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Students Learn Business Etiquette Over Dinner

Julia Posillico ’25 shares her first-hand experience during the Business Etiquette Dinner on March 1, 2023.

Last night the Holy Cross Sales Club organized a business etiquette dinner run by a managing director and two recruiters from Northwestern Mutual. Nearly thirty students were in attendance and were served a three-course meal while getting advice on networking, interviewing, and etiquette at business meals. So what were the main takeaways from the event? 

When it comes to networking, do your research before you attend an event and know who is going. When you get there make sure you are conscious of who you are talking to with your limited time, and focus on quality over quantity. Making connections with people who already have a lot of connections can be helpful since they can then make additional introductions for you. Also, have easy conversation starters and ways to end one, too. For instance, start with comments on a neutral topic such as why you attending the event, and to end a conversation you could introduce them to someone else. Make sure you have a short but informative elevator pitch and listen more than you speak. If you have a name tag, be suer to put it on your right side so that when you shake hands with someone it is visible. 

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Student Shares Three Significant Takeaways to Land an Internship

internship infographic

Robert Posillico ’23 shares his thoughts on the internship search process.

It was the start of 2021, and the world was still figuring out what a post-Covid, new normal would look like. Holy Cross finally allowed students back on campus, locked in our dorms, doing online classes. I had set up my first meeting with the Center for Career Development (CCD) over Zoom to discuss important steps I should be taking as I began to think about a future career. Many internship programs were moved virtual and, in the case of many sophomore programs, shut down completely. I was advised to network and reach out to alums to learn about different career paths and opportunities. Looking back over the last few years, there are three significant takeaways; applying is a numbers game, starting early is key, and network network network!

Many internship programs were moved virtual and, in the case of many sophomore programs, shut down completely.
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The Benefits of a Certificate in Business Fundamentals

Student at office desk

Tess Meehan ’24 shares her first-hand experience in the Business Certificate Program and the value it offers.

When I arrived at the College of the Holy Cross, like most freshmen, I was uncertain about my career path and major. How do you choose something you will do for the foreseeable future when you are interested in everything? Business was the one career trajectory I had zero interest in pursuing. My roommate, however, saw things differently. She was convinced that earning a Certificate in Business Fundamentals was an important component to any career. Eventually her sound reasoning of “try it, you might like it” convinced me to join her at the Fullbridge Program, a weeklong exposure to basic business fundamentals within a simulated work environment. By week’s end, I had gained a new appreciation for the value offered by the Certificates. Currently, I am a sophomore double majoring in political science and economics with a Certificate in Business Fundamentals. The Ciocca Center offers several pathways including-business fundamentals, finance and banking as well as entrepreneurship. Eventually, I chose the fundamentals program since it augmented my theoretical understanding of economics by offering classes and workshops to understand the components which comprise business such as marketing, sales, supply chain, ethics, etc. Additionally, the program offered multiple opportunities to engage and network with alumni.

The Business Certificate Program offers something for everyone.
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Entrepreneurship Club Visits Local Startup

Experience shared by Alexander Christie ’24, Administrative Director of HC Launch.

This week I was one of fourteen Holy Cross students accompanied by the Ciocca Center director and entrepreneur-in-residence, Rob Murner, to get off campus to visit a local stuartup on February 21. HC Launch, the entrepreneurship club within the Ciocca Center, organized a site visit to Geisel Software, a software development company focused on robotics and artificial intelligence located in Worcester.  We were able to hear from a number of different people within this growing company including the office manager, a few engineers, and the founder/CEO, Brian Giesel. Feedback from students was that this site visit was an extraordinarily positive experience. 

Giesel has something for everyone. There were a number of computer science majors in attendance who certainly benefited from hearing about the career experiences of the engineers. Those of us who weren’t specifically interested in software learned a lot about the intricacies of this field, which will only become more important to understand as technology continues to emulate life. Brian also talked about the founding and growth of the company, as well as the challenges that led the company to where it is today.

