Career treks have been a part of the Weatherhead School of Management experience for decades, giving students the opportunity to make connections in person with industry leaders, while also exploring their field of interest further.
“I can remember taking the first group of students in the 90s to New York City in what was known as the Wall Street Trek,” says Deb Bibb, executive director of enrollment, career development and student experience at Weatherhead. “Over the years other cities have included Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago and we have expanded to include different industries, as well as our other full-time graduate management programs.”
Over spring break, Bibb traveled to New York City with Weatherhead students from the MBA and Master of Finance programs to learn about the various career paths and opportunities in the finance field as part of the New York City Trek.
During the trip students visited the offices of Equitable Advisors, Morgan Stanley, PwC and Etsy. Students also had a chance to network with alumni representing Capital One, Citibank, Global Atlantic and more, during a small-group breakfast session and at a Weatherhead alumni reception at the Harvard Club of New York City.
“I enjoyed seeing so many of our alumni from as far back as the year I started working at Case Western Reserve and who attended one of the earlier treks we offered, thriving,” Bibb says. “It is really inspiring to see our students, now alumni, come full circle. They are in great positions, have remained true to themselves and are willing to give back.”
For full-time MBA student, Krishna Priyanka Kottu, it was her first time visiting New York City. Upon graduating in the spring of 2024, she would like to take up an analytical career in the finance industry. She says the trek helped her gain confidence in networking, and as an international student from India, it gave her a broader view of how the finance industry works in the U.S.
“This trek has given me a push on how to network and pick up a conversation with people who you just met,” she says. “Interacting with multiple alumni and learning exactly what they’re doing after graduation has helped me to have an understanding of where you can go with this degree.”
Kottu says she enjoyed meeting with alumni at Morgan Stanley who were able to explain risk management and the different segments of the job within the company. She also found the office visit to PwC very exciting, as the students got to tour the office and meet with more alumni.
“I was really happy visiting PwC,” she says. “I found the tour around the office interesting because they don’t have dedicated desks and go off of a hybrid-work model.”
It was Seyram Wisdom Djobokou’s first time visiting New York City, too. Djobokou, who is a master of finance student, says this was also his first time leaving the city of Cleveland, as an international student from France.
His favorite part of the trek was the alumni reception at the Harvard Club of New York City.
“We met so many people who were all in the finance world with a lot of connections,” he says. “This event allowed us to connect in a really informal way.”
During the office visits, he says he was very impressed with PwC. “They have a lot of perks for their workers and tech equipment to allow their workers to be in the best working condition possible,” he says.
The company he liked touring the most was Etsy, as he enjoyed learning about the company’s perks and the students were able to talk with the CFO.
“I really loved the trek,” Djobokou says. “I was really focused on networking and putting my best foot forward for the company meetings, but I also was able to enjoy other parts of New York City too.”
Upon graduation this spring, Djobokou is in search of a financial analyst role.
If your company is interested in being a part of a future career trek, please contact Donna VanRooy, director of employer development.