Q: Who attended INSITE?
Jordan: While this conference is put on for the clients of BNY Mellon, they have developed a student program that takes place during the conference. We were among 65 students in attendance at this conference from universities all over the nation. As students, we were given the opportunity to network with industry professionals throughout the conference, as well as network with the students from the other universities. Additionally, we were able to attend the sessions throughout the conference that focused on current topics and educational information, such as a market update.
Rayann: At the conference, we had many different opportunities to connect not only with industry professionals, but also with students from other schools who got to attend as well. Different events provided different learning opportunities.
Q: What was the experience like?
Jordan: Like many conferences, the keynote sessions were a major focus, including sessions with the CEO and founder of Rent the Runway, Jennifer Hyman, and basketball star, Magic Johnson. While these speakers spoke on their own career paths, they both emphasized their role in running their businesses and the experiences that got them to where they are today, which I found very interesting and inspiring.
Rayann: Breakout sessions provided great insight on a magnitude of different topics from a variety of different professionals. As well as having the chance to attend a recruiting event that gave three different options for students looking for mentoring/networking, internships, and full-time positions. Overall, these moving pieces and parts came together to give us as students an experience to really take advantage of and learn more about the financial services industry.
Q: What did you learn about while there?
Jordan: One part of the student program that was very beneficial was the recruiting event that took place. During this, the students had conversations with professionals and employers based on whether they were looking for full-time employment, internship opportunities, or mentoring. During this time, I spoke with many professionals who gave valuable advice on how to navigate entering the industry upon graduating from the financial planning program.
Rayann: Keynotes shed light on prominent figures within the financial services industry who gave their thoughts, viewpoints, and opinions on relevant topics and where we are heading in the future. We got to connect with students and see how we got to this point and where we want to go in the future.
Q: What did you enjoy most about the conference?
Jordan: My favorite session that I attended was called “Making Your Business a Family Destination.” In this session, we discussed how to engage with the whole family as an advisor and heard specifically what some advisors are already doing at their firm to accomplish this.
Rayann: Being able to have this kind of opportunity as a student to attend a conference of this scale to connect with, learn from, and grow with professionals in the financial services industry has been such a great experience.
Jordan: All in all, I am very grateful for having the opportunity to attend the Pershing INSITE conference. It provided professional development experience that allowed me to network with industry professionals to learn about the different career paths and options within the financial services industry. Not only network with industry professionals, but the students from other schools as well. To any student considering attending a conference, my best advice to you is to go. It is an experience that will allow you to network, gain a deeper understanding of the industry, and learn from others who were once in our very own shoes.
We want to thank Jordan and Rayann for taking the time to share their experience at INSITE with us.For tips on how to make the most out of events like this, check out our networking blog.