Month: May 2016

Name: Brittany Scott

Class Year: 2018

Major: Accounting

Shadowing Visit Site: Ernst & Young- New York, New York

Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

My visit was an incredible experience that I will never forget and an opportunity that I am grateful I had. Patrick Quay, my host, was both accommodating and helpful throughout the entire day. He kept in contact with me in the weeks prior to my visit and created an agenda for the day that would expose me to the culture of EY, including many other friendly employees I had the chance to meet. I listened in on calls, learned the framework of EY’s four main segments of operation, and consulted with employees from the Tax, Advisory Services, and Auditing services. Immersing myself in the office for a full day and attending lunch with a handful of employees made me feel as if I had clicked fast-forward to 2018 and was an employee myself. The office life at EY allowed me to feel so welcomed after just a few short hours. From this experience I gained insight as to what a typical business day looks like for CPAs and other professional individuals; furthermore, I gained confidence in myself and my thoughts as to what I want to do with my career. Lastly, I gained multiple crucial connections whom I can contact if I ever need a reference or opinion in relation to the accounting field.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?

My visit to New York City truly opened my eyes to the world I hope to work in upon graduation from Holy Cross in 2018. My plans to work in the public accounting field were confirmed by my visit. As I was on my way back to Grand Central I wished I could either turn back to the office or at least return the next day. Passing by hundreds upon hundreds of other professional workers sporting long black trench coats instilled such a passion and excitement in me, which I hope to be surrounded by after college and throughout my adult life.

What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

Advice Patrick Quay shared with me was to not be afraid to ask questions or hold back at all. I must admit that going into my visit I was mildly nervous- I did not know what to expect or how comfortable I would be in this new setting. However, once I realized how comfortable I was in the office, I did not let any nerves hinder my questions for Patrick and other employees I met with. These adults were fountains of information for an aspiring CPA like myself, so it would have been foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity I had. I left my visit with pages of notes that helped me when applying to leadership programs this winter.

Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

I would recommend this program to other students for multiple reasons. First, it is always beneficial to know a fellow Crusader, especially one who works in a field you hold interest in. Second, it is the perfect chance to switch from college-student to adult employee for a day (or at least pretend) and get a sense of the real world. Lastly, it is a short and sweet commitment offered in many cities that almost everyone has time for. Had I passed on the opportunity, I would not be as confident and eager for my future as I am now.

Name: Nerelly Checo

Class Year: 2018

Major: Sociology

Shadowing Visit Site:  Weight Watchers

Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

During my visit, I was able to connect with various employees from the Weight Watchers company. My host wanted me to be able to explore the different opportunities that exist within the Marketing field. She scheduled multiple meetings with people who do different things (all related to Marketing) to give me a stronger idea of what aspect of Marketing I would want to pursue. Because of this, my experience became so valuable. I was able to realize that I am mostly interested in Consumer Insights. In addition, having the one-on-one experience during my meetings allowed me to have the chance to ask what kind of things I should do during college and afterwards to make me more marketable to future employers.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?

This experience completely changed my future career plans. Initially I wanted to be a psychologist, but after declaring a Sociology major, I was really confused as to what I wanted to do with it in the future. As I developed an interest in Marketing, my confusion got worse because there were so many things involved with Marketing that I was not sure which field I was most interested in. However, participating in the shadowing program has given me a clear focus on what I would like to pursue in the future.

What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

One of the most helpful pieces of advice my alumni host shared with me was to always have a technology background. Because Holy Cross is a liberal arts school, a focus on technology is never emphasized here. This is especially true for me because I am a Sociology major and most of my work is centered around readings and not so much on technology. However, my host was able to show me, through meetings with people who do different jobs, how technology was incorporated into each of their jobs. I thought this was extremely helpful because I probably would have never thought about technology if I was not able to see the importance of its role in any career.

Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

It is very common for students to come into college either not having any idea of what they want to do in life or having a very set plan for their future. However, things are always easier said than done. Therefore, being in an actual workplace and sharing the work experience with someone is much different than simply having an idea of what you think a job will be. That being said, having the opportunity to shadow someone before declaring a major is so beneficial because it allows you to recognize whether that is truly a path you want to take in the future. Even after declaring a major, it is just as beneficial because it gives confirmation on whether you made the right decision or not.

Name: Allison Hoffman

Class Year: 2016

Major: Political Science

Shadowing Visit Site:  Colliers International – Boston, MA

Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

After getting matched up with an alumni from the Class of 2010, I was able to schedule an entire day in at the office just a few days before Christmas. Despite the crazy holiday season, my alumni tailored his day around me and made it clear that he wanted me to have an engaging shadowing experience. We started the morning off grabbing coffee and sat down for about an hour as he shared insight on his own career path after graduating from the Hill and tips on how he leveraged his Holy Cross education in networking/the job hunt. For the rest of the morning, my alumni walked me through some of his team’s recent offering materials, pitch books, and case studies, making sure that he answered any question I had along the way. Being able to comb through real work and get his feedback while doing so was an awesome learning experience in and of itself. Not only was my alumni then nice enough to set up afternoon meetings for me with five other members of the office, he walked me down the street to his fellow Holy Cross roommates’ office for a meeting as well! I was able to conclude my shadowing day by sitting down with my alum’s boss and head of the team; he ended up getting a call while we were talking and he had me sit in on live negotiations!

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?

I’ve known that I want to work in the commercial real estate industry upon graduation, but given that there are so many different avenues within the business, I was a bit overwhelmed trying to navigate the various options. Having my alum be part of the Capital Markets team, I was able to get first-hand feedback on what he deals with, and see that play out in action when I sat in on a phone call. My alumni set me up with members from Leasing and Acquisitions teams as well, so I was able to talk to people from other sides of Brokerage and get a fuller picture of all the moving parts in a full-service firm like Colliers. Having met people who work from all different sides of the table, I was able to use this experience to hone in on my interests and expand my network– a huge step in breaking into the business given that CRE is all network-based!

What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

My alumni shared advice and honest insight with me throughout the course of the entire day, but the most important thing to remember is that it’s not a one-sided conversation– you have to come prepared, engaged, and ready to ask questions! You will only get out what you put into it. That being said, I came into the shadowing day with my typical go-to questions to get conversation started but our conversation naturally flowed from there. My alumni complimented me for taking some notes as we chatted and how I brought up some current projects/industry news happenings– he said given the number of students who reach out to meet with him, very few actually come prepared and look legitimately interested. Even if it’s a quick 5 minute coffee conversation, be ready to show yourself off– show them you are actually interested in what they do and have something to offer. The worst thing you can do is make them feel like they’ve wasted their time!

Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

While we are current students of Holy Cross and constantly hear from people all of the time how great the alumni base is, I don’t think students fully realize how truly special this network is. The Holy Cross alumni who I’ve met with through my networking will bend over backwards for any kid who reaches out– I didn’t really buy this until it happened to me! The alumni who participate in this program are signing up because they WANT to host YOU. It really comes down to who you know nowadays so you will reap the benefits the more you put yourself out there– you will come to find that the more you network, the easier it becomes. If you’re an underclassman still trying to figure things out, definitely use the AJSP as a stepping stone to get things going and as an opportunity to explore what you think you like or don’t like. As for upperclassmen, AJSP is an easy piece of conversation you can drop in an interview or a meeting– it demonstrates interest and how you took the time to get out beyond just the classroom and actually get some experience under your belt. I’ve referenced my shadowing day in networking I’ve done since; someone knew one of the people I had met with during my shadow which opened up our conversation even more!