Barry Bregman ’77 and Harlan Levinson ’83 come to campus to share their experiences
By Lesley Kline ’09
About 50 students learned about making it in the world of finance at a recent forum featuring a professor and two alumni in the field.
Career services and the Investment Club sponsored a Wall Street panel discussion Oct. 23 in the Simon Center auditorium with Barry Bregman ’77, a financial services partner at CTPartners; Harlan Levison ’83, a financial adviser at Merril Lynch; and Michael Kelly, assistant professor of economics and business.
The panelists began by introducing themselves and providing information on how they obtained their first jobs out of college and made their way up to their current positions.
Event organizer Maureen Walz Boehmer, assistant director of special programs at career services, led the discussion by posing questions to the panelists, covering topics such as the realities of working on Wall Street and the importance of resumes and the ability to properly communicate verbally and electronically with employers. Levinson stated that if you are interested in pursuing a career on Wall Street, it is essential to read the Wall Street Journal every day. Professor Kelly said that students should really take advantage of Lafayette’s career services.
“The alumni told us to focus on enjoying ourselves and our job,” says Stefan Mcveigh ’08, an economics and business major and vice president of the Investment Club. He said he was extremely pleased with the turnout for the event, including the fact that not all students were economics and business majors.
When asked why alumni should participate in information panels for students, Bregman replied, “It is important for alumni to give back and aid them in their networking process.”
Levinson obtained his current job through a Lafayette alum, so giving back is very important to him. “Lafayette Alumni were essential to my career,” said Levinson, so he wants to return the favor and help Lafayette students in their job search.
The Investment Club provided pizza and drinks for students at the event.
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