Career Exploration Partners
To encourage our youth to learn about the widest range of career possibilities, Futures and Options is continually expanding our network of business partners. A key part of our mission is to share the possibilities of a wide range of industries with teens. With that in mind, career exploration
plays an essential part in our program.
Thanks to business partners who open doors to Futures and Options, we make it possible for teens to interact with professionals in the work world and immerse themselves in creative career exploration events at different New York City businesses.
Thank you to these industry leaders for opening their doors to our students for career exploration events:
Our highlights:
Unilever
On December 20th, our middle school group of Career Essentials students took a field trip to the Unilever corporate campus in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, offered 18 students the chance to explore a multi-national company with locations across the globe.
The students were greeted in the Unilever lobby by Futures and Options Board member Katherine McDonald Finn, who provided a tour of the building as she led the group to the conference room. Along the way, the students saw showcases of several Unilever products, including Axe Body Spray and Dove Shampoos. From there, it was a short trip to the Unilever test kitchen, to see the space where food products are constantly being developed.
Once in the conference room, students heard from a panel of professionals, including representatives from the sales, logistics, and human resource management departments. The panelists offered career advice and spoke about the day-to-day experience of working at Unilever. Finally, the students broke into groups and worked with panelists to create marketing strategies for different Unilever products.
On their way out, each student received a gift of various Unilever products; several students could be overheard saying "I want to work here!" as they walked out the door. Thank you, Unilever and F&O Board member Katherine Finn, for a wonderful trip!
If you are interested in hosting Futures and Options for a career exploration field trip, please contact Joanna Munoz, Strategic Partnership Manager, at jmunoz@futuresandoptions.org or 212-601-0002.
Pfizer Inc.
Pfizer employee Nadja Johnson and The Frederick Douglass Academy Summer Intern Shayla Russell.
Pfizer Inc. gave a warm welcome to Futures and Options summer interns from The Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem. Thanks to the efforts of our board member Ozias Moore, Pfizer's Team Leader, US Vendor Operations, and Savitri Basavaiah, the company's Director, Primary Care Strategy & Innovation, the interns enjoyed a morning of career exploration activities with more than 20 Pfizer volunteers.
The interns gathered in Pfizer's state-of-the-art conference center for a presentation on the pharmaceutical industry and Pfizer's history. Following this excellent introduction, a panel of volunteers from various departments – legal, medical affairs, finance, customer engagement and sales, strategy, promotion and vendor operations – shared stories about their career paths as well as their jobs at Pfizer.
The volunteers also turned out to be terrific advisors. Our interns got valuable input about college majors, the importance of attitude and outlook, and many more success-track tips. Even more exciting, the rest of the morning was dedicated to mock interviews, resume critiques and a breakout workshop on networking skills. Along with an appreciation for Pfizer, interns left Career Exploration Day more prepared for their next real interview – and even more appreciative of the value of
networking.
" I learned more about Pfizer as a pharmaceutical company; the drugs they manufacture and distribute and how long it takes to see an idea turn into a product. Additionally the resume critiquing and mock interviews were very informative. I learned how to speak about myself properly and sell myself on paper."
-Jaimi Ross, Summer 2010 Intern,The Frederick Douglass Academy
New York Stock Exchange Field Trip
Futures and Options Summer Internship Program students visit the New York Stock Exchange for a career exploration field trip. From back row: Ramrod Britt, Kamoy Joseph, Adam Turay, Marquis Jernigan, and Randy Garcia. Front Row: Thay Brown, Trent Sanders, Jah-Vin Vaughan, Weeks Mensah, Domonique Powell, and Stephen Daise.
A trip to the New York Stock Exchange is always a thrill. But when your guides are Mirtha Medina, Media Relations Associate, Corporate Communications, Alyssa Schoenfeld, Vice President/Business Project Management Office, and David Ma, Business Analyst, Corporate Strategy and Development, you're in for a special look at this legendary institution. In August, Futures and Options enjoyed that experience as part of a career exploration field trip.
Schoenfeld and Ma explained the range of positions at NYSE and Medina gave the interns a detailed tour. Interns were excited to meet analysts, researchers and brokers, who explained their roles and responsibilities.
Interns Visit Morgan Stanley
Arthur Ziehi Baton, Jr. visits Morgan Stanley and learns more about their compliance department.
Morgan Stanley's global head of compliance gave 14 Futures and Options interns a privileged look at this financial-services leader's business. Stuart Breslow captivated his audience with a detailed overview of his department. With communications as the theme of the day, Morgan Stanley volunteers emphasized the importance of clear communication with co-workers and employers in the professional world. Every intern was matched with a Morgan Stanley volunteer; the interns had seven minutes to complete an "interview" before switching to a new volunteer. This fast-paced, one-on-one experience gave our interns a valuable chance to practice communication and interpersonal skills.
To become a partner, please email Joanna Munoz or call 212-601-0002.
