YWCC Students Land Jobs and Internships with Bank of America During Recent Fall Recruiting Event

In 2023, there are still a wealth of career opportunities in industries for students who demonstrate the right combination of ability, acumen, and soft skills. Such was the case for many Ying Wu College of Computing (YWCC) students who attended a fall on-campus recruitment event and subsequently were offered either full-time positions or internships with Bank of America in the next few months.

Many students attend career events with the expectation of meeting a representative for a few minutes and providing their resume in the hope that something comes of it. Bank of America, however, recognizes talent and potential and the opportunity to expedite hiring efforts when candidates are the right fit.

Out of the many students visiting the information table in the fall of 2022, bank campus recruiter Brittney Rogers invited select students back the next day for formal interviews. Consequently, full-time positions or internship opportunities were offered during the following two weeks through late fall.

Rogers said, “I always love visiting the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). The quality of the candidates is so impressive. It’s a privilege to meet the student candidates and always a valuable trip. Bank of America’s partnership with the school has expanded in a short period of time thanks to people like their Director of External Relations for YWCC Dina Anello who coordinates many of our recruitment efforts.”

For Jaimeen Sharma, an international student who will earn his B.S. in Computer Science in May 2023, his decision to visit Rogers’ fall information table paid off. It led to him being one of the students invited back for an interview and ultimately securing a job offer.

Sharma said international students sometimes feel like they must start their lives and careers from scratch when they come to the U.S. Now he is slated to begin a new position as a full-time software engineer in July upon graduation. He credits projects in classes such as CS 114, IT 202 and IT 310 with preparing him to answer 90% of the interview questions directly from the experience.

“NJIT promotes its status as an academic leader in upward mobility. I can attest to that. I am excited and my family is amazed and proud,” Sharma said.

Rafeek Lawendy, a junior computer science major, will begin a summer internship in July. As an adult in his thirties, Lawendy is significantly older than his classmates, and left a job in pharmaceutical sales in his native Egypt to start a new life in the U.S. pursuing his true passion of computing.

Lawendy chose NJIT based on recommendations from friends and family in the NY metro area who are working in technology.  He and his wife and two toddlers are currently living with family in Hudson County while he attends school. “Coming here involved some big sacrifices. I made a good living in pharma sales. But I wanted to follow my dream of becoming a technologist and make a better life for my children,” he said.

Chief Operating Officer for Global Markets Technology Jonathan Echeverria, ’03 (Computer Engineering), worked to get NJIT included as an institution for recruitment and other partnerships, with particular emphasis in increasing career exposure and opportunities for Hispanic and Latino students.

To illustrate the importance Bank of America places on opportunity, Echeverria remarked, “I joined Bank of America early in my career. Through continued hard work and the support that the bank provided to navigate my career, I am a senior level executive. I am committed to assisting other Hispanic and Latin teammates navigate their career here as well.”

Bank of America currently employs more than 60,000 tech and engineering professionals, which in the age of ever-evolving technology is fundamental to the bank’s global operations and ability to deliver innovative products and services to their clients. 

All companies in some way today depend on technology to drive their business and deliver for their clients.  There will always be a market for smart and enterprising technologists and engineers.  Bank of America is one of the many large companies that champion leveling the playing field and removing obstacles so anyone interested in becoming a technologist has an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.