There are two primary takeaways from this experience for me and according to Brian, these are two of the key ingredients to his company’s success.  Continue reading “Entrepreneurship Club Visits Local Startup”
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Fullbridge Prepares Students for Internships and Jobs

Female headshot

My name is Maeley Nakamura and I am a freshman at the College of the Holy Cross. I plan to declare economics as my major, and I am also pursuing Certificates in Business Fundamentals and Entrepreneurship through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society.

The Ciocca Center offers students opportunities to successfully incorporate a business education into any Holy Cross major through workshops, events, and clubs. For me, the Ciocca Center presents an incredible opportunity to combine critical business skills and experience, with Holy Cross’ well-rounded liberal arts education, which will help me ethically contribute to society and focus on more than just the bottom line. 

For me, the Ciocca Center presents an incredible opportunity to combine critical business skills and experience, with Holy Cross’ well-rounded liberal arts education, that will help me ethically contribute to society and focus on more than just the bottom line. 

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Holy Cross Student Investment Fund Stock Pitch Competition in Michigan

Students on a plane

McKenna Best ’23 shares details of the recent stock pitch competition on February 9th, 2023 where twelve Holy Cross students jumped on a jet to the University of Michigan to attend the annual ENGAGE Undergraduate Investment Conference at Michigan’s Ross School of Business. This year was a particularly big deal as the conference experienced a post-COVID return to form: in-person networking, live-action presentations, and one-on-one engagement were all finally back. Having access to all of these opportunities provided invaluable insight and expertise to all attendees, arriving from prestigious universities across America and Canada.

The Holy Cross Student Investment Fund could have attended the conference without competing, but thanks to the hard work of the students involved, Holy Cross was chosen among hundreds of applications to compete including Thomas Keane ’24, JP McCarthy ’24, Maddie Ingram ’23 and John (Jack) Daly ’25.
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Women’s Impact on Business World Celebrated at Holy Cross Conference

 

Fireside keynote chat on stage in the Hogan Balroom
(L-R) Nancy E. Andrews, associate professor of classics, and Erin Robert ’06, managing director of impact finance with JPMorgan Chase & Co., sharing their keynote discussion at the 17th annual Women in Business conference hosted by the Carlyse and Arthur A. Ciocca ’59 Center for Business, Ethics, and Society. (Photo by Rob Carlin)

Women’s Impact on Business World Celebrated at Holy Cross Conference
The 17th annual Women in Business event encouraged alumnae, faculty, staff and students to share experiences and learn from each other.

During the keynote discussion, Erin Robert ’06, managing director of impact finance with JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Nancy E. Andrews, associate professor of classics, reflected on their time on The Hill, how it shaped their careers and how they continue to encourage women as  colleagues and mentees.

“It’s incumbent on us that when we get to the tables, that we recognize that we’re there and what we can do to continue to open the doors and pull the women in behind us,” Robert said.

Robert shared that she uses her Jesuit liberal arts education to help implement and manage initiatives that incorporate the company’s goals of advancing racial equality, unraveling systemic racism in the financial markets, and combating climate change in emerging markets and putting them into action.

Read more in the Holy Cross Newsroom…

 

 
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Colman Benson ’24: Ciocca Center Intern

Student quote from text

My name is Colman Benson ‘24 and I am a junior at Holy Cross majoring in political science with a Certificate in Finance and Banking. Through the Academic Internship Program I am taking the class Policy and Politics: The Midterm Elections, taught by Tim Bishop and Peter Flaherty while I am working for the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society to fulfill my internship requirement for the Certificate. Throughout the semester I will be interviewing faculty and alumni to highlight their different career paths in the business world. I will also demonstrate how their liberal arts education and the values of Holy Cross have guided them through their respective business careers.

