Here are some links to professional financial organzations that I have found to be important:
(1) The American Finance Association (ASA)- www.afajof.org
(2) The Assocation of Financial Professionals www.afponline.org
3) The Western Finance Assocation (WFA)- www.westernfinance.org
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Randall Rothenberg Critical Response
The last skype chat our class had was with Randall Rothenberg, a former New York Times editor and now the CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The Interactive Advertising Bureau is the trade association for interactive marketing in the United States.
Initially, the fact that Rothenberg was a prior editor of the New York Times gained my attention and gave me a further incentive to listen to his chat. The New York Times is one of the most influential new and journalist sources in the world. With that being said, I automatically had the utmost respect for Rothenberg and his endeavors. As a result of this respect, I found the Rothenberg chat to be the most enlightening and informative chat we have had in our class.
Rothenberg displayed interest in our questions and provided straightforward, real world answers to our questions that we had. He convyed the entire path of his career in great detail.
One thing that I will argue from the Rothenberg conversation was the fact that he said college was not a "real-world" experience and professors cannot simulate the real world through their teaching styles. I find this statement completely false. Business teachers at TCNJ attempt to simulate the real business world through financial reports, formal class presentations, and by having students respect the teachers. College will give you vital tools to succeed in the real world.
Initially, the fact that Rothenberg was a prior editor of the New York Times gained my attention and gave me a further incentive to listen to his chat. The New York Times is one of the most influential new and journalist sources in the world. With that being said, I automatically had the utmost respect for Rothenberg and his endeavors. As a result of this respect, I found the Rothenberg chat to be the most enlightening and informative chat we have had in our class.
Rothenberg displayed interest in our questions and provided straightforward, real world answers to our questions that we had. He convyed the entire path of his career in great detail.
One thing that I will argue from the Rothenberg conversation was the fact that he said college was not a "real-world" experience and professors cannot simulate the real world through their teaching styles. I find this statement completely false. Business teachers at TCNJ attempt to simulate the real business world through financial reports, formal class presentations, and by having students respect the teachers. College will give you vital tools to succeed in the real world.
Anaezi Modu Critical Response
The fourth skype chat we had in my JPW250 class was with Anaezi Modu, founder of the ReBrand Company and a professional in the Web 2.0 world. According to Chris Butler vice president at Newfangled Web Factory, "ReBrand™ is the global resource for visual examples and case studies on effective brand transformations: the repositioning, revitalizing and redesign of existing brand assets to meet strategic marketing objectives. As a Fast Company blogger, Anaezi explores the integration of seemingly disparate ideas and industries to achieve strategy-driven transformation. Through the lens of a designer, she shares learning from "pragmatic ingenuity," one of the terms she prefers over "innovation." She is inspired by those rarely credited for brilliant ideas: the world's poor that face dire challenges daily. Anaezi received her training in architecture and design at Princeton and Harvard."
During our discussion, Modu discussed her role in the creation of the ReBrand Company and its effect on companies all over the world. She commented on creating a personal branding strategy and effectively using the resources in the Web 2.0 world to make yourself accessible to everyone. I enjoyed the Modu chat because it effectively added to my understanding of these web marketing companies and their effect on the general landscape of the business world. These companies are created in effect with the use of all Web 2.0 tools. This new distinction makes these companies at the forefront of technological advancement in the business world. It will be interesting to see how these companies prosper in the future.
During our discussion, Modu discussed her role in the creation of the ReBrand Company and its effect on companies all over the world. She commented on creating a personal branding strategy and effectively using the resources in the Web 2.0 world to make yourself accessible to everyone. I enjoyed the Modu chat because it effectively added to my understanding of these web marketing companies and their effect on the general landscape of the business world. These companies are created in effect with the use of all Web 2.0 tools. This new distinction makes these companies at the forefront of technological advancement in the business world. It will be interesting to see how these companies prosper in the future.
Liz Henry Critical Response
The third skype chat we had with with Liz Henry, a noted blogger and web 2.0 professional. This chat was highly informative and interesting and gave me several important insights into the role of the web 2.0 world in professional world.
Here is some background on Liz Henry on her linked in profile, "I'm a writer, literary translator, and blogger with a background in tech support, network administration, and Perl programming. Keeping my hand in 20 different projects means I come at problems from an unusual perspective. I enjoy connecting people from different geeky communities. Feminist action, antiracism, independent living, human rights, international/global thinking, and supporting the work of other women, and of people of color and people with disabilities, are very important to me."
