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    Inspiring Career Growth at Synchrony

    Early career opportunities vary from summer internships and externships to entry-level positions. When exploring possibilities in the beginning of your career, rotational programs offer a unique opportunity to gain diverse experiences and to learn how to work with multiple teams – all within one company.

    Synchrony, a Fortune 200 financial services company, inspires career growth from day one. Synchrony is at the heart of many U.S. financial transactions that are made every day and is committed to providing hands-on experiences for its early career talent. The company has a robust early career development program that aims to identify, attract and develop the company’s future leaders.

    Synchrony’s driving force is to be essential to people’s everyday lives by making it easier for the tens of millions of people who rely on us to access their essential needs and everyday wants with consumer financing that works for them – from their first credit card to a lifetime of flexibility. The company is recognized in the industry as a top employer, recently named by Fortune as one of the nation’s top five best companies to work for.

    The Business Leadership Program

    One of the programs that makes Synchrony stand out is its Business Leadership Program (BLP). These early career development programs are designed to accelerate the careers of tomorrow’s leaders.

    The summer internship program is a 10-week program for rising juniors and first-year HR graduate students. As a BLP intern, you will work on projects and participate in meaningful work in your desired field while experiencing the support of the team, mentors, and Synchrony’s award-winning culture. If you are interested in the summer internship program, learn more here.

    The Full-Time BLP program is a two-year, rotational program for graduating university seniors designed to facilitate your career growth across three different disciplines. If you’re still undecided on what you want to pursue professionally, a rotational program could be a great opportunity for you to explore after graduation.

    The Synchrony BLP program has more than 10 different tracks, from sales and relationship management, finance, data analytics, and other areas across the business. The program includes community service, networking and social events.

    The BLP program helps transition graduates into the working world by offering experiences similar to what students had with student clubs and organizations. The participant-led committees include Development, Wellness, Recruiting, and Engagement, providing real-world opportunities for new grads to grow in their communication, planning, and leadership skills.

    Beyond the leadership development gained through the committees, the BLP program also helps accelerate individuals into positions of leadership.

    Creating a Fast Track for Leadership

    One of the top appeals of the BLP program is how it offers early career candidates access to leaders within the organization and helps to advance opportunities for leadership for themselves personally.

    Due to the nature of the program, you gain diverse work experiences across multiple teams and practice areas and are steps ahead of your peers as it relates to career growth.

    Wyatt Craig, SVP Digital Finance – PayPal, who was in the first cohort of the BLP rotational program shared that the biggest differentiator is the support from leadership. Leaders and mentors help you define what you want to do in your career and suggest experiences to help you achieve your goals.

    The investment from leaders continues long after the program ends. Wyatt mentioned the value of the alumni network, which provides mentorship to BLP participants. To help recent graduates transition into the corporate world, these alumni provide guidance on what a career path post-BLP could look like.

    Synchrony continues to invest in its employees and offers ongoing learning opportunities, including tuition benefits, which was essential for Wyatt when he decided to pursue post-grad education.

    Cultivating a Culture of Flexibility and Well-Being

    Through its people-centric culture, Synchrony co-designs programs and initiatives together with employees. The company offers flexible work options, allowing employees to work from home, in the office, or both in a hybrid work environment while redesigning its workspaces to encourage meaningful connections.

    Josh Mugabe, a HRBP BLP, described the company’s emphasis on flexibility and choice.

    Josh also shares how purposeful engagement provides valuable ways early in your career to meet and interact with people in the office. The Synchrony “hubs” or workspaces also provide a collaborative atmosphere to build relationships.

    Synchrony also prioritizes employee well-being in the workplaces, providing comprehensive wellness programs and benefits. For example, the company provides a psychologist onsite and employees can have up to 12 sessions per year at no cost to them personally. The program was built with everyone in mind, including interns.

    Angela King, Sales & Relationship Management BLP, was the first BLP to lead the BLP’s Wellness committee.

    Initiatives include physical activities like intramural sports, the Brooklyn marathon and ice skating in Bryant Park as well as stress reduction and wellness programs including a cooking class, financial literacy, and virtual monthly conversations.

    Gaining Real-World Career Skills

    Angela shared how fast the two years went by and how much she accomplished and grew during that time. She learned about Synchrony and business acumen and increased her confidence, gained insight into her own strengths and weaknesses, and developed leadership skills.

    A rotational program offers tangible work experience that could help you solidify the direction for your career. The program dedicates time for you to explore your interests and learn from different roles and leaders. As you consider possibilities for your life after graduation, we encourage you to look into Synchrony’s rotational program. If you don’t have plans to graduate yet, then you can learn more about the summer 10-week internship program.

    You can learn more about the company here. If you’re interested in starting your career at Synchrony, visit us here to find out more about the internship program, the rotational program, and other early-career opportunities.

    Tags:

    business leadership program,

    career growth,

    early career,

    early career development,

    early career jobs,

    financial services,

    flexibility,

    leadership development,

    rotational program,

    synchrony,

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    Want a Career that Matters? Discover Tata Consultancy Services and its Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership

    Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses for the past 50 years. TCS believes innovation and collective knowledge can transform the future with greater purpose.

    TCS employs over 600,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants from 150+ nationalities with operations in 50+ countries. Diversity is a value of TCS as evidenced by the fact that it’s one of the world’s largest employers of women in the IT industry.

