The GCMC Podcast gets off-the-record thoughts and perspectives from hiring managers and students who have unique perspectives to share about careers and life.
In this episode, Laura Lakhwara (MBA '14 - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralakhwara/), Technology Adoption and Customer Success Leader with Soapbox, a warehouse and fulfillment tech platform, speaks with students to remind them to be sure to keep the hiring manager's perspective in mind when they're applying and interviewing. This can help decrease frustration, while keep them more strategic in their search.
Topics covered include:
The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode NotesThe 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:
This episode is moderated by Syd Giller, Associate Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyrgiller/)
Oftentimes, changing careers can feel additionally confusing and frustrating because there's no one way to be able to do it. What if there was one for entering a career as a Data Engineer?
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:
The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode Notes 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:
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/)
Episode Notes 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:
The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode NotesWe'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:
The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode NotesBeing successful in analytical roles requires not only being data savvy, but soft-skill savvy too. In this episode’s conversation, we speak with alum Anthony Saitta (MBA '20), Senior Quantitative Analytics Associate at JPMorgan Chase (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonystephensaitta/), to discuss how important soft skills are for individuals in quant- and data-heavy roles.
Topics covered include:
The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode Notes There are many aspects of thinking strategically, and one of them is thinking a few steps ahead in any scenario or question you might have.
In this episode, we speak with Kapil Khetan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kapilkhetan/). Kapil works at Mizuho Bank and is also an Adjunct at New York University SPS, where he teaches courses in Quantitative Techniques, Statistics for Market Research, and Financial Management.
Kapil shares how important it is for students to think a few steps ahead to help them be more strategic thinkers.
Topics include:
The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode Notes Case competitions are an opportunity for students to work alone or together in teams to analyze a problem specific to a case study.
There are many benefits to participating in case competitions, such as
In this episode, we speak with these two graduate students who participated in the 2022 Adobe Analytics Challenge, and were one of 20 teams from over 3,000 who made it to the semi-final rounds: * Letty Uy (MS Business Analytics, Data Analytics Concentration) * Praveen Vungarala (MS Information Systems)
We discussed details of the Challenge, focusing mainly on how participating impacted them. Topics include: * Relying on your intuition when not having all the information * Confidence gained through participating * Solidifying their career choice to be in Analytics * Resume boost * Tips for students
The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode Notes In tech, Customer Success roles are a conglomerate of various functions and activities, which include Marketing, Strategic Client Relationship Management, Technical Account Management, Sales, Training, Implementation, Sounding Board, and much more.
When interviewing for these roles, candidates need to be prepared for different interview scenarios and questions, but all with a common focus: helping customers succeed and stay on.
In this discussion, these Baruch alumni talk about interviewing for Customer Success roles, what hiring managers look for in candidates, and other thoughts:
The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode Notes In this episode, we speak with Zicklin MBA alum Eric Pliner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericpliner/), CEO of YSC Consulting, a global leadership strategy services consulting firm, about decision making, leadership and his recently published book, Difficult Decisions: How Leaders Make the Right Call with Insight, Integrity, and Empathy (https://www.ysc.com/difficult-decisions-book/).
Eric shares details about his career journey and background, the work he does, as well as discussing topics including:
The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)
Episode Notes In this episode, we speak with Zicklin MS Finance student Suhail Mohammed to talk about his experience interviewing for and working in Finance roles in Private Equity, Investment Management and FinTech.
Suhail discusses with us:
The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
Episode Notes Thy Bui (https://www.linkedin.com/in/buianthy1412) is a student in the MS Business Analytics, Data Analytics program, and works as a Supply Chain Analyst for a manufacturer. In her role, she works with multiple teams and personalities on a daily basis. In this episode, Thy shares how she builds relationships with the teams she interacts with, which can be especially helpful to those starting out. The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
Episode Notes Having an understanding of yourself, who you are as a person, and what you bring to the table are some of the most important elements of a person's career journey - especially when changing careers.