Through her chat, I realized that the blogging world is an evergrowing and fast-paced part of the Web 2.0 world. Many professionals, such as Liz Henry, can utilize the blogs to advance and promote their brand. One thing I am interested to see is how the blogging world will continue to grow in the upcoming years. Will blogs be the first source of information for the government and new sources? Will the government use blogs to rely information to the public about their endeavors? Can the blogging world ever be fully verified as a reliable news source?
Here is some background on Liz Henry on her linked in profile, "I'm a writer, literary translator, and blogger with a background in tech support, network administration, and Perl programming. Keeping my hand in 20 different projects means I come at problems from an unusual perspective. I enjoy connecting people from different geeky communities. Feminist action, antiracism, independent living, human rights, international/global thinking, and supporting the work of other women, and of people of color and people with disabilities, are very important to me."
Through her chat, I realized that the blogging world is an evergrowing and fast-paced part of the Web 2.0 world. Many professionals, such as Liz Henry, can utilize the blogs to advance and promote their brand. One thing I am interested to see is how the blogging world will continue to grow in the upcoming years. Will blogs be the first source of information for the government and new sources? Will the government use blogs to rely information to the public about their endeavors? Can the blogging world ever be fully verified as a reliable news source?
Lena West Critical Response
Another skype chat that we had in my JPW 250 class was with Lena West, a leader for the xynomedia company and web 2.0 professional. She discussed the power of the Web 2.0 world and the capabilities of the web for professional advancement. She also recommended several sites such as micromentor, score, rubyonrails, and djangoproject. These sites offered professional looks into mentoring and web 2.0 strategy and development. I found the web development frameworks useful in the creation of my own personal website. I did not fully take advantage of the first two websites, micromentor or rubyonrails, but I will eventually visit these websites to see if they are useful for my particular branding strategy.
One thing I remember vividly from the Lena West chat was her ideas toward social networking sites. Lena West made me further realize the harms that social networking sites can have on your ability to get a job. It is an employers job to hire the candidate most qualified for the job. Being qualified doesn't just mean having a good resume and grades but conducting yourself in a professional manner. Many of times, facebook pages and tweets are filled with suggestive material that employers can easily gain access to. While these pictures may be unharmful among peers and friends, they are detrimental to a person's ability to get a job. In the Web 2.0 world, almost anything can be found and used against you. The idea of "defining your brand" must be applied to all areas of your life including facebook and twitter.
One thing I remember vividly from the Lena West chat was her ideas toward social networking sites. Lena West made me further realize the harms that social networking sites can have on your ability to get a job. It is an employers job to hire the candidate most qualified for the job. Being qualified doesn't just mean having a good resume and grades but conducting yourself in a professional manner. Many of times, facebook pages and tweets are filled with suggestive material that employers can easily gain access to. While these pictures may be unharmful among peers and friends, they are detrimental to a person's ability to get a job. In the Web 2.0 world, almost anything can be found and used against you. The idea of "defining your brand" must be applied to all areas of your life including facebook and twitter.
Reginald Ponder Critical Response
In my JPW250 class at TCNJ, we have had a variety of journalists, freelance writers, and CEOS of progressive marketing companies chat with our class via skype. The first professional we talked to was Reginald Ponder, the CEO of E Morris Communications and a film critic through his website titled, "Reel Critic". His skype chat was interesting and informative. I believe the most important thing that Ponder discussed was his idea of promoting yourself. Throughout the chat, Ponder stressed to our class that you should always be conscious of your own self-worth and that you should be confident in your endeavors. Much like the article titled "The Brand Called You", Ponder stresses the idea of promoting yourself, having self confidence, and finding your motivation to achieve your goals.
I respect what Ponder says because he has most definitely come across the idea of promoting and finding himself throughout his life. Ponder graduated from Princeton with a degree in sociology. Ponder was the first to acknowledge that this degree in sociology does not normally translate into the business world. However, Ponder used the information he gained from being a sociology major coupled with his desire to be a successful businessman to advance himself. This process indicates to me that life doesn't always follow a straight path. However, if you have confidence in yourself you can become successful in anything.
Here is Reginald Ponder's Linkedin website:
I respect what Ponder says because he has most definitely come across the idea of promoting and finding himself throughout his life. Ponder graduated from Princeton with a degree in sociology. Ponder was the first to acknowledge that this degree in sociology does not normally translate into the business world. However, Ponder used the information he gained from being a sociology major coupled with his desire to be a successful businessman to advance himself. This process indicates to me that life doesn't always follow a straight path. However, if you have confidence in yourself you can become successful in anything.