    Notably, in North America, TCS was recently recognized as:

    The #1 Top Employer in the U.S. by the Top Employers Institute

    One of the 50 most community-minded companies in the U.S. by Points of Light

    One of Fortune Magazine World’s Most Admired CompaniesTM list, a global barometer of corporate reputation, for the second straight year

    Working for the Greater Good

    TCS believes in building greater futures by making its communities its priority and by connecting people to opportunities in the digital economy. In line with the values of its parent company, The Tata Group, TCS’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts are driven toward initiatives that contribute to the creation of a fairer and more equitable world for all.

    With its proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world, TCS has earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index.

    Globally, efforts include helping marginalized individuals and communities with literacy, education, employment and mentoring for entrepreneurial endeavors. In North America, these CSR efforts are specifically designed to help advance education equity, close the STEM skills gap, and prepare students for the future global workforce.

    Two programs that engage with youth and support potential leaders in the IT space are the career readiness program (goIT) and the professional development program (Ignite My Future).

    Digital Innovation and Career Readiness (goIT)

    TCS’ flagship, no-cost digital innovation and career readiness program, Go Innovate Together (goIT), equips K-12 students all over the world with the skills, confidence and mindset to pursue careers in STEM. 

    goIT provides resources and training programs for teachers but primarily focuses on opportunities for students to learn about problem solving and design thinking while developing their sense of global citizenship. The program inspires participants to use their new skills to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges because all goIT challenges and program culminations are tied to the U.N.’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. 

    WayUp spoke with Kevin Lee, a previous co-op student turned full-time software engineer. Kevin found TCS to be an exciting and innovative environment, especially in the Internet of Things (IoT) field. He heard about goIT through a mentor during his internship and was excited to volunteer to teach elementary, middle, and high school students during a goIT Summer Camp. The three-day camp was integrated with TCS’ Bringing Life to Things IoT lab for the second consecutive year, and students learned where and how IoT can be used to generate positive changes in their communities.

    By volunteering with the program, Kevin most enjoyed seeing students increase their understanding of technology’s potential and explore new interests in tech through the program’s culminating projects and presentations. These programs are valuable for students to learn new skills and evaluate different aspects of technology as they explore career possibilities for their future.

    The summer camp experience is special to all TCS employee volunteers, but it is especially meaningful to those, like Kevin, who work in the Milford office outside of Cincinnati where the goIT program was born. It began as an innovative idea for a one-time summer camp in 2009 and has since grown into a year-round global program, operating in 42 countries. Over the last year alone, goIT touched the lives of more than 1 million students and 20K educators. Student innovations addressed issues as diverse as water quality, hunger, education, equality, poverty and climate change.

    Teacher Professional Development (Ignite My Future)

    Launched in 2017, TCS’ Ignite My Future is TCS’ pioneering effort to empower educators around the world though a unique approach that integrates computational thinking into core subjects like math, science, literacy, social studies, and the arts. Computational thinking is a future-ready skill that prepares students to tackle problems by building their confidence to work with big, complex issues.

    Ignite My Future’s program content is developed and managed by a team of former educators, so it is a teachers-helping-teachers initiative that adds meaning to K-12 classrooms all over the world. As a teacher professional development program that provides training and resources to teachers looking to expand their capacity for bringing computational thinking into their classrooms, the program provides teachers and their classes with formal training sessions, exciting lesson plans, virtual field trips and Family STEM Night implementations. 

    Recently, the program launched “Tech Trends for Teachers” which tackles tech knowledge and awareness from a different perspective. Like many of its in-classroom initiatives, Tech Trends for Teachers is driven by TCS employee volunteers.

    WayUp spoke with Software Engineer John Trimble about his experience at TCS. In addition to his role helping lead the IoT and digital engineering lab in Cincinnati, he is also a frequent volunteer for various CSR initiatives. Recently, he contributed both to the experience of students attending the goIT summer camp and to teachers who turn to TCS for their own professional development through Ignite My Future.

    Tech Trends for Teachers engages TCS employees in providing K-12 teachers with the opportunity to learn about — and share — tech innovations that will change the way the next generation will live and work. John also mentioned how this type of volunteerism gives a chance to highlight their own leadership, which is fulfilling.

    “It’s Part of Our Ethos:” Purpose Matters

    The fact that TCS’ culture of purpose is deeply embedded across all geographies, departments and customer service units is clear in conversations with TCSers who can describe the company’s legacy of community purpose in detail. In conversations with TCS employees, they happily declare that contributing to social and environmental good is part of the company’s ethos.

    In 2023 alone, TCS employees volunteered across the globe and generously gave more than 5 million hours of service or, as “TCSers” refer to it, of HOPE. In North America, employee activities included supporting programs like goIT and Ignite My Future, as well as sorting, packaging, and delivering sustenance to people facing food insecurity through food banks. Additionally, employees plant trees, mentor refugees, give blood and volunteer for disaster response and recovery activities.

    In response to employees’ interest in receiving corporate support for volunteering on their own or in more coordinated efforts, TCS created an app for finding curated opportunities based on employee location. The app, called myPurpose, is one of the ways TCS supports employees looking to live their purpose both at work and after work.

    When asked about the company’s culture of purpose, John emphasized the fact that giving back is important to all TCS employees.

