Futures in Finance Symposium Provides Networking, Job Opportunities

The event, held Sept. 15 in the Johnson Commons Ballroom, helped connect students with finance professionals from companies including AutoZone, Addicus, Azuria, BankPlus, Community Bank, Equitable Advisors, FedEx., Hancock Whitney, Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, Northwestern Mutual, Regions, Stifel and Strategic Resource Management.

Sponsored by the School of Business Administration, the symposium allowed students to explore potential job and internship opportunities and build professional connections. Its primary goal was to showcase Ole Miss finance students to participating companies, said Tyler Meisenheimer, director of Business Connect.

“I’m always looking for ways to connect industry professionals and their talented acquisition goals with our talented students,” he said. “So, these kinds of niche career fairs have just been proven to be really high quality to connect talented students working with our student orgs and then connecting them with employers as well.”

Marshall Farnham, a general business and public policy major from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, and president of the Finance Club, attended the event to check out professional opportunities.

“I came today to connect with a multitude of different employers covering a lot of different industries within finance and banking,” he said.

For employers, the event provided an opportunity to meet students and explain what they seek in potential candidates.

Sharleen Brazell, university of relations coordinator at AutoZone, said the company looks for candidates who demonstrate self-motivation, strong communications skills and a willingness to work hard. AutoZone also values students interested in developing long-term careers with the company.

“A lot of employers are looking for interns for the summer, so a lot of us recruit in the fall,” Brazell said. “So go ahead and start updating your resume, update your LinkedIn, because those are all things that recruiters are going to look at.

“And most importantly, be authentic. Reach out to the recruiter, do your research before talking to a company and bring your ‘A game’ when you get ready to apply and interview.”