Dana shares her unique perspective on career planning through the lens of a financial portfolio, and her five elements within it:

• Start big, or start small. All that matters is that you get in the game.
• Don't be afraid to reset.
• Diversify (your experiences, your knowledge, and your network)
• The market is cyclical. So is your career.
• Enjoy the ride!

Dana also shares her career journey and perspectives.

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer and Recruiter Relations at Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business Graduate Career Management Center (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

Financial fluency and planning mirrors much of what individuals experience in their career planning and progression. Think of mindset, personal preferences, emotions, and life goals.

Topics in the discussion include:

• How goal setting can help you choose various paths that align with what you want in life
• Financial fluency is something people can learn at any point in life
• Understanding job and financial scams, and things to be on the lookout for if they come to you

As the founder of The Get Ready Movement, Tony is leading a shift in how we think about money—not just as numbers, but as a tool for living a more intentional and empowered life. Through his books, podcast, curated recommendations, and expert insights, Tony helps financial professionals, educators, and individuals ask better questions, foster meaningful money conversations, and take purposeful action. He is the Chief Evangelist at Yetworth Collaborative and serves as an advisor to Insurance Nerds and Dingo Technologies.

Tony's thought leadership has earned recognition as a Finalist in ThinkAdvisor's LUMINARIES Class of 2022 for Thought Leadership & Education. He has served as a Judge for the MAIA Awards and the 2023 Finder Innovation Awards, and as a longtime member of the California Department of Insurance Curriculum Board. A trusted voice in the media, Tony contributes as an expert content reviewer for Nerdwallet, Bankrate, and Forbes Advisor, and has been featured by ABC's Seven on Your Side, CNBC, Cheddar TV, The New York Times, Washington Post, Fast Company, Chicago Tribune, and Fox Business News.

Tony's website is https://www.tonysteuer.com/

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer and Recruiter Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

Rezwan has a background in Mechanical Engineering, and started his MBA in spring 2024 to help make a functional change in his career. Topics in the discussion include:

• Transitioning from Engineering to Tech
• Being proactive in your internship
• Communication is key
• Looking at opportunities to grow outside of New York
• Translating past transferrable skills to his Product Management goals
• The Product Management Mindset
• Taking risks in an internship

You can see a post from Rezwan's employer on National Intern Day including him at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rocket-companies1_nationalinternday-myrocketcareer-activity-7222267167914827777-jWbe/

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer and Recruiter Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

Topics include:

• His personal journey to starting the MBA
• How to talk to strangers on an airplane
• His experience at the 2023 Reaching Out MBA Conference
• Him passing the Securities Industry Essentials Exam

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer and Recruiter Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

Topics covered include:

• A behind-the-scenes look into the hiring manager's perspective
• How to succeed despite the market challenges
• How to network effectively and get a referral
• Using online communities to connect with individuals with similar career goals

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

The job search in and of itself can be daunting. Having to manage your job search while also navigating getting sponsorship can be even more so and it can become increasingly an overwhelming process that can feel stressful. 

In this episode, we speak with MS Finance alum, Nikhil Mandhwani
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhil-mandhwani-ca-13875a1bb/), who is currently an AVP Associate at a major international bank.  

Topics covered include: 

• Tips on how to network successfully, best practices when reaching out to new connections, and how to maintain strong relationships within your network. 
• Advice on how to remain optimistic in the job search and manage feelings of frustration and stress. 
• The importance of persistence in the job and internship search 
• Nikhil’s process of getting sponsorship and recommendations in your own sponsorship process.

This episode is moderated by Syd Giller, Associate Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyrgiller/)

In this episode, we speak with MS Information Systems, Data Analytics alum David Freitag (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkfreitag/), who is currently a Data Engineer at an insurance company. In addition to his work, David has developed content about various topics for individuals looking to get into this field. Most recently, he wrote an article called The Entry-Level Data Engineer Roadmap (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/entry-level-data-engineer-roadmap-david-freitag/) as a resource on how individuals can skill up to enter into these careers.

Topics covered include:

• Making a career change from teaching to Data Engineer
• Taking advantage of all the resources you can when you're a grad student
• Creating your own projects to put on your resume
• Common interview questions for Data Engineering roles
• The importance of finding role models who do what you want to do

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

The world is layered, complex, and noisy – especially when we’re talking about all forms of communication that we not only receive, but that we send out as well.

In this episode, we speak Baruch College alum Ben Guttmann (BBA ’11 - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benguttmann/) about some of the elements of effective messaging and communication. Ben built, ran, and sold an award-winning marketing agency, and he teaches marketing at Baruch. He also wrote a book on messaging and communication called Simply Put, and will be out in October 2023.

Topics covered include:

• The pluses about working at an agency
• The way we communicate is “biased toward complication”
• Using empathy and an entrepreneurial mindset to more effectively communicate
• 5 steps to effectively communicate
• 2 communications hacks to start off

You can find out more about Ben’s work at https://www.benguttmann.com/.

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

In any career journey, there will be challenges. They can include not getting through to the people with whom you want to connect, feeling dejected overall, hearing no to an application - or sometimes hearing nothing. Responding (or not responding) to those challenges can be even more difficult.

In this episode, we speak with Zicklin Full-time MBA alumna Adi Markus (MBA '16), who is currently Director of Customer Success in Tech (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adimarkus/). Adi shares what her process of "figuring it out" was, and if it was anything, it was not easy.

Topics in the episode include:

• Making options for yourself
• Being OK with pivoting from your original ideas of what you want to do
• You may not want what you say you want
• It's not always a linear path.

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

We've all heard how life, professionally or personally, can be more rewarding if it's directed intentionally and deliberately. But is there a step-by-step model that can help us do that?

In this episode, we speak with Rina Koshkina, an executive and career coach (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rinakoshkina/), whose own career spans over 25 years in various business and talent-development roles in financial services and tech.

Rina walks listeners through her professional organization model called O.C.C.A.(R.), which she developed through her work with students and working professionals, and which she uses in her coaching practice. Rina shared the model in a Forbes article called "Ready For A Career Upgrade? Tidy Up Your Professional Life First" (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/12/01/ready-for-a-career-upgrade-tidy-up-your-professional-life-first/?sh=42c8e4b41bfe)

Another article written by Rina which was referenced in the podcast is called "What Crisis Can Teach Us About Crafting A Meaningful, Multidimensional Life" (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/08/24/what-crisis-can-teach-us-about-crafting-a-meaningful-multidimensional-life/?sh=257817a17010)

Topics include:

• Having clarity can take you to the next level of your career
• None of us live on an island, therefore it's important to take stock of your relationships and networks
• We live in a world of ambiguity, but we have agency to help ourselves get to where we want to be
• Change the way you connect with others to make it about them
• We are all multidimensional, and that's a good thing

The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)