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 20 years ago the Wall Street Exchange (WSE) presented to hundreds of students the soft skills that compliment their academic career in preparation for joining the work force.

Program Description
The Wall Street Exchange is designed to augment the summer internship work 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. 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, resume writing, interview techniques, career development and career choice. The program additionally emphasizes the important role a professional network serves in career development. The “Summer Network“, a volunteer group of dedicated FWA professionals, offer WSE participants professional and personal support.

WSE Program Schedule
Participation in eight 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 WSE committee meets during the Spring to review student applications and to review the process. Meetings start in March and conference call continue every two weeks through the end of the summer program.

Message from the Committee Co-chairs
The WES is a competitive program that attracts some of the best students from around the country.  We enjoy the time that we spend getting to know them and helping them in the job search process ahead. We are rewarded with seeing how the students grow as individuals over time and become more confident.
Gerri Facchine and Denise Seegobin, committee co-chairs

Highlights from recent events
Coming soon are highlights from the WSE reunion dinner held on March 24th, 2010 – an opportunity to engage the students and see houw they are doing in their respective careers.

Success Stories
“Thank you for coordinating the WSE program. It was a terrific experience. I am sure we all learned more about ourselves and each other from the very first meeting about our personality and career match with Shoya Zichy and through interactions with professionals and our peers.”  - Crisann Shair, Goldman Sachs, WSE ‘07

“Everyone I have met through the program has been so helpful. The WSE has been very instrumental in helping me navigate through the array of finance careers. Having grown up with very few relatives or friends in the finance industry, this program was an amazing opportunity for me to meet potential mentors and colleagues.” -Kamiu Lee, HSBC Securities, WSE ’06

“Thank you so much for a wonderful summer full of useful information. The events were simply spectacular. You are really doing a great job. In the future, I will be more than happy to volunteer my time to help you out with the program.” – WSE Student

Views from a committee member
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.