    Kevin was initially exposed to CSR initiatives during his internship, and his engagement continued after joining the company full-time. In highlighting the variety of opportunities available, he said, “I really appreciate all the creative programs that allow people to make a difference even virtually. It helps us expand our impact and removes a lot of boundaries.”

    Opportunities for a Career with Impact

    John and Kevin both graduated from the University of Cincinnati (UC), each earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. They were both first drawn to TCS because of UC’s co-op program, which involved several semesters of full-time work. After interning with TCS, they decided to join the company full-time after graduation.

    Kevin shared how the internship experience helped make his transition into TCS as a full-time employee more seamless. Upon graduating facing a challenging job market affected by the impacts of Covid-19, he appreciated how TCS was able to hire him and give him opportunities to contribute to others in his community at the time. Even more, he valued the career opportunities he would gain by joining the company.

    John was specifically drawn to the company’s IoT lab and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology, which made him excited to join one of the biggest tech companies in the world.

    The internship program at TCS provides students with real-world experience and meaningful projects, equipping them with the skills to launch their careers in technology, IoT, engineering, and more. Additionally, interns can gain insight into the company culture, the team dynamics and projects, and the day-to-day work itself.

    Whether through the internship or as full-time employees, TCS creates opportunities to engage with work that makes an impact. From specific CSR initiatives and programs to an overall culture of philanthropy, TCS provides an educational and purposeful environment to start or build your career.

    For more information about career opportunities within TCS, check out their page on WayUp here. More

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    How ‘Early Careers’ at Tata Consultancy Services Prepares You for a Career with Impact

    Taking a leap and joining an internship can come with many unknowns – Will I meet people and make friends? What is the company culture like? What type of projects will I work on?

    At Tata Consultancy Services, a leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, the campus recruitment team understands these pre-joining nerves and have created a thoughtful engaging program to ease the transition from school into a professional work environment.

    To develop emerging young leaders within the IT industry, TCS created a robust internship program that offers students meaningful work experience in a real-world setting. The ‘TCS Early Careers’ program allows interns the opportunity to contribute to real technology projects handled by industry professionals within various TCS business units and gain hands-on experience through problem solving, and critical thinking skills. Spanning across 10-12 weeks, the program is ideal for students currently enrolled in a computer science and/or other TCS relevant STEM academic program

    About ‘TCS Early Careers’ Program

    TCS values the student’s experience and learning. The program is structured into 5 distinct phases intended to guide the students seamlessly through the experience and gain the exposure that is intended. With the guidance of the TCS campus team at every step of the process, each student has access to a business mentor and a buddy who are integrally involved in the internship process and interact regularly with the students.

    Phase 1The initial phase, prior to joining, has connect sessions planned at regular intervals with the campus team and the mentors to ensure readiness to get started with TCS. To alleviate some of the nerves before starting the internship, the TCS team hosts virtual sessions to go through any questions upcoming interns might have on onboarding and what to expect on the internship. The week before the internship starts, interns receive a welcome kit full of TCS swag and instructions on what to expect on Day 1!

    Phase 2 and 3To help ease the transition into the corporate world, the second and third phase focuses on ‘getting a fast start’ for the interns. The interns are welcomed with an orientation on their first day where they attend workshops, featuring sessions about TCS and its business, information on how to access their equipment tools, connect with their mentors/buddies and other insightful talks from senior leadership. During the weeklong orientation, TCS interns will also hear from Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders and are encouraged to join these groups to start networking and seamlessly assimilate into the TCS culture.

    Phase 4The fourth phase is about delivering clarity on the role and helping the interns succeed in the project. Interns meet with their assigned teams and start working on projects and some of the interns have the opportunity to directly work with TCS customers. While working on projects, interns are mentored by subject matter experts to gain applicable leadership and technology skills to help jumpstart their careers. All of this happens organically through the collaborative company culture and meaningful project experience.

    Phase 5The last phase is all about ‘Celebrating the success’ of completing the internships. With a formal graduation ceremony, the interns have the opportunity to showcase their experience to the TCS Leadership team and share/hear about success stories from other interns.

    Life as an Intern

    To gain an insight into the TCS intern experience, WayUp spoke with previous interns Karan Sathiayan and Hrithik Reddy. Karan, a data scientist intern and current full-time employee, shared that as an intern he was given a lot of responsibility which made him feel valued as a part of the team. Karan shared that the highlight of the internship was when he presented a demo in front of a large group of TCS employees at an internal seminar that his manager organized.

    To gain another perspective, WayUp spoke with Hrithik Reddy who interned at TCS but his role was quite different from a typical technology internship. He focused on projects supporting the Global Sports Sponsorship team and helped the team with sponsorship research and how to boost TCS marketability through sports. Hrithik supported the team’s efforts working towards TCS sponsorships for the TCS NYC Marathon (title sponsor), Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon, TCS Jaguar Racing, and other events.

    Hrithik spoke highly of the team environment and company culture, especially in his contributions as an intern. He described the engaging atmosphere and how his input was considered by the team, which helped him feel valuable and like he had already been working for the company for years.

    Mentorship and Professional Development Opportunities

    As a part of the Internship program, interns are assigned a mentor and a buddy to meet with weekly throughout the entire duration of the internship. Interns are also introduced to an internal communication tool to communicate with their peers and receive real-time feedback from their buddies, mentors, and senior leadership. This intentional approach to provide relational support at the company helps to equip interns with networking, interpersonal, and teambuilding skills – all of which are vital to their long-term success.