In this podcast, Michelle Pope, a Senior Brand Manager at Colgate-Palmolive, speaks about what she’s learned from her interactions with career changers, and thoughts she has developed to help career changers navigate the process, including:
The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
Episode Notes Many people at some time in their life have thought about changing careers. In fact, in a 2019 Indeed survey, 65% of respondents who had not yet switched careers said that they either thought about or previously considered doing so. Making a career switch happen in reality, however, is not always easy. In this episode, Zicklin Evening MBA student Adiel Schmidt shares her story of how she made a career switch from Accounting into Marketing Analytics, including:
The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
Episode Notes What does someone in a Customer Success role do at a tech company?
Customer Success departments are on the rise, as tech companies look to take a more proactive approach to relationship and account management. Customer Success professionals are often the intermediary between sales and the customer, ensuring customer needs are continuously met by the company.
In this podcast, MBA alum Bobby Koch (MBA '20) speaks with a group of students about his role as a Customer Success Manager at Adobe, as well as other topics including:
The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
This episode features Zicklin BBA and MBA alum Art Malkov (https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalbrand/), Chief Digital Officer at BlockchainDriven. BlockchainDriven is a team of industry leading experts advising public and private companies, governments and nonprofits with blockchain implementations.
This episode was a live recording from June 24, 2020 with Art and students, speaking on:
Art's Bio: Art Malkov was one of the early pioneers of the blockchain digital space and has been working full time at BlockchainDriven since 2016. He is a founder of BlockchainNYC, largest blockchain community in NYC. Art is a digital advisor and mentor for Columbia-IBM blockchain accelerator companies. He was the managing director and visionary of BlockchainWeekend, a 50+ blockchain events initiative in collaboration with NYCEDC that took place this November 2019 in NYC. Art has been featured in Business Insider, Forbes, New York Times, Huffington Post, Crain's New York, Bitcoinist and a range of other publications and conferences. "
The following is a list of resources discussed on the podcast:
The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, Zicklin MBA alum Jonathan Tesser (MBA ’08), VP Research and Insights at NYC & Company, speaks with Justyn Makarewycz about one of Jonathan’s recent LinkedIn posts that everyone is a marketer (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonathan-tesser-a2a1852_humanfirst-marketing-activity-6663421401866792960-yQR3), even those who are or are aspiring to be accountants, financial leaders, HR professional or statisticians. Repeat: this episode is not only for those in or aspiring to be marketers.
Jonathan is an insights professional with over 15 years’ experience learning about people through data and insights. Topics discussed in the conversation include:
Books mentioned in the podcast include
The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, James Blanco, EVP and Head of Corporate Development for OneMain Financial, one of the nation’s largest consumer finance businesses, speaks with Justyn Makarewycz about building credibility at work and in personal relationships. Topics include:
James and Justyn also briefly share how things are personally going for each of them while observing shelter-in-place.
Books mentioned in the podcast include
The episode is hosted by Justyn Makarewycz, Associate Director of Employer Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we chat with our first-ever return guest... Ottaviana De Ruvo from Withum! We talk about surviving busy season and making the most of your internship and first year on the job. Subtopics include:
Withum (https://www.withum.com/) is a nationally ranked public accounting firm providing advisory, tax and audit services to businesses and individuals on a local-to-global scale.
Episode hosted by Stefano from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsverdesoto/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we chat with Madeleine Rumely (MSA '13) about career transitions and gain insights from her new role as a recruiter. Subtopics include:
Episode hosted by Stefano from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsverdesoto/). To connect with Madeleine, connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-rumely-cpa-087b043/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
As you're starting the new year and thinking ahead, you can make great strides in your career this year. In this episode, Eileen Marray (MS Finance '18) shares her story as an international student who didn't have any professional experience in the United States. In a matter of a few months, Eileen was able to gain focus and land an internship in her field, which combined with relevant skills she gained as a student, led to other internships and a full-time role at a big bank.
