Much is written about the Power of Community. Collective wisdom, idea creation and support are just three of the many positive results that can be achieved when individuals with a common purpose or cause come together. In situations where small communities form within larger ones, the results are multiplied. 

In May of this year STA launched Project: The Graduate , a program that asked college seniors, regardless of major, to reach out for one-on-one virtual conversations. It was a small gesture to help the Class of 2020, a group that has been greatly disrupted by COVID-19, in their search for a job.

While we may repeat the program later this summer, we wanted to share some of the common themes that surfaced from these conversations. Sharing this collective wisdom with a broader universe in the hopes that our findings add value.

The program ran each Wednesday from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. for six weeks and concluded last week. The response was overwhelming! Every 30-minute time slot was filled, and we had to start a waiting list. The experience proved rewarding for both the student and the financial services individual.

While we may repeat the program later this summer, we wanted to share some of the common themes that surfaced from these conversations. Sharing this collective wisdom with a broader universe in the hopes that our findings add value. The themes fell into four (4) main categories: 

• Recognize the current environment
• Broaden your search and stay positive as you do
• Build beyond your existing network
• Capitalize LinkedIn for supporting your resume and company screening

Feel free to pass this information along to any recent college graduate and when you do, ask them to consider following STA on social media or applying for an STA Student in Finance (STA SIF) membership. STA SIF membership is free. More details can be found here. 

When we announced this program in May, we stated that our offer was simple and sincere. We are pleased and encouraged that so many students took us up on our offer. As fellow parents, you should also know that every student expressed a genuine appreciation for our efforts. That appreciation will be our key source of motivation when we revisit this project.