    Karan Sathiayan, a data scientist who very recently joined TCS full-time, praised the company culture and their value of mentorship and continued education. TCS not only offers outside training through Linkedin Learning, but also has their own internal platform called iEvolve where employees can gain training on anything from technical skills to leadership and soft skills.

    Karan also elaborated how these TCS trainings are vital to standing out during the interview process.

    TCS Micro Internships

    In collaboration with The Forage, Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Group have created three virtual Micro Internships which are open to all students and professionals who are looking to grow their skills. TCS and Tata Group have created three Micro Internships which simulates real world projects and allows you to get experience in areas such as Data Visualization, Cybersecurity, and Sustainability. These Micro Internships are self-paced typically taking 3-5 hours to complete and can be conducted fully virtually. These Micro Internships are free and are open to everyone. You can navigate to the three Tata Micro Internships by clicking on the following link here.

    An internship with TCS is a valuable experience that can guide you on your career path and prepare you with hands-on experience for a full-time career after graduation. If you’re interested in IT or software engineering, be sure to check out their internship programs and other career opportunities within the company.

    For more information about the company, check out TCS’s page on WayUp here. For more specific information about the internship program, view here.

    About TCS

    Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses for the past 50 years. TCS believes innovation and collective knowledge can transform the future with greater purpose.

    TCS has over 601,000 of the world’s best trained consultants from 150+ nationalities with operations in 55 countries. Diversity is a value of TCS as evidenced by how the company is one of the world’s largest employers of women – over 160,000 women employees – making up over 36% of the global workforce. Notably, TCS was recently awarded the #1 Top Employer in the U.S. award by Top Employers Institute and was also awarded Top 100 internship program by WayUp in 2022 and 2023. More

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    Help Change the World by Interning at Arup

    If you have not heard of Arup, you have likely seen their firm’s work firsthand without realizing it. As a global collective of designers, consultants, and experts dedicated to sustainable development, they use technology, imagination, and rigour to shape a better world. The firm has a 75-year history of commitment in producing meaningful and socially useful work.

    Working for Global Impact

    Sustainable development encompasses a variety of aspects, including regeneration, biodiversity, conservation of resources, stable economic growth, and social value. Arup has a collaborative approach where architects, engineers, and consultants come together to work towards the shared goal of shaping a better world.

    In line with Arup’s purpose, they work to provide a greater impact on the world around them. Arup has committed to achieving net zero emissions across their entire operation by 2030, covering everything from the energy used in offices to goods and services purchased. From 2019 to 2022, Arup reduced their carbon footprint by 14% to help them get closer to their goal of net zero.

    As a global organization, Arup’s members work across a myriad of departments, which they internally call “disciplines.” These disciplines range from engineering departments – such as Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Structural Engineering – to more specialized groups such as Sustainability, Acoustics, Energy, and more. Additionally, Arup has a business services team that includes roles within Marketing and Communications, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, and more.

    Launching Early Careers

    No matter what career path you’re pursuing, there are countless opportunities to explore at Arup. Their firm provides exposure to various disciplines throughout the internship, which helps to foster curiosity and awareness of the types of career path available to them. As an employer of choice, Arup serves as a launching pad for passionate young professionals who are looking to start their careers with meaningful work.

    For those looking to start their careers or gain knowledge as they pursue their early careers, Arup’s internship program offers an impactful experience. The acclaimed summer program offers a paid, 10-week internship for full-time undergraduate and graduate students.

    The internship program is divided into three categories in a 70/20/10 framework:

    70% real work experience

    20% internship program events

    10% for ongoing learning opportunities

    Providing Meaningful Work Experience

    Much of the time, about 70%, is spent working alongside professionals and contributing to the success of real-life projects. The internship program equips interns with hands-on experience across disciplines working on active engineering, design, and consulting projects.

    For more information about the Delta Sky Way at LAX project, see here.

    During the internship, interns are immersed in project site visits, team meetings, company meetings, and client meetings. Additionally, interns regularly engage with leadership and develop relationships with colleagues through project meetings and attending social events. The program offers a diverse experience and positions students for success within their desired career path.

    Fostering Relationships and Networking Opportunities

    During the internship, 20% of the time is spent engaging in internship program events such as regional events, local events, and a project review assignment. Regional events allow interns to engage with peers across 16 offices, attending workshops about sustainability, Employee Resource Groups, leadership, and other topical events.

    The local events foster intentional networking opportunities through site visits, connecting with office leadership, and a graduate panel discussion. These events also provide opportunities for interns to meet and engage with colleagues across disciplines at Arup, helping to expand their knowledge about the firm. Additionally, some of the events offer insights from members early in their career to interns about to start their career.

    The project review assignment groups interns into multidisciplinary teams where they work together across different office locations. Interns are tasked with completing a knowledge review and creating a value story on a recently completed Arup project, allowing interns to explore how a project was delivered with quality. The final outcome is a presentation that interns give to their teams, peers, and leadership, which provides them with meaningful exposure to the organization.

    Offering Continued Education and Development

    Finally, the last 10% of the internship is set aside for ongoing education and professional development opportunities. Interns are encouraged to spend time pursuing additional trainings to advance their skills and knowledge, which highlights how Arup invests in early career talent.

    The hiring managers identify a mentor, or what Arup calls a “buddy,” that will be partnered with interns. The objective of this mentor system is to assist interns in acclimating to their new environment, learning about the organization, and integrating into the culture and work at Arup.