Episode hosted by Tanuja from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanujaramchal/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we chat with Nina Potepan (MSA '21) about making a career change and learning from an "unsuccessful" job/internship search to succeed in the next. Subtopics include:
Episode hosted by Stefano from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsverdesoto/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, Maribel Lara (MBA ’09), Senior Vice President and Head of Consulting at The Sasha Group, A VaynerX Company, speaks about what she calls “the pivot” that people can experience in their lives.* Students can put a lot of pressure on themselves about their first job out of their graduate program. When there’s that much pressure, it can oftentimes increase the chances of being disappointed.
Maribel talks about how she focused on the things she enjoyed working on, the things she wanted to learn and the work culture she wanted to guide her in her search.
Episode hosted by Justyn from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we chat with Kevin Yuey (MBA '20) on building skills outside the classroom, including emotional intelligence, communication, and time management... right before Thanksgiving! Subtopics include:
Episode hosted by Stefano from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsverdesoto/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, Jennifer Arisumi (MSA '21) shares how she went from a negative mindset, believing that she had nothing to offer employers, to accepting three internships in her first semester. Subtopics include:
Episode hosted by Tanuja from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanujaramchal/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we talk with Sue Huang (MSA '19) about positivity and staying motivated, especially after OCR, but also in life. Subtopics include:
Episode hosted by Stefano from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsverdesoto/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we talk with Ingrid Qian (MS IS '20) about her experience during her first-ever OCR. Subtopics include:
Episode hosted by Stefano from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsverdesoto/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we talk with Sol Adler (MSA '19) about his experiences with networking before, during, and after OCR. Subtopics include:
Episode hosted by Stefano from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsverdesoto/). To connect with Sol, find him on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sol-adler/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
Hiring managers talk all the time that they want “curious” people on their teams. If you even Google “importance of curiosity,” you’ll get pages of results from places like Harvard, videos of thought-leaders like Bill Gates, and articles from psychology blogs about why it’s important for individuals to “be curiosity.”
Many of us have a sense of what “having curiosity” means, but what is curiosity and how can you make sure you are and stay curious?
In this episode, we speak with Zicklin alumna Elyse Kane (MBA ’87), who was most recently Vice President, Insights and Analytics, North America at Colgate Palmolive. With a professional background in consumer research as well as experimental psychology, Elyse discusses curiosity with us, including:
This episode is hosted by Justyn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/) from the GCMC. To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
Pat Hedley has three decades of global private equity experience at General Atlantic, and now works with entrepreneurs and mid-sized growth company CEOs to help them accelerate revenue growth, expand their strategic network and maximize their company value. She is also the author of Meet 100 People, A How to Guide to the Career and Life Edge Everyone's Missing, encouraging everyone to meet people and build valuable life-long relationships.
In this episode, we walk with Pat about what meeting people and building valuable life-long relationships entails, a part of what is involved in networking, including:
This episode is hosted by Justyn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/) from the GCMC. To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we chat with Ottaviana De Ruvo, Campus Recruiter at Withum.
Topics discussed with Ottaviana include:
Withum (https://www.withum.com/) is a nationally ranked public accounting firm providing advisory, tax and audit services to businesses and individuals on a local-to-global scale. Meet Ottaviana and other Withum team members at the Accounting Career Fair and Midsize Accounting Roundtable.
Episode hosted by Stefano from the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsverdesoto/). To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
We’re proud to kick off Episode 1 of our Podcast with Jamie Rizzo, a Zicklin MS Accounting alumnus with more than two decades of experience in business and finance. He is currently an asset manager at Aflac Global Investments.
Topics discussed with Jamie include:
We also talk about Jamie’s new book, The Ultimate Career Guide for Business Majors. Information about the book can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Career-Guide-Business-Majors/dp/1544059795
This episode is hosted by Justyn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/) from the GCMC. To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!
The unofficial first episode of the GCMC Podcast, covering networking for introverts. To connect with the GCMC, email us at zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. Thank you for listening!