New York City is not only one of the most iconic cities in the world attracting millions of tourists every day, but it is also home to a plethora of startups and multinational corporations. Every year, McIntire’s Commerce Career Services organizes a trip to the Big Apple over winter break for students who want to learn more about the career opportunities that exist in the city and experience different company cultures firsthand.
I had the pleasure of spending four days in NYC with a group of my peers in the M.S. in Commerce program visiting multiple companies, big and small, to learn about their day-to-day operations from McIntire alumni and senior executives. It also granted me the opportunity to grow my professional network.
On average, we visited three companies per day. Most of our visits consisted of a company presentation followed by a Q&A or networking session, where we could hear about the company’s different initiatives from McIntire and UVA alumni. Companies were from a number of different industries, including technology, marketing, finance, sports, and retail. We benefited from hearing how each company operates and how their functional teams work together to achieve common goals.
We had the unique opportunity to see the “behind-the-scenes” operations of world-renowned organizations like American Express, Google, Red Bull, Pepsi Co., and the New York Yankees. These visits helped me understand the direct impact that a leadership decision can have on a business. We also visited Bounce X, Sullivan, Grey Advertising and ENDEAVOR to gain a sense of the kind of skills needed in a career in brand management, advertising, or marketing analytics.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting some inspiring startups including Two Blind Brothers, a startup founded by McIntire alumni, which allowed those of us who were interested in entrepreneurship to speak directly to the business owners and ask questions about their journey.
There were also two networking events sponsored by M.S. in Commerce alumni and professors. My peers and I appreciated having the opportunity to connect with people who completed the program face-to-face and grow our professional networks. Alumni provided valuable insight into different career opportunities that we may not have thought about before.
The trip was also a fantastic bonding experience. We traveled to each company in small groups either on foot or by subway. We went out for lunch and dinner together to explore what NYC had to offer. Not only did we gained new insights from the companies, but also learned from each other.
Here is a list of companies we visited:
American Express
Bounce Exchange
Care+Wear
ENDEAVOR
Fahrenheit 212
Google
Grey Advertising
New York Yankees
Pepsi Co.
Red Bull
Robin Hood
Sullivan
Two Blind Brothers
Watch the coverage from our trip on our Instagram highlights. Also, follow us on the McIntire Graduate Programs Instagram and Twitter to see all the latest happenings with the Program!
