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    Beyond the Books: Mentorship and Guidance with BDO’s Pathway to Success Program

    Deciding on a career path can be daunting, especially for students early in their post-secondary education. BDO USA, PC offers a unique opportunity for students to participate in a one-on-one mentoring program and explore a variety of career options through its Pathway to Success Program. This program is designed to provide mentorship and personalized career guidance, while giving students a forum to ask questions related to their educational programming and future career goals.

    The Importance of Mentorship

    Bernie Pieters, BDO’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and People & Culture Principal, reflects on the power of mentorships, “Mentorship contributes to an individual’s personal and professional development. When you willingly and joyfully mentor others, you create a legacy of leaders.”   

    What sets BDO’s Pathway to Success apart is the exclusive mentor/mentee pairing. Students are matched with a dedicated BDO professional who volunteers their time to assist with career exploration. This relationship allows students to ask questions, bounce ideas, and seek advice on educational programming, major selection, and career exploration. The goal is to foster a relationship that continues long after the six-month commitment.

    Sarah Turcotte, BDO’s National Campus Recruiting Leader, emphasizes that the program is open to both freshmen and sophomores, offering them insights into the profession and preparing them for future internships. She notes, “Really the primary purpose is educational and giving back, trying to help students find the best path for them as individuals and exposing them to new areas they may have an interest in.”

    Open to All

    The program is open to any freshman or sophomore, regardless of university affiliation, major, GPA, or extracurricular involvement. There are no barriers to entry, making it an authentic initiative to give back to the community and guide future professionals into majors and careers that best fit them.

    Discover BDO and Yourself

    Participants have the chance to learn about BDO, its roles, business lines, clients, and company culture. More importantly, they gain insights into themselves and what they should seek in their educational and professional careers. No prior experience is needed, and BDO provides resources and guidance on starting and maintaining successful mentorship relationships.

    Sarah highlights the benefits, stating, “It’s personal growth and development. If they are looking to be engaged with BDO, there’s an added benefit to getting in our pipeline early. Even if they choose a different path, the experience they gain will serve them throughout their careers.”

    A Two-Way Relationship

    The program emphasizes the importance of relationships. BDO professionals dedicate their time to nurture and mentor early-career individuals, but it requires participants to engage actively as well. The more effort students put into the program, the more they will benefit.

    Amritpal Gill, a former mentee, shares his experience: “I remember frantically applying for internships around my sophomore year. I wasn’t completely sure of what I was doing but when doing my research, BDO was the only firm that I knew of that had a mentorship program.”

    Through BDO’s Pathway to Success Program, Gill was paired with Laura Anna Lisi.  Gill and Lisi had similar interests and through Lisi, Gill learned about the firm and developed a lasting relationship. Lisi was working on the same types of clients Gill had a curiosity in and they bonded over shared interests. “BDO paired me with a professional that I had commonalities with. Through Laura, I learned about the firm and when it came time to apply for an internship, I wasn’t just cold applying. I knew where I wanted to be…it was always interesting and exciting.”

    Lisi, an Assurance Principal at BDO, reflects on her role as a mentor: “Pathway to Success is a wonderful program. Ultimately, real success is dependent upon the mentor and mentee forming a relationship. Amritpal and I formed a relationship, and I enjoyed helping him define his path. A lot of my success was due to forming relationships with a lot of people and networking.”

    Bridging the Gap Between Learning and Application

    The Pathway to Success Program is not just about selecting a career or major; it’s a transformative experience that teaches students how their education translates into a professional career. Gill, for example, entered the program unsure about his future. Paired with Lisi, he discovered potential career paths and gained clarity on his professional journey.

    Amritpal reflects on his relationship with Lisi: “Whenever I would reach out…knowing how busy she was…she always made time. That’s what allowed me to build a relationship.”

    The Pathway to Success program’s structure and objectives are designed to attract top talent and prepare individuals for internships. The interviews highlighted the program’s emphasis on diversity and inclusion, ensuring a diverse pool of candidates and creating meaningful relationships.

    BDO’s Pathway to Success Program offers a gateway to success, providing students with the tools and relationships needed to thrive in their careers. These skills will be beneficial throughout the duration of their career. 

    Whether you’re looking to clarify your major or explore different professional opportunities, this program is your steppingstone to a successful future. To learn more about BDO and their Pathway to Success Program, visit their WayUp profile and their website here. More

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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,

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    A Capital One recruiter’s 3 networking tips for students

    You’ve found the dream job or internship. Whether or not you know someone at the company, it’s in your best interest to invest time in connecting with folks working there; it could be a difference maker in landing a new career opportunity. 

    Chiara, a recruiter for Capital One’s Students & Grads Programs, is here to help you connect and build relationships by sharing her three tips for networking. 

    Take a strategic approach

    It’s absolutely crucial to do your research! You want to connect with someone through a common interest or a mutual colleague or friend. Of course, LinkedIn can be a great place to start, but consider finding people through other platforms.