    A Thriving Company Culture

    Arup deeply cares about its culture and how it represents the mission and vision of the organization. In addition to their values, Arup strives to champion Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI), and engages with communities across the globe. The firm values how the best creative work draws from a range of human experiences, viewpoints, and ideas. Arup is committed to DEI and its efforts shape the firm’s work and culture.

    Interns shared how they were able to get involved in Employee Resource Groups and support work that aligned with their own long-term goals. From exposure to the diverse leadership at Arup to networking with other offices, interns are integrated into the life and culture of the organization. They also spoke about opportunities of attending conferences or other events to support their own professional development and expand their interests outside of project work.

    Wondering what a typical day-to-day looked like for Arup interns? For more insight, watch the below videos to see what it was like to intern at Arup from 3 Arup interns at the Houston, TX office, New York City office, and Boston office!

    [embedded content]

    Timothy Dang’s day in the life as a Mechanical Engineering intern at the Houston, TX Office

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    Sarah Cole’s day in the life as a Software Development rotational intern visiting the New York City office

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    Kelly Perymon’s day in the life as a Sustainability intern at the Boston, MA office

    Pipeline for Future Job Opportunities

    It’s no secret that Arup’s internship program provides a funnel of potential candidates. At the end of the internship, interns are evaluated and considered for full-time or return internship opportunities.

    Arup employs individuals from all different degrees and backgrounds. They assess candidates holistically and place a focus on their technical skills and experience that align with the position. They look for innovative thinkers with a passion and drive to join an extraordinary collective and create a future with purpose.

    Internship Application Process

    For those interested in applying for an internship with Arup, you must submit an application. After passing the resume review, candidates will be shortlisted and invited to complete the pre-screen step and assessment. After passing the pre-screen, candidates will be set up for a video interview with the hiring manager for the role.

    Arup looks for students who are passionate about their field of study, curious about the professional world, and eager to shape a better world through sustainable development. It is important for candidates to be self-motivated, have strong communication skills, and be willing to be part of a community.

    For more information about the internship program and the application process, check out Arup’s page on WayUp here. More

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    Learn How The Estée Lauder Companies Champions Diversity & Career Advancement in the Beauty Industry

    Like many industries, the beauty industry has grown to be one of the fastest evolving markets with consumers who demand authenticity, representation, and innovative products that fit their unique needs. At The Estée Lauder Companies’ (ELC), our collective vision is to be the most inclusive and diverse beauty company in the world as well as the employer of choice for diverse talent and the brand of choice for our global consumers. Because of this, we understand that talent today don’t just want to know what companies WILL do as it pertains to inclusion, diversity, and equity, but have a genuine track record and a commitment to current and future leader’s career advancement.

    Today over 80% of our work force is female, 50% of our U.S. Workforce is comprised of minorities and 59% of Global VP positions and above are held by women.

    We are consumer obsessed and because of this we focus our priorities on ensuring our employee population reflects the communities we impact by ensuring equitable access to professional development and advancement opportunities.

    Driving Professional Development within HBCU Communities

    As an organization dedicated to professional development and education, we pride ourselves in our ability to deliver on our ID&E commitments through external programs with our employee populations and HBCUs. To date, ELC has partnered with Howard University, Spelman College, and Florida A&M to provide virtual networking and career advancement programs for alumnae seeking ways to transition to the beauty industry.

    She’s Howard – ELC’s partnership program with Howard University was inspired by ELC’s longstanding relationship with the University that began in 2018 through an increased focus on HBCU recruiting. Since its inception in 2021, the program continues to be a resourceful networking tool for all Howard Alumnae. 

    Let’s Talk Beauty – ELC’s partnership program with the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College was designed to serve as a platform for ELC to connect with Spelman Alumnae through intentional conversations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities to provide career coaching and insights into the beauty industry. 

    FAMU 10-Week Travel Retail Program – ELC’s partnership program with Florida A&M University was designed to engage rising juniors and seniors by providing an inside look into the fast-paced world of Travel Retail. Participants join for a 10-week program during which 41 merit scholarships of US$10,000 were awarded to students in the University’s School of Business and Industry over the course of five years by the University on behalf of The Estée Lauder Companies. 

    Leading From Every Chair

    We believe in the power of leading from every chair and are committed to creating space for talent with unique backgrounds and perspectives to support and lead innovation. As one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products sold in approximately 150 countries and territories, we offer a number of opportunities for undergraduates, early career professionals and our internal community of employees to continue to challenge themselves and contribute to a number of exciting business priorities. 

    Lauder Summer Internship Program – A 10-week program that offers undergraduate students in the U.S. the opportunity to think critically in real-world corporate situations. Students have the opportunity to apply for openings in our corporate functions or at one of our brands, and they will be assigned based on their academic backgrounds and interests once they are accepted into the program. 

    Presidential Associate Program – An intensive, 18-month rotational program specially designed for undergraduates. This program integrates professional rotations with continuous leadership development, coaching, mentoring, hands-on practical experience, group networking opportunities, and strategic thinking initiatives to optimize talent and build business acumen and capability.

