My name is Joanne Yen, and I participated in the Career Exploration internship and the Kaiser Permanente internship this summer. We participated in many career panels and had a chance to expand our knowledge into different career paths. During one career panel, we had a wonderful time getting to know employees of the professional services field and to deepen our understanding of what their occupations are. It was a very exciting day for the youth interns.

We heard from speakers from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and B|O|S. From this career roundtable, youths had the opportunity to network with the wonderful panelists.

My group had the chance to speak with Myles Vander Weele, the Principal/Partner of B|O|S (Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough, LLC) and Board member at Enterprise for Youth. Before giving us a detailed description of what it’s like to be in his position, Myles recalled a time where he did not know what occupation he wanted to pursue. Inspiring the youth, Myles presented three tips: 

“Remember these three factors: Constantly ask yourself what you want to do, what you are good at, and what opportunities are at hand. In my opinion, between work and your passion, it is the best intersection to think about when looking for a possible career you could be interested in.”—Myles Vander Weele, Principal/Partner of B|O|S    

Tynnetta McIntosh was one of the most inspiring panelists I personally have met throughout my time meeting different speakers. In my group, Tynnetta described the countless jobs she has worked at, from working retail at Macy’s to her job now, working as a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Tynnetta has held many roles at the company like when she was in Hong Kong leading internal communications to when she went back to her home in the US Virgin Islands, in a senior role in consumer product management, marketing, and communications. From what she has experienced, Tynnetta tells us that she never expected to be where she is today, leaving us with prodigious advice. 

“Don’t expect to have your plan to go out the way you want it to. Just expect the best, and if you feel like it is the right time, follow your instincts. Just do whatever feels right to you and eventually, you will ‘fall into’ wherever your path leads you.”—Tynnetta McIntosh, Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The last speaker who visited my group was Syida Long. Syida uses these same suggestions she has given us to help her get where she is today. Syida now works at Goldman Sachs as a managing director, where she advises her clients with tax planning strategies. She finds passion in her work because she gets to help her customers donate to the charity of their choice, but in the most tax-efficient manner. With the last few seconds left in the breakout group, she leaves us with unforgettable advice which will help benefit us in the future:

“Yeah, no one likes to work, but everyone likes to do something fun. So why not put them together so you can distract yourself from doing your job since you are already entertaining yourself? There are many zigzags that will help you find where you are the most happiest working.”—Syida Long, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs

Throughout the webinar, I was blessed with the knowledge I gained from just 30 minutes. Even if I did not get to converse with all the speakers, I had a brief exposure to their jobs and what they stand for. For instance, Ana Moraga Archila gave us her take on her career as an Executive Director for her organization, MuJER- Mujeres por la Justicia, Educación y el Reconocimiento (Women for Justice, Education, and Awareness). Roberto Rivera, another panelist speaker, spoke to us interns about his position as the Senior Directing Manager at First Republic Bank. Lastly, Rachel Lim gave a summary of what it was like as a consultant at Oliver Wyman and her academic background, where she attended Princeton to get her BA degree. 

In the end, interns, like myself, had the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with this diverse career path. From a law attorney to an investment and financial planning advisor, I would say that this panel has broadened everyone’s understanding of what it is to work in the professional services field.

By Joanne Yen, Enterprise for Youth intern
July 16 2020