    Capital One’s Business Resource Groups (BRG)—voluntary, associate-led groups for cultural celebration, community service and professional development—are great ways to expand your network. Many BRGs sponsor and attend career fairs and student conferences, so be on the lookout for them! 

    National organizations and societies are also great for meeting people. Connect with groups that share your identity or professional interest, like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Rewriting the Code—both of which are Capital One partners. The groups are like your secret weapon for networking, finding resources and getting tailor-made support for your academic and/or professional journey.

    Have a plan

    First things first: Use the “S.E.E.” method when meeting someone. That stands for smile, eye contact and enthusiasm. The S.E.E. method can help set the stage for a great conversation prior to giving your elevator pitch. 

    As for the elevator pitch, think of it as being three parts. Say what you do, what makes you unique and either how you can help them or how they can help you. Practice your pitch beforehand to ensure it flows smoothly and feels natural.  

    As that initial conversation is wrapping up, be sure to get their contact info so you can send a personalized thank you email or LinkedIn message referencing something specific from the conversation. Lastly, follow up with them periodically, whether it’s sharing relevant articles, inviting them to events or simply checking in to see how they’re doing. 

    Be authentic

    Remember, being yourself is the key to building meaningful connections. 

    Don’t try to impress by pretending to be someone you’re not. It can be easy to get caught up in the job or internship search and force yourself to pursue an opportunity that doesn’t feel true to you. You should be building relationships that last beyond one meeting. It’s easier for someone to mentor you or be your advocate when they truly know you and your passions.

    People are more likely to remember and connect with the real you.

    Head over to Capital One’s profile to learn more about the company and browse open roles, upcoming events, and more. More

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    National Intern Day: How You Can Be 2024’s Top Intern

    It’s that time of the year again: National Intern Day! Created by WayUp in 2017, this holiday focuses on celebrating and appreciating the future leaders of the world…interns! NID has gained widespread popularity thanks to media coverage from Good Morning America, multiple Forbes articles, (see here), (and most recently here), participation from companies like NASA, Google, and hundreds of smaller companies every year. This year National Intern Day falls on July 25th, 2024 and we hope everyone is ready to celebrate.

    Every year, WayUp and Yello publish both The Top 100 Intern Program list and the Top 100 Intern List, selecting 100 interns, with one honored as the #1 Top Intern of 2024. You might be thinking, “there’s no chance I’m making it” but believe it or not, any intern can be named the “TOP” intern of the year or make the Top 100 Intern List. It’s true, you don’t have to be a superstar, a superhero, or a celebrity. You just have to be yourself -a hard working, dedicated individual. Don’t believe us? Just check out our previous winners here. This year’s nomination form is still live and we’re going to show you how you could  become a part of the list…

    Eligibility Requirements

    Have been an intern between September 2023 and August 2024

    Submit your nomination here by August 9th, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

    Tips & Frequently Asked Questions:

    Who is eligible for nomination of 2024 Top Intern?

    Anyone who has been an intern between September 2023 and August 2024

    How are winners determined?

    The 100 interns who make the list are chosen by a panel of judges who consider the strength of nominations, voting totals, and social media promotion.

    How do I nominate myself?

    Click here to submit your nomination follow the steps below: 

    To start a nomination, select “I am an Intern” 

    Complete the form fields; progress can be saved and returned to later.

    Submit the completed form.

    Share your nomination with your network to increase your vote totals and make sure to use #NationalInternDay.

    When are applications due?

    Friday, August 9th, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST

    When is the list announced?

    Middle of August

    Now that you have the info, we’ll show you how your nomination can be a winner. We’ve curated some tips, tricks, and advice to help guide you.

    We spoke with Yello/WayUp staff, past NID winners, and campus recruiting professionals about what it takes to be a top intern. Here’s what they had to say:

    Show, don’t tell. 

    Similar to writing a standout resume, quantify some of your accomplishments thus far in your internship. On your National Intern Day nomination, you will be asked a series of questions that have to do with what you do in your internship, what you’ve learned, and how it has shaped your career goals. What impact have you made on your team? What processes have you improved or implemented? Brag on yourself and use quantifiable data to back it up. 

    It’s okay to over-explain

    Some of the NID nominations that have been the most impressive were able to give a lot of detail about the complexities of their projects. This doesn’t mean writing a one-page report when explaining the projects or day-to-day responsibilities of your internships. Instead, make sure it is crystal clear not only what you worked on, but the impact this had on you, the organization, and the team you worked with. 

    Spread the word.

    Tap into your network: get your connections to vote for you and get the word out there. We’ve even created a template for you to share your nomination with your network. Engage with your friends, family, and connections by marketing yourself. Make sure you’re using the hashtag #NationalInternDay in your social media posts. 