Towards Certificate completion, I have completed several workshops including Fullbridge,  Interview Prep, Banking Ethics and Corporate Finance and Banking  in addition to the Excel Tutorial.  I have been able to gain fundamental knowledge and useful business skills through my participation in the Ciocca Center workshops. During the Fullbridge Professional Edge Program I worked on a team to study the data and finance metrics of our company along with its competitors to develop a growth strategy throughout a fast-paced simulated work week. We pitched our final project to a panel of mock investors to show how our new product could penetrate the market and provide growth for our company. This workshop was very beneficial as it gave me the opportunity to solve a problem with my teammates and pitch our solution, including how and why our new product would increase our company’s revenue. The Corporate Finance and Banking Workshop has given me an insight into some of the top firms in the industry including Natixis and Wellington, asset management firms. I have been able to grow my connections and foster relationships with Holy Cross alumni that I have met at these firms through the workshop. 

I am very excited to continue expanding my alumni network and to learn more about their experiences in the business world. I believe this will give me a great opportunity to enter the field of finance in the future. 

Check out the following faculty and alumni interviews:
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Ciocca Center Announces New Director

Rob Murner at head of class

“I’m very honored and excited to take part in continuing the excellent programs that David, Cassie, and Kathy have developed” shares Rob Murner, new director of the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society “and we’re already in the planning stages for where we take the Center next!”

Rob joined Holy Cross in the spring of 2019 as an adjunct professor to teach the Business Fundamentals Lab. Commenting on his new role at the College, Rob states “I’m especially looking forward to meeting and interacting with the students and my door is always open.”

Prior to teaching he spent 30 years as a strategic and global executive where he focused on building enterprise value for public, private, and start-up organizations in the aerospace & defense, materials sciences, healthcare, manufacturing, and software industries. His work included engineering, program management, sales/marketing, company turnarounds, teaching/coaching, and corporate financial management to include international banking.

Drawing on these experiences we can foresee the Center to develop “an alumni-student mentoring program, and various efforts to connect with local business communities.” Rob goes on to share that “we will be initiating an outside-in look at what we have to offer and will be soliciting input from students, parents, alumni, businesses, and partner organizations within the College.”

Rob is a graduate of the University of Michigan (aerospace engineering), and Wright State University (MBA). He is a life member of the Beta Gamma Sigma academic honor society and U of M alumni community. He has conducted business in several countries including China, Taiwan, Canada, Europe, and Russia.

Rob started his career in the United States Air Force where he took part in the development of several aircraft, space, and jet propulsion systems. He lives in Shrewsbury Mass with his wife of 32 years, Christine.
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English & Art History Major Pursues Career in Investor Relations

My name is Audrey (Qianqian) Wang ‘25 and I am a rising sophomore at Holy Cross, majoring in English and Visual Art History with a Certificate in Business Fundamentals. This summer I am an office intern at the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society. Some of my responsibilities include digitizing the Center’s files, drafting promotional materials, and identifying statistics to support the College’s celebration of coeducation next academic year.  

Earlier this summer I participated in the Fullbridge Professional Edge Program, a weeklong intensive, virtual program (online due to a COVID-19 surge) designated to pave the way for Holy Cross students to succeed in the demanding business world. Since its founding in 2011, the Fullbridge program has been uniquely positioned to help aspiring individuals at every level bridge the knowledge and skills gap with immersive, affordable training, reaching over 350,000 learners worldwide. Born into a business family in a metropolitan, fast-paced Chinese city and growing up in both Massachusetts and China, I felt the Fullbridge program has empowered me to step out of my comfort zone. I can now confidently analyze the discrepancies between Chinese and American business cultures.

The majority of my cohort were also first-year students exploring business. On the first day of the program, I was immediately fascinated by the face-paced yet highly interactive learning environment made possible by experienced coaches and passionate participants. We built relationships through daily virtual webinars, Zoom office hours, and breakout room discussions. Additionally, it was a great opportunity to make new friends on campus who share the same passion. 

We developed skills like data analysis, business IQ, design thinking, emotional intelligence, real-world problem solving, idea flow, and situational awareness which all matter to organizational excellence, test decisions made under pressure, and correlate with outstanding performance.

Continue reading “English & Art History Major Pursues Career in Investor Relations”