On June 28th, the Finance Department hosted a panel discussion on, How to Navigate Internship Placements and the Job Market During a Recession, moderated by DePaul senior and finance major, Seerat Kaler.
Panelists included DePaul alumni Jordan Pierson, Michael Pezzulo, and Jonathan Watson. Pierson graduated from DePaul in 2008 and went on to take graduate classes at Northwestern and the University of Chicago. After graduation, she began her career in advertising and then scored her dream job at Google in their marketing department. Pezzuto graduated in 2009 and first started out at JP Morgan. After working there for some time, he moved to work in private wealth management at William Blair. Lastly, Watson graduated in 2008 and turned his internship from college into a full-time job at a private equity firm.
During the panel discussion, Watson spoke on how he ended up quitting that job right before the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers and is now working on a startup company.
Beginning with questions around the 2008-2009 financial crisis, panelists spoke on how the previous and current economic crises are similar in the sense that there is significant, widespread uncertainty in the job market. Unanimous advice from the panelists for students and recent graduates was centered around building resiliency and networking skills during this uncertain time. When networking, they recommended being deliberate with intentions and be sure to have a reason when reaching out to industry professionals. Rather than being overly general in a first message, students should be intentional, genuine, and find something in common or unique with the person you are trying to connect with. Panelists also encouraged ambitious students to be patient and to try and make the most out of even small achievements.
These past few months may have caused an undue amount of stress, so the panelists recommend turning that stress into motivation. Looking long term could help reduce stress and also in thinking of things that are tangible and easy to reach. Another way to destress is to surround yourself with those who will help you achieve those goals. Lastly, the panelists encouraged everyone to remain positive. Even if it seems like the pandemic will be around forever, this too shall pass.
By Mackenzie Larsen