More than 140 students spent a busy day in Manhattan visiting 29 different companies and networking with alumni.
 

October 31, 2019—On October 24, a large group of Marist students, faculty, and staff completed the School of Management’s sixth annual New York City Career Trek, which helps prepare undergraduates for professional success after college. A total of 29 companies opened their doors to our students, giving them a peek inside their operations and the opportunity to speak with current employees.

Since Career Trek’s inception in 2014, participating Marist students have received and accepted numerous offers for internships and permanent job opportunities from top companies in New York including IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, and Bloomberg. The goal of Career Trek is to educate students about the workplace and assist them in making career connections that will help them in the future. The event features company visits and a networking reception with Marist alumni, employers, and friends of the College. This year’s reception took place in Marist’s Executive Center on Fifth Avenue.

Jana Brzovski ’21 (center) on the Finance Track at UBS

One of the 140 students in attendance was Joshua Polgrean ’20, a business administration major with a concentration in finance. He said that the company presentations were very helpful and that the firms left him impressed: “I liked visiting Cisco in particular because the people there did not hesitate to answer the hard questions about overcoming obstacles in their careers and how they used those experiences to fuel their drive for success.”  Jana Brzovski ’21, a business administration major with concentrations in finance and international business, described Career Trek as a unique and invaluable experience: “I was able to make so many connections with brand-name companies and alumni who were more than willing to take time out of their busy days to offer advice and guidance.” Brzovski also had the opportunity to visit New York City on October 10, when the School of Management hosted a discussion with Fortune President and CEO Alan Murray.

Students visiting the trading room at VOYA

Linda Haas Manley, Director of the School of Management Career Center, said that this year’s Career Trek ran smoothly thanks to the efforts of key constituencies. “We have very dedicated faculty and staff, as well as generous alumni and employers who work together to plan this event every year. The program allows students, alumni, and employers to make valuable career connections that continue well beyond this exciting day,” said Haas Manley. School of Management Dean Lawrence Singleton added that Career Trek has grown each year. According to Singleton, “We began with just a handful of companies, and the event now features 29 organizations. That growth has allowed many more students to participate and learn from seasoned professionals who can help them successfully navigate their career choices.”

The networking event at the Marist Executive Center

The companies who participated in this year’s Career Trek included: the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Allied Integrated Marketing, Amazon.com, Bloomberg, CBRE Group, Cisco Systems, Citibank, Evercore, Goldman Sachs, Grant Thornton, Haymarket Media Group, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, Neuberger Berman, Northstar Travel Group, Pride Global, Ogilvy, Protiviti, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Richemont, Silniva, Sony, Sprint, Talpion Fund Management, TIAA, UBS, Valley Bank, Viacom, and Voya Financial.