The Importance of Producing Quality Work

This week BWUA hosted a summer internship panel led by Vice President of Internal Relations Paul Ampofo. The Panelists included Robbie Dixon, BWUA director of marketing Lizzi Diggs, Chris Russell, Joivannah Childs, Alex Emanuel. Each of the five panelists was a specialist in a different area; Robbie in investment management, Lizzi Diggs, Chris Russell, and Alex Emmanuel in law, and  Joivannah Childs in marketing.  The panelists each spoke to their own experiences, baring how they had arrived at their positions and giving younger members poignant advice based on their successes and minor regrets. Across the panelists, one of the major takeaways were the opportunities available to undergrads who excelled in their first internship. “There are many other smart students there,” Investment Management panelist Robbie Dixon,” and you want to show the firm that you stand out and they need to ask you to return.” Marketing panelist Joviannah Childs had a testimony that truly embodied this idea. For her sophomore summer, she had the option of working in finance at name brand Colgate or pursuing her true passion of marketing lesser known Modells. While she adamantly did not want a career in finance, she choose to take the Colgate offer given the better name and hoped that she could later transfer to marketing. After a stellar summer, Joivannah was able to approach her Managing Director and request a switch to the marketing side of Colgate. “This has never been done before,” he told her and while there was a substantial amount of pushback at the beginning, Joivannah was eventually able to get the position she had been wanting. As she said, “I was only able to do that because I had shown that I produced strong work. Because I had shown I was competent and dependable, they were willing to give me a chance in marketing. Joivannah’s story highlights the main theme of the GBM: members’ possibilities are endless, they only thing required of them is to put in the hard work.

BWUA Goes to Goldman Sachs

At 5:45 in the morning a group of energetic students gathered in the lobby of Dubois College House. In dapper business formal and resumes in tow, the group made its way towards 30^th street station. Headed by Director of Corporate Relations Marcus Hawkins Dungy, the students were on their way to Goldman Sachs as per BWUA’s annual externship visit. On the train, it became apparent that the members were travelling to Goldman for a variety of reasons. “As a junior, this is an invaluable opportunity,” stated Vice President of Internal Relations Paul Ampofo. Eastern Languages and Cultures major Christianne Johnson, however, was en route to Goldman for a different reason. “I am not necessarily into finance but I think that it’s a great opportunity that we have.” Upon arriving at Goldman BWUA members were greeted by Dede, one of Goldman's campus recruiters. “Pay attention today,” Dede told students, “because there is a lot of information that would be incredibly beneficial for you.” From there, Goldman Sachs put on a panel of early career analysts from a variety of different divisions. Among the divisions represented were investment banking, investment management, and sales and trading. Students were encouraged to ask questions, and the members were quite active in their participation. Given the range of ages in the room, the questions ranged from being general to rather technical. From there, the members took to their feet as they were given a tour of the building. Among the tour’s highlights were Goldman’s LEED certified features, such as their automatically adjustable blinds and in-floor AC units. The climax of the tour was the visit to the trading floor, where students were able to interact briefly with real traders. From there, the day went on with a few more speakers. Following the speakers was a networking lunch in which BWUA members were encouraged to ask the crucial questions that they would be expected to grasp in interviews. In all, BWUA ‘s Goldman Sachs Externship was a smashing success. The member who went learned invaluable information about Goldman Sachs as a firm as well gained a deeper understanding of the financial services industry as a whole. BWUA hopes that this served as an excellent way to jumpstart careers. 

Valuable Personal and Academic Lessons

This Tuesday BWUA hosted its second GBM of the year hosted by Director of Professional Development Titi Oshinayo and Director of Marketing Lizzi Digs. This GBM saw great success with a strong turn out of students from all years. The presentation had two features, one being the importance of crafting your online presence with care and the other staying ahead of the curve academically. Titi emphasized the importance that real companies place on student’s online profiles and gave examples of the dangers of becoming too personal online. In a creative game, the hosts told the membership of a young public school teacher who had been fired for posting inappropriate pictures on Facebook. The membership erupted into discussion on what they felt was that the picture must be. “She must have been in a club somewhere,” one member exclaimed. In the words of another student “It must have been a photo of an inappropriate relationship with a student.” Titi and Lizzie smiled as they revealed the picture. It turned out to be a docile picture of a woman smiling with two glasses of wine in her hands. There was uproar from the memberships. “People were upset because she was an adult who appeared to be enjoying her wine responsibly, “explained Lizze. “However,” as Titi continued,” it simply goes to show that even if something is technically alright employers can still draw their own conclusions and it can have consequences for you.” From there our hosts moved nicely into the discussion on how BWUA members can remain ahead of the curve academically. Titi and Lizie reminded members of University resources like Wine Garden and the Tutoring Center at Penn and spoke to the process of getting involved in both of these. The two directors stressed the importance of tutoring, and recognizing that asking for help was not a sign of weakness. Furthermore, the ladies encouraged members to seek help early in the semester, as this is the time when there is the most possibility for improvement of their grade. In sum, the GBM was incredibly informative.  Members would be wise to heed the advice, as those who put the advice into practice will see incredibly positive results in the future.