Here is Reginald Ponder's Linkedin website:
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Internships through TCNJ
Here are the following companies that actively provide financial internships to TCNJ business students:
1) Merrill Lynch
2) Bloomberg Financial Services
3)Morgan Stanley
4)American Express Financial Advisors
5) Goldman Sachs
1) Merrill Lynch
2) Bloomberg Financial Services
3)Morgan Stanley
4)American Express Financial Advisors
5) Goldman Sachs
My Career Path: The First Step
According to the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step". Obviously, my intended mission is to acquire a job out of college at some type of financial firm whether it be a large corporation, independent firm, bank, or insurance broker. In order to do that I have created a three step plan:
1. Get good grades, maintain a high GPA- Whether college students want to believe it or not, employers are concerned with your ability in the classroom. A good grade not only means that you are smart and understand the material but that you are an active participant in class.
2. Become knowledgeable of the financial world outside of class- Whether it is reading the Wall Street Journal, following a couple of stocks everyday, or reading financial articles this process will greatly help me.
3. Be involved in a financial internship this summer or next- I consider this to be the second most important thing. An internship will provide me with a hands-on approach to the business world. In addition, it will show employers that I am capable of working in the corporate arena and that I have the skills necessary to be a valuable contributor to their institution.
1. Get good grades, maintain a high GPA- Whether college students want to believe it or not, employers are concerned with your ability in the classroom. A good grade not only means that you are smart and understand the material but that you are an active participant in class.
2. Become knowledgeable of the financial world outside of class- Whether it is reading the Wall Street Journal, following a couple of stocks everyday, or reading financial articles this process will greatly help me.
3. Be involved in a financial internship this summer or next- I consider this to be the second most important thing. An internship will provide me with a hands-on approach to the business world. In addition, it will show employers that I am capable of working in the corporate arena and that I have the skills necessary to be a valuable contributor to their institution.
Finance at TCNJ
This is how TCNJ's School of Business explains finance:
"The study of finance provides the student with the ability to analyze the allocation of financial resources within a corporation, individual, or governmental setting; to analyze sources of funding and the ramifications of financial decisions; and to allocate these sources of funds. Students who complete the finance program are employed by banks, financial institutions, brokerage houses, major corporations, and the government. Students are also prepared to continue their education in graduate school and through professional certification."
"The study of finance provides the student with the ability to analyze the allocation of financial resources within a corporation, individual, or governmental setting; to analyze sources of funding and the ramifications of financial decisions; and to allocate these sources of funds. Students who complete the finance program are employed by banks, financial institutions, brokerage houses, major corporations, and the government. Students are also prepared to continue their education in graduate school and through professional certification."
What can a finance major do?
I thought it would be useful to add a YouTube video to show what finance actually is. Here's the video...
Some things change...
Coming into TCNJ I was a declared history education major. I thought that my career path would land me in upscale suburban high school teaching goal-orientated, intelligent high school students about United States history subjects like Christopher Columbus, the U.S. Constitution, and the Civil War.
I would wow my students for 45 minutes everyday with maps, videos, and class trips. My students would love me and would be excited to attend my class everyday. On the side, I would be the best high school basketball coach in New Jersey leading my teams to 100 state championships. I would retire after 35 years as a teacher and coach and live happily ever after. Boy have things changed...
Halfway through my freshman year I changed my major to open-option business. Now, I am a finance major hoping to minor in either economics or management. In three years, I will be part of the corporate world a drastic change from my intentions as a teacher. I really don't know what made me change into a business major. Maybe it was the fact that there are more opportunities, more money, and more incentives. Who knows what made me change? All I know now is that I am thoroughly happy with my decision. Everyday I feel blessed to be able to attend a great college which will open many doors for me after graduation. With all this being said I can now focus on my career path.
I would wow my students for 45 minutes everyday with maps, videos, and class trips. My students would love me and would be excited to attend my class everyday. On the side, I would be the best high school basketball coach in New Jersey leading my teams to 100 state championships. I would retire after 35 years as a teacher and coach and live happily ever after. Boy have things changed...
Halfway through my freshman year I changed my major to open-option business. Now, I am a finance major hoping to minor in either economics or management. In three years, I will be part of the corporate world a drastic change from my intentions as a teacher. I really don't know what made me change into a business major. Maybe it was the fact that there are more opportunities, more money, and more incentives. Who knows what made me change? All I know now is that I am thoroughly happy with my decision. Everyday I feel blessed to be able to attend a great college which will open many doors for me after graduation. With all this being said I can now focus on my career path.
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