    From Every Chair Program – In June 2020, William P. Lauder, Executive Chairman, and Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer, shared ELC’s Commitment to Racial Equity. As part of our ongoing commitment to ensure Black employees have equal access to leadership trainings and mentorship programs with senior executives, the Global Talent team and the Inclusion & Diversity COE, in collaboration with the Network of Black Leaders and Executives (NOBLE) Employee Resource Group, created the From Every Chair (FEC) Leadership & Development Program. This 9-month Sponsorship and Mentorship program for current employees focuses on one-on-one mentoring sessions, curated professional development seminars and dedicated coaching from highly regarded executive coaches. Since its inception, the program was designed to develop and advance Black talent through enhanced programs focused on soft skills and career coaching for all participants.

    ELC Grow – In 2022, ELC launches its internal Talent Marketplace designed to connect employees to personalized recommendations for full-time roles, project and networking opportunities that can empower our community to grow their skills and careers. By matching employees with internal opportunities autonomously we encourage an environment of continued learning and fueling future career aspirations and interest.

    Head over to The Estee Lauder Company’s company profile to learn more about the company and for information on open roles! More

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    How Citi is Paving the Way for HBCU Grads and Black Professionals in Finance

    Ever since Maggie Lena Walker established and presided over the first bank to service Black organizations, Black Americans have been shaping the history of finance. 100 years later, people of color (POC) are still making contributions that leave everlasting impacts on the industry. 

    Although a lot of progress has been made for POC in the banking and finance space, they are still at a disadvantage. The facts of the matter are that POC are disproportionately underrepresented in finance and face a harder time breaking into the industry than others. 

    As a company that emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Citi identifies with these issues wholeheartedly. Citi also knows that if these trends continue, an entire legacy of future Maggie Walkers might cease to exist.  Even worse, the contributions and ideas that these POC would have contributed to the finance world would never see the light of day. This lack of input and improvement would slow down the finance world as we know it. 

     Citi has made sure to create a space where POC not only feel welcome but motivated to succeed as well, creating a virtuous cycle for individuals, Citi as an organization and the financial services industry more broadly. In order to create this space, Citi has rolled out a series of initiatives that are paving the way for POC in finance. The first of which has to do with their recruiting strategy. 

    HBCU Recruiting and Presence 

    To employ the brightest minds, first, you have to find them. That’s why Citi decided to set up an ambitious recruiting strategy at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). And we’re not just talking about free koozies and stickers. Citi is showing up on campuses, sometimes even with school alumni, to share background on their diversity and inclusion efforts, educate students about opportunities and show they are a company that values the success of their diverse employees.   

    Here is what one Global Banking Analyst had to say about the impression Citi left when they visited Howard University during her time as an undergraduate. 

    By continuing to establish meaningful relationships with students at HBCUs, Citi is building a workforce that includes incredibly talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. 

    HBCU Alumni Network 

    By creating groups and communities that allow people from similar backgrounds to come together and share thoughts, companies can create new environments to help their employees thrive. That’s why Citi established the HBCU Alumni Network. As you might be able to infer, the HBCU Alumni Network is a group at Citi that allows alumni from different HBCUs to connect, network, and help one another grow. Which, for a lot of people, helped them succeed and learn in a lot of ways.  

    My involvement with the HBCU Alumni Network has taught me the importance of being proactive when you’re on a team. I was tasked to work alongside another team member to initiate contact with 19 schools. I hesitated on whether I should wait for him to reach out first since he has been employed at Citi longer than me, but I ended up having the courage to set up the first meeting. He expressed how impressed he was that I took charge right away and set up a strong foundation for the work we’ll be completing together. That experience taught me to never doubt myself or my capabilities, even if I may be the youngest on the team, and if there is an opportunity to showcase your skills or leadership, you always jump at it!  
     Global Consumer Banking Analyst 

    Through her involvement with the HBCU Alumni Network, she not only gained more experience and confidence in herself, but she also made a good impression on her colleague. All around wins. 

    Black Heritage Network 

    Like the HBCU Alumni Network, there is the Black Heritage Inclusion Network at Citi. Within this group, Black professionals can come together, share their thoughts, seek out mentors, and essentially just share space with people who look like them.  

    After you graduate, the number of groups and organizations you can join to socialize, grow yourself, and feel welcome gets cut in half. When these groups are no longer available, especially in the corporate world, some individuals face issues that diminish their productivity and most importantly, their self-worth. That’s why establishing inclusion networks is so advantageous and why Citi chose to do it themselves. 

    POC in Leadership Positions 

    One very direct way to help POC succeed in financial services is to connect and grow them in leadership and management positions. By doing so, you not only diversify the leadership on your team, but you also create mentors, role models, and individuals who people from similar backgrounds can identify with. As a result, students and job-seeking individuals become more inclined to apply for positions at the company. 

    As he said, it’s comforting to grow and be trained by people who are like you. When you can relate to these people, it makes the relationship better on all ends.  

    One Corporate Banking Analyst had a similar experience with her mentor during her time at Howard.  

    When I was a Freshman at Howard, my mentor, who was a Senior, had a full-time offer in Investment Banking at Citi and was the Citi Campus Ambassador. She recommended me for the Freshman Discovery Program, and I ended up getting in. At the time I was not super familiar with Citi or Wall Street as a whole, so I did not really know what to expect. However, when I arrived, I was completely enamored with the experience and completely threw myself into it. At the end of the program, I was sad to leave and knew this is where I belonged. 
    Corporate Banking Analyst

    If it weren’t for Citi putting her mentor into that Campus Ambassador position, it’s possible that she may have never ended up at Citi. By creating this position and ones like it, Citi now has talent pipelines that will draw in some of the brightest minds in finance for years to come. Pipelines that might just end up finding you one day. 