    Apply Early

    Lastly, the worst thing you can do if you’re trying to make it on the “Top 100 Interns” list for 2024 is wait to apply. The sooner you get your application in, the better, so fill out an application and see if you have what it takes to make the cut!

    Walk the walk

    Be the top intern you believe you can be and want to be recognized as. In your day to day internship, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to speak up. Be on time and act professional. Go out of your way to get to know people and make connections. Keep track of your tasks and accomplishments. Learn as much as you can and be a sponge. By actually “being” a top intern, you’re going to have people wanting to vote for your nomination and see you succeed. 

    You’re now one step closer to TOP 100 and being a future leader. You’ve got the tips, tricks, and expert advice to be one of 2024’s top interns. We’re looking forward to your nomination so make sure to submit one here. More

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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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    From interns to analysts with Capital One’s Analyst Internship Program

    Capital One’s Analyst Internship Program (AIP) is the launchpad for a satisfying career in business or data analytics. 

    During the 10-week program, students can expect to complete meaningful work like building data visualization tools in AWS, performing campaign analysis on marketing plans and optimizing machine learning products. They’ll level up their business, problem solving and coding skills and, along the way, build relationships they can turn to for support beyond the internship.

    Three AIP alumni, now working full-time at Capital One, share how their internship helped them launch their analyst careers successfully. 

    How Campbell completed real work that advanced financial inclusion

    Campbell experienced a diverse mix of analyst responsibilities while completing her two Capital One internships. 

    In her first summer, she worked on a marketing campaign identifying which Capital One Auto Finance tools would best help customers increase their savings. In her second internship, Campbell worked with the Digital Customer Experience Innovation Team to analyze customer feedback and address how Capital One could optimize Auto Navigator, a tool customers use to pre-qualify for auto loans, explore financing options and search for vehicles in their preferred price range. 

    During her internships, Campbell analyzed the effectiveness of email marketing, used coding and worked on data within the cloud. She identified customer motivations, built customer personas and presented her insights to senior leaders. 

    “I came away with firm examples of how I drove a project forward as an intern,” Campbell said. “I can point to decisions that I brought to the table. It was pretty incredible to have those contributions. I knew I wanted to come back.” 

    Campbell was excited when she realized how much her internship prepared her for a full-time position through the Analyst Development Program (ADP), an 18-month experience where recent grads cycle through two positions with two teams. Currently, she’s a business analyst with the Financial Services Strategy team. 

    “Yes, you’re learning how to be an analyst, but in the eyes of your coworkers, you already are because you’re doing the work,” Campbell said. “That gives you so much confidence at the start of your career.”

     How Solomon developed tech and financial skills to launch his career

    Solomon was looking for an internship where he could merge a new experience working in tech with his studies in management and entrepreneurship. He found that perfect blend through the AIP.

    As a business analyst intern, Solomon worked on a machine learning team where he built a dashboard for small business clients. While Solomon researched how to create the dashboard, he took the opportunity to expand some of his tech and business acumen. It was then that he learned the programming languages Python and SQL, explored how to use data visualization tools and learned to effectively pitch ideas. 

    “Tech is the future for the financial industry, and Capital One knows that,” Solomon said. “So I appreciated learning these programming and product manager skills to make me a better analyst.” 

    Now, Solomon uses the tech knowledge he developed as an intern for his full-time role with the ADP. As a business analyst on the Credit Card Innovation team, he assesses data, customer feedback and the latest technology to determine how to better protect Capital One’s card portfolios. 

    “If you’re interested in the intersection of technology and finance, Capital One is the place to be,” Solomon said. “With the internship, you get to work on real problems and learn new skills in an exciting and supporting environment.” 

     How Fozi built a supportive network to help him grow

    As a data analyst intern with Capital One’s Servicing Data Strategy team, Fozi worked on predictive modeling to determine the likelihood a customer would close their Capital One card account. 

    While the work required a heavy amount of data analysis, Fozi knew he could do a better job if he incorporated machine learning. After discussing with his manager, they introduced Fozi to several data analysts and machine learning engineers who had experience and could help. Fozi’s new connections helped him infuse a machine learning model into the project so it would need less manual data entry to succeed long-term. 

    “Doing the work is one thing, but knowing how to build relationships and ask your network for help and guidance was a valuable skill I learned,” Fozi said. 

    In his current full-time role as a data analyst through the ADP, Fozi supports various Card teams by designing and maintaining data structures for campaigns. Rarely does a week go by where he doesn’t reach out to someone he met during his internship—whether a former manager, colleague or another intern—for everything from advice on building a strategy plan to getting other data analysts’ best practices. 

    “Capital One’s culture makes it so easy to build connections,” Fozi said. “I’ve realized that community building is how I’ve found success. That network I started building as an intern still provides me guidance and support.”

    Head over to Capital One’s profile to learn more about the company and browse open roles, upcoming events, and more. More

  • in

    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!

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    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