Couldn’t join us for the live event? We’ve got you covered.

This past November, we held the fifth annual Diversitas symposium. It’s hard to believe it’s already been five years – it’s true when they say time flies when you’re having fun! With every new symposium, we gain new perspectives, learn more about our industry, and find new ways to help bring more diverse people into the financial services industry.

While we had great attendance at this year’s virtual symposium, we understand that not everyone could make it. We all lead busy lives, and most of us are balancing schoolwork, a career, or family responsibilities. That’s why we recently released recordings of the sessions from this year’s program. You can find recordings to all of the sessions on our website.

So, what were those sessions? What did we cover? We’ll tell you, so you know exactly what to expect should you choose to watch:

What I Wish I Had Known: A Crash Course on What to Ask, What to Know and What to Do

While hearing from industry veterans can shed light on how the industry has evolved, students can gain a lot from listening to those just a few years ahead of them. Individuals who have braved the current climate and found success.

Carina Diamond, Dakota Wealth Management, led a panel with Mathias Schulenburg, M Financial, Aaron Ervin, Nationwide, Trenton Johnson, NFP and Autumn Azar, Dakota Wealth Management, to talk about just that – the next generation’s path to success. Each panelist addressed their current roles, and what information they wished they had at the start of their careers. What internships to explore, how to effectively interview, the right questions to ask to better understand firm culture.

These young professionals were candid, well-spoken, and very forthcoming with what they learned in their career journeys, and this session is a must watch for anyone looking to enter the financial services industry.

Setting Yourself Up for Success: Top Tips to Secure the Internship and/or Job of Your Dreams

One of the best ways, if not the best way, to understand a firm’s culture and approach to work is to, well, actually work there. Internships can be a fantastic way to pilot a firm – get a feel for their place in the industry and how working there would help you and advance your career.

Lindsey McKay, McKay Wealth Management, Stacey Serna-Beecher, Schwab Asset Management, Crystal Cox, Wealthspire, and Emlen Miles-Mattingly, Gen Next Wealth, joined a panel hosted by Kate Healy, CMO & NextGen Advocate, on the job application process and how to make sure you’re finding your next best role. These panelists know what they’re talking about – they help manage their respective firm’s internship programs and have first-hand experience spotting the right candidates (as well as those that may not be the right fit).

Listen in to learn how to find internships, make a killer resume, maximize your potential within a company, and ultimately (hopefully) get hired.

Our Journey; Our Passion; Our Goal

Every experience is different – to understand the different routes to success, it helps to hear how those before us made the journey.

Colleen Bell, Cambridge Investment Research, Tonia Bottoms, BNY Mellon Pershing, and Erinn Ford, Advisor Group, sat down with Suzanne Siracuse, Suzanne Siracuse Consulting Services, to discuss their unique career paths. They give a deep dive into how they got to where they are – what challenges they faced and how they overcame those challenges and capitalized on available opportunities.

The industry is evolving rapidly, and these panelists shed some light on how you can enter and excel in the field. Listen in to hear from those people who are helping to lead that change and push for a brighter, more diverse future for financial services.