Exploring Careers

Around 180 freshmen and sophomores found career inspiration and guidance at NYU Shanghai’s second “I AM LIMITLESS” student conference, hosted by Career Development Center and Academic Affairs on Saturday.

NYU alumni and professionals from various industries, including banking, consulting and e-commerce, gave talks in concurrent workshops on communication skills, networking strategies in the digital age, and graduate school preparation.

In the kick-off session, several senior students shared stories of their study-away and traveling experiences on  five continents. “Different cities and cultures have helped created new dimensions of my character. For example, China has inspired my creativity, Tel Aviv taught me the courage to pursue my passion, and New York helped me expand my network,” said Maximilian Reiff ’17.

In his presentation, Louis James Demetroulakos ’19 encouraged fellow classmates to draw on the power of networking. He suggested that students should present themselves naturally to potential employers instead of over-promoting themselves eagerly for an internship opportunity.

Echoing Demetroulakos, Janice Luo ’20 said:  “The most important part of the communicating process is to respect other people, meanwhile, showing your talents.” Through positive interactions with participating professionals, Luo was surprised when she was later offered many internship opportunities.

Hao Guo, Director of Employer Relations, Career Development Center said this year’s event was successful as students fully displayed their interests and explored the most suitable routes for them, rather than any so-called “best routes”.

“The highlight was integrating students stories and voices to the conference, making it an exciting experience for peers to relate to one another.”