Figuring Out My Future: My Day at Siemens Financial Services
By Shravanthi Budhi
As a college student, it’s challenging to juggle the daily responsibilities of classes, jobs and extracurricular activities, not to mention the added pressure of answering the question every college student dreads, “What do you want to do for the rest of your life?”
However, that decision is a huge part of what being a college student is all about. As a second year double major in marketing and finance at NJIT, I wanted to find a way to marry my love for numbers and my desire to be creative in my future career, but was unsure how to make that happen.
The Dean’s Student Executive Leadership Council at NJIT’s Martin Tuchman School of Management introduced me to the mentorship program at Siemens Financial Services (SFS). Right away, I knew I wanted to get involved in it. In fact, Kirk Edelman, CEO, Siemens Financial Services, Inc., wrote about how many students today seek additional guidance and career input. This helped me recognize how important it was for me to get advice from people who have already experienced the career I want.
Over the past few months, my mentor, Laura Schneebacher of SFS’ corporate communication team, has given me tips on time management and networking, while providing her professional perspective as I reflected on my own goals. Her guidance and the opportunity to spend a day at the SFS office in Iselin recently have helped make my career path options much more clear.
During my day at SFS’ Iselin office, I met with Laura and her manager, Jillian Lukach, to learn more about their roles on a global communication team. I even sat in on a call with their global counterparts to discuss SFS’ recent Siemens Finance Week campaign. I also had the pleasure of meeting with Kirk Edelman to discuss future trends and challenges in the financial industry. Hearing about a day in the life of a financial executive was thrilling, but it was the connections I made that really made a difference.
As a mentor, Laura not only provided me with advice and resources to help guide my professional development, but also introduced me to an entire network of financial services employees representing many aspects of the industry. For example, I chatted about study tips for the upcoming Chartered Financial Analyst certification exam with a financial risk professional at SFS. He not only gave me some important tips for the exam, he also offered up his expertise over the coming months as I prepare. That’s an opportunity I wouldn’t have had without a mentor.
It’s hard to imagine what my life will look like five years from now, but meeting with the employees at SFS solidified my love for the financial services industry and made me that much more excited to see what my future holds. To my fellow NJIT students, I encourage you to follow my lead and seek out mentors, whether it’s through an organization or even a family friend. Their advice and the example they set can help our generation prepare for our future and lead as we enter the workforce.