    What’s Next for Citi? 

    While these initiatives may seem bold, Citi has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. Much like Citi’s Action for Racial Equity, a $1 billion+ commitment to help close the racial wealth gap and increase economic mobility in the United States, the ideas Citi is putting forth will have a substantial impact on the industry and the world for years to come.  

    If this is an endeavor that you would like to be a part of and contribute to, check out the positions Citi is currently hiring for. Who knows, in just a few years it could be you leading the change.  More

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    How to Secure a Citi Internship in 2023

    As job seekers ourselves at one point, we always wondered what it would be like to get a behind-the-scenes look at a company’s job application and interview process. To know what recruiters are looking for, what the do’s and don’ts are, and exactly what it takes to get noticed by a specific company.

    Forget about one-size fits all resume guides and interview tips. Anyone who has spent a month in the job market knows very well how much application processes differ from company to company.

    One application and interview process that is particularly unique? Citi’s incredibly lucrative Banking Internship; a program that earned a spot on WayUp’s Top 100 Internships 2022.

    Recently, we got the chance to chat with a couple of individuals who participated in Citi’s nationally recognized Summer Analyst program. In our conversations, three Summer Analysts from Citi reveal what they did to secure their positions at Citi and set up such bright futures for themselves.

    Fine-Tune the Resume

    Before you land a Summer Analyst role with Citi, you’ve got to secure the interview, but before that, you’ve got to make sure that resume shines. So, the first thing you should always do, before anything else in the application process, is make sure your resume is in tip-top shape.

    If your resume isn’t up to date or looks messy, recruiters are going to have a hard time giving your application the stamp of approval. Take what a former Citi Summer Analyst did before submitting their application.

    “My initial belief going into the resume process was that I would not include school projects or projects that I thought were small. But what I learned was the exact opposite. You should always consider small projects because recruiters might notice certain skills you utilized during those projects that you didn’t list on your resume.”
    Citi Technology Summer Analyst

    To take their suggestions one step further, we suggest you prepare yourself by breaking down each experience on your resume by what skills were used. Ask yourself – are these skills relative to the job I’m applying for? Are they valued skills? Do these experiences and the skills that come with them deserve space on my resume?

    Tap Your Network

    As the ways to network diversify, so do the opportunities for early-career professionals to make connections that can propel their careers forward. 

    LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, WayUp, no matter how you choose to network, the two things you need to keep in mind are authenticity and speed. Although they might not have said it outright, everyone we spoke to in our interviews emphasized how when they pursued a new contact, they would never ask for something in return. They simply would introduce themselves and stay consistent with conversation over time.

    When you begin a conversation with a request – advice, more contacts, a job – you immediately displace yourself and often end up making the ensuing dialogue transactional and inauthentic.

    In any case, you should offer your new contact something, but coming in on neutral grounds will always be the best way to start a conversation.

    Once you’re confident you can keep things authentic, then you need to get up and start reaching out as much as possible. This speed factor is something a lot of professionals don’t always consider, but when a former Citi Summer Analyst explained it, things began to make perfect sense.

    If you can reach out to people starting early, that’s amazing, especially in the financial realm. Professionals in finance like to get their talent off early, and that doesn’t mean that they aren’t looking later on, but the earlier that you start, the faster you will join the industry.
    Citi Personal Banking Summer Analyst

    Hunt for On-Campus Opportunities

    One very common mistake that college students make is not using all of the resources available to them on campus. Those that do seek out those resources, especially the resources provided by the career services department, oftentimes find themselves on a direct track to flourishing employment opportunities.

    This is particularly true when it comes to Citi as their presence on campus is massive. One of the main ways Citi stays active at colleges across the country is through its Early ID program. 

    After hearing about this on-campus mentorship program through a couple of alumni from her school, one former Citi Summer Analyst decided to apply for the program with the intention of learning new skills and growing herself professionally. She didn’t know if she would get a job from it, but she took the chance, put in the work, and is now a contributing member of Citi’s personal banking department.

    In another instance, a former Summer Analyst with Citi and current Campus Ambassador used her campus event posting board to start making contacts and learning about new opportunities.

    I used a campus job board where you can go on and see different events happening on your campus and different companies coming. I decided I’ll go to as many events as I can, as many as my schedule allows, and Citi was one of them. I went to one of their fireside chats Freshman fall where I met a university recruiter who would later offer me a job.
    Citi Wealth Management Summer Analyst, Current Campus Ambassador

    Almost every college with a career services department has resources like what one former Summer Analyst describes. If you can’t find it immediately, just contact someone from the career center!

    How to Prepare for the Interview

    If you’re able to make that resume sparkle, put on your networking cap, and use as many resources as you have access to, there is a very good chance that you make it to the interview process. This is perhaps one of the most critical steps of the process, especially when it comes to Citi’s Summer Analyst program.

    Although it is subject to change, our understanding of the Citi Summer Analyst program interview is that it has two parts – a behavioral and a technical component. This means you should be able to answer questions regarding both comprehension and knowledge while also being able to deliver on reactive and situational assessments. 

    There really is no way to know for sure what your recruiter or interviewer is going to ask, so the best way to prepare is by educating yourself and rehearsing as much as possible!

