Wall Street Exchange

Mission
To provide participants with the tools necessary to execute a successful job search for a full-time career upon graduation from college.

Program History
Started over 35 years ago, the Wall Street Exchange (WSE) has presented to hundreds of students the soft skills that complement their academic careers in preparation for joining the workforce.

Program Description
The Wall Street Exchange is a program designed to augment the summer internship experience of select qualified students who are between their junior and senior years of college and who are employed in the New York metropolitan area. WSE provides an exciting opportunity for participants to enhance job search skills while learning to think strategically about career choices.

WSE provides an exciting opportunity for participants to enhance job search skills while learning to think strategically about career choices. It provides participants with the tools necessary to execute a successful job search and assist in the all important recruitment process. This is accomplished through a series of workshops that address skills including professionalism, leadership, resumé-writing, interview techniques, career development and career choice. The program additionally emphasizes the important role a professional network serves in career development.   

WSE Program Schedule
Participation in nine weeks of events and programs, from late June through early August designed to strengthen the skills necessary for undergraduates to execute a successful search for a full time job in financial services and related fields.

Leadership Meeting Schedule
The committee meets regularly from February through the start of the program in June to coordinate sponsorships, marketing, interviews and participant offers.

Message from the Committee Co-chairs
Wall Street Exchange 2012 – Get Involved and Influence the Future!

Who has helped you throughout your career? Certainly, each of us can identify at least one individual who has influenced her future. Perhaps it’s time for you to be that influential person for someone else by joining the College Connections Committee and helping plan Wall Street Exchange 2012.

We encourage you to become part of this year’s Wall Street Exchange program by attending our once-weekly Summer events. Whether you attend all nine events or only one, you will have an impact. This is a wonderful opportunity to give back by helping students develop the tools they need to launch their careers and pursue a path to success. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to visit leading Wall Street firms and meet other established industry professionals.

We invite you to get involved as an event volunteer or as a committee member. Please, feel free to contact one of the committee co-chairs with any questions or to express your interest. .
Gerri Facchine and Laura Smith Dunaief , committee co-chairs

Highlights from recent events

• Expanded WSE to include nine events over a nine-week period
• Graduated 38 students from 31 schools participating in internships with 18 NY area employers
• Expanded college marketing and recruiting efforts, targeting undergraduate career offices nationally.

Success Stories
“”Each week we gathered at a different firm to network with professionals and develop our skills. Outside of the weekly sessions I had new friends to explore the city with, mentors to bounce career ideas off and successful role models to look up to. I would highly recommend the WSE program to anyone interested in working in finance in New York. It is a truly a one of a kind experience.”
– Ashley Rose Stumbaugh, WSE ’11“Each and every week the speakers and hosts of the events gave me an opportunity to learn a variety of tips whether it be on career advice, resume building or networking. The advice has proven to be priceless and has already helped me tremendously.”
– Marc Bitterman, WSE ’11“The WSE was a great supplement to my internship. At the end of the summer, I had developed a secure network of professionals to whom I can turn for advice and guidance as I begin my career. As the summer progressed, I felt that my ability to speak confidently with financial professionals improved.” - Meghan Murnane, WSE ’11

Views from a committee member
View FWA member and WSE participant Susan Harper’s praise for the 2011 WSE program

Volunteering with FWA’s Wall Street Exchange for more than twenty years has been a wonderful experience. As a Director of the New York University Alumni Association, student recruitment there enhances FWA’s relationship with NYU. Interviewing students from the many other colleges that participate in our WSE is always a pleasure, as is seeing them develop thoroughout the summer they spend with FWA. Having WSE alumni join FWA after they are in their careers builds FWA’s cadre of future business leaders. Mary Tanaskovic Bitting, Retired Vice President, The Bank of New York

What can you do to help?
We need members to:

• become part of the Summer Network
• recommend speakers who would be interested in participating
• volunteer to join the leadership committee – – assisting in making contact with the schools’ career centers, sending out applications, reviewing applications to find qualified interns, interviewing students, attending events, tracking attendance etc. 

Want more information about the program?
Contact Gerri Facchine gfacchine@optonline.net or
Laura Smith Dunaief laura@lasdresourcedevelopment.