionally and to decide what major they would like to pursue. The first resource is the freshman year class, Ground Floor. Whether you take it first or second semester, this class starts to open your eyes about the different areas of business offered at Gabelli, as well as group work needed in the business world. Professors from all the departments speak to students weekly about the subject and different career paths that evolve from the major. The final project of the class is to come up with a business plan for a new business and to present it to the class as if they were investors. My group came up with the idea to open up an arcade with old-fashioned games and food on Arthur Avenue for Fordham students to enjoy.

The PowerPoint of my final presentation

Another important resource in the Gabelli School of Business is the professors. Many of the business professors have worked in the field either prior to teaching or they currently still work part-time. As a student, I find this very valuable to learning not only the textbook side of the profession, but also what really happens on a day-to-day basis. After my last semester’s tax class, I realized I wanted to pursue the taxation part of accounting. I was able to talk to my tax professor, Stanley Veliotis about different tax issues and professional development skills in the Big Four accounting firms, where I hope to work full-time one day. He worked in a Big Four firm for many years before teaching, so I was able to hear stories about different issues he experienced while on the job.

Professors' Backgrounds can be found on Fordham.edu

Lastly, Gabelli has their own office devoted to helping students with professional development. The Office of Personal and Professional Development is located on the third floor of Hughes Hall. Services offered are resume, cover letter, and interview help. The difference from Career Services, however, is that it is catered to students based on the industry they are pursuing. This means you can still go to Career Services for help with your resume, but afterwards go to the office of Personal and Professional Development to have it tailored to your profession. Students can make appointments for this office with their username and password on Gabelli Access.

Gabelli Access is found on GabelliConnect.com

A Beautiful Internship Experience

One experience I have had at Fordham that is incredibly unique to going to school here is the access to internships and career opportunities. This past summer, I stayed in New York and interned with Beauty Cares, a domestic violence nonprofit in Chelsea. Beauty Cares seeks to end domestic abuse through early education on the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships. I believe that one of the primary reasons I was able to secure this internship is because of the incredible support and resources I found in Career Services. Because I live in New York year round, I was the only summer intern who was asked to stay on for the school year and not have my internship end after the summer was over. This allows me to greatly increase my skill set and job experience, something that will be highly valuable as I begin to move forward with my career goals.

At an event I helped plan with Beauty Cares' team member Maggie Cely and our CEO and Founder Aryn Quinn

Some of my responsibilities include managing our social media accounts and developing new online marketing and community building strategies. I have taught myself about SEO and analytics - skills that are invaluable in the job market. One of my points of pride from the summer is successfully developing and launching a plan to use Pinterest to drive traffic to our website. It was a difficult task, but one that I realized would be important to increase our visibility and reach.

One of my favorite CelebriTees, from actress Julianne Moore

I also had the privilege of working with our CelebriTee Campaign, where we ask celebrities to decorate wife beaters with an anti-domestic abuse slogans or messages. I recently helped secure the Tees from actor Mel Brooks and designer Tom Ford. One of my favorite aspects of working at a nonprofit is that I don't have a typical day, nor do I do the stereotypical intern things, like making coffee and copies. I have secured event space and sponsorship, negotiating donations from companies that have no idea I am just a college student. At Beauty Cares, I know I'm an integral member of the team, and that is an incredibly empowering feeling, one I'd never expected to receive from an internship!

Career Services: Resources for Life After College

As a student, it is sometimes easy to forget that college life is not indefinite.  Though it may not be a pleasant thing to think about (I really wish that I could remain a member of this beautiful, vibrant, and enriching community forever), there will come a time when my undergraduate education has run its course.  At Fordham, the office of Career Services is one of several organizations that helps prepare students for life after college, specifically by helping us develop ourselves professionally as we prepare to enter the workforce.  One of the many ways they do so is by hosting career fairs - events where employers are invited to campus to interact with students.

Some of the companies that participated in the Career Fair.

Today, the Fall 2014 Career and Internship Fair occupied the second floor of the McGinley Center, one of three career fairs occurring this fall (in addition to the Fall 2014 Accounting & Finance Career and Internship Fair and the Common Good Career and Internship Fair). These events are a great opportunity for students to interact with potential employers.  They offer the face time that is impossible through the traditional method of applying for jobs and internships online and provide a forum for students to network and converse with corporate representatives.  Today's career fair included companies from a diverse range of industries, from Societe Generale's Corporate and Investment Banking division; to Viacom, the media conglomerate that owns MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount Pictures, among other holdings; to the Peace Corps.

Employer's tables set up for the fair

Career Services also offers a number of other resources that help students prepare for and find jobs.  They hold educational seminars on a weekly basis that cover topics such as resume writing and editing, professional communication tips, and interview preparation and practice.  Career Services staff are also available for one-on-one meetings with students upon request.  Furthermore, there is an online job search tool, called CareerLink, that allows employers to post jobs and internships exclusively for Fordham students.