Landing the Full-time Job and Succeeding in Your Career is a popular topic with the Wall Street Exchange interns. The 3rd session of the program, held on June 27, 2023, was hosted by co-chair Gerri Bostick. She introduced the moderator Greg Usvitsky, DEI and Quantitative Finance Recruiter and also an alumnus of the Wall Street Exchange Program (2020). Greg presented the panelists, all with diverse backgrounds: Ngan Diep, Business Manager; Janet Lee, Head Project Manager of the Liquidity & Investment Advisory team; Cassandra Hancock, Change & Solutions Transformation Process Efficiency Lead; and Clara Bachere, Equity Derivatives Sales, Insurance Solutions Associate.
Greg posed a series of questions to the panelists who represented different levels within BNP Paribas, from first year associates to managers. In response to a question about how they knew their employer was invested in their growth, they mentioned the support for building social relationships, creating opportunities for them to bond with other associates, having a good pulse on how the organization treated them, and creating quality opportunities that matched with their goals. The interns were advised to vocalize what they want and make sure it’s given in areas such as the quality of the projects and whether they are being heard.
During the Q&A segment, the interns were encouraged to take advantage of being inside the organization and schedule coffee chats with peers to learn what they are doing as well as pivot to other departments that they are interested in to learn more. They were also told to understand the WHY during their interviews – why that company, why that role, and to make it easier for the interviewer, talk about WHY YOU for that role.
A poll taken by the interns at the beginning of the session showed that 70% of the interns were “confident” with their strategies for securing a permanent position, with 30% saying “not very confident”. At the end of the session, the interns took the poll again and there was a dramatic shift to 94% saying they were “very confident” or “confident” and only 6% saying “not very confident”. Kudos to the BNP Paribas team!
The Co-Chairs and the committee extend their sincere thanks and appreciation to Greg, the panelists and the company sponsor, BNP Paribas, for their unwavering support and generosity to the interns and the Wall Street Exchange Program.