    I did mock interviews with some family members to build up my behavioral interview skills. I also watched a ton of YouTube videos about what to talk about and what points to hit whenever you’re being interviewed.
    Citi Technology Summer Analyst

    He knew that he would have to react on his toes and do so with ease and fluidity, so he made sure to practice his presentation and speech-making skills. He also knew that he would be assessed on his knowledge of the industry and space he was applying to. He didn’t know what exactly, so he cast a wide net and tried to gather as much information as he could. 

    These are by far the best ways to prepare yourself for an interview for Citi’s Summer Analyst program.

    Proceed With an Open Mind

    One thing that remains consistent between the three former Summer Analysts we interviewed is the way they approached the Summer Analyst application process at Citi. Each one of them went about it with an open mind and zero preconceptions of what the process might look like and how it might benefit them.

    One former Summer Analyst joined Citi to gain experience, learn new skills, and grow herself professionally. There was no need to assume she would pursue a career with Citi. 

    When you pursue a job just because you want a job, passion tends to dwindle. But when you pursue a job with the intention of learning and growing yourself, you can get more out of it. The former Summer Analyst we are referring to ended up being one of the few Summer Analysts to be extended an offer for a two-year rotational program that she is now embarking on.

    As for one former Citi Summer Analyst, he retained an open mind when it came to interviewing at Citi. He didn’t assume it was going to go one way or another, he didn’t practice a pre-arranged plot structure, he just remained authentic and armed himself with as much information as possible. In this case, his broad scope paid off.

    Below is a perfect example of how an open mind can lead you to incredible success.

    When I came to Georgetown my freshman year, I wasn’t sure which career path I wanted to take. A Citi recruiter told me to apply to their sophomore leadership program, which I hadn’t heard of until she told me about it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be in finance, but I was like, you know, it wouldn’t hurt to apply and just see where this takes me. Maybe I’ll like it. So, I did and then ended up choosing to Summer Analyst within the Wealth Management sector!
    Citi Wealth Management Summer Analyst, Current Campus Ambassador

    Apply What You Know!

    These are the tricks of the trade, the gate code at the secret entrance, and the tried & true methods to secure a position with Citi for their 2024 Summer Analysts.

    We’ve given you the road map, all you need to do now is follow the course to land an Summer Analyst role that might just change the trajectory of your entire career. More

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    Scoping Startups and Building Brands: At Insight Partners, You Can Do It All

    Although a fair amount of overlap exists between venture capital, private equity, and investment banking, all three sectors differ in significant and unique ways – some of which include the roles and responsibilities bestowed upon employees. If you were to pursue a career in investment banking, you might find yourself working on trades, mergers, and acquisitions; advising in the sale of new stocks and bonds; or connecting buyers and sellers of companies. In venture capital and private equity, you could be doing anything from identifying promising new startups to evaluating a company’s marketing strategy for post-investment growth.

    Although private equity providers, venture capital investors, and investment bankers may all be incentivized to sell stakes at one point or another, private equity and venture capital firms concentrate more on building and growing the companies they invest in. This, coupled with the fact that private equity and venture capital analysts evaluate companies on different factors than investment bankers, leads to some exciting opportunities for people who want to work in the field.

    Recently, we sat in on a virtual event with global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners to learn more about some of the open roles that the firm is currently looking to fill. The two positions we ended up identifying as the most engaging and exciting opportunities are the Investment Analyst and the Onsite Diligence and Growth Strategy (DGS) Analyst.

    Scouting for the Next Big Thing: Investment Analyst

    If you’ve ever heard of a company called Shopify, then you already know of one company that an Insight analyst identified and helped scale for success. One of the most exciting parts of being an Investment Analyst is knowing that the companies you’re sourcing and evaluating could be the next big brand or household name that’s going to shake the markets. And, you could be the one who discovers them.

    At Insight, you don’t have to be a partner or executive to get your hands in the mix. The firm is known for its world-class analyst program, which gets junior-level analysts and associates directly involved in deals with the most senior investors on the team.

    Investment Analysts Abhi Srinivas and Nisha Rangarajan attended our virtual seminar with Insight Partners and spoke about their experience on the job with passion and pride. While listening to them speak, it was evident that they love what they do and the company they work for. 

    Post-Investment Prowess – Onsite Diligence & Growth Strategy Analyst

    So Insight decided to invest in a company that an Investment Analyst sourced – what’s next? In come the Onsite DGS Analysts. Insight Onsite is the VC industry’s largest software-focused operations team, which works alongside Insight’s portfolio companies to help executives identify key opportunities for growth. While Investment Analysts are responsible for identifying and making initial contact with the target company, it’s the responsibility of the Onsite DGS Analysts to help the company scale and succeed post-investment.

    The Onsite team is what really drew Ruth Park to Insight. In the post-investment phase, Ruth may be sinking her teeth into the marketing strategy of a company or making recommendations to company leaders on how to put their newly acquired funding to the best use.

    Ruth’s point is that it doesn’t really matter where you come from – Insight is looking for minds from every walk of life and every school of thought to fill its ranks. 

    If you’re interested in being an Investment Analyst or an Onsite DGS Analyst who works with some of the most fascinating growth-stage technology, software, and Internet companies in the world, Insight Partners is for you.

    Check out Insight Partners’ WayUp profile page to learn more about the firm and apply for open roles. More