The Women in Finance (WIF): A Journey in Finance Conference was held on Wednesday, February 22 in downtown Toronto. During the conference, we had the opportunity to visit and tour the offices of George Weston Limited, TD Bank (Capital Markets), Inovia Capital and Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. We learned about their culture and networked with industry professionals from the firms. We also learned about the roles and responsibilities of professionals at these firms and were able to have meaningful conversations with them regarding their journeys and the insights they have gained . This was one of the first in-person conferences we were able to attend, and seeing an actual trading floor at TD was one of the highlights of the event. Below we share some excerpts from our networking sessions with the professionals from these firms.
Our key takeaways:
Becky:
My first takeaway was about the power of enthusiasm. One of the professionals from the private equity team told me they would prefer to hire someone with a strong interest and passion towards the industry, rather than someone solely with great technical skills. As students, enthusiasm and curiosity are our greatest assets. It is valuable for us to actively seek out the things we are enthusiastic about and put time and effort into those interests.
My second takeaway was to always take every opportunity to talk to professionals from the industry you are interested in. Attending the conference as a student, I had the opportunity to meet so many professionals from firms in my industry, who shared valuable insights and experiences. Everyone’s experience is unique, and everyone has different insights about industry and markets. As students, it is beneficial for us to gain different perspectives through these meaningful conversations, so we know where our own paths could take us.
Gurkomal:
My first takeaway was to always have a curious mind and a willingness to learn new things. The professionals I spoke with told me finance is a dynamic field, and the integration of analytics in decision making has put a focus on continuous learning. Plus, as you move up throughout your career, the roles you take on will entail new responsibilities. As a result, one must be open to learning new skills which, in turn, can open doors for even more exciting opportunities.
My second takeaway was about the importance of networking in addition to having relevant technical skills and experiences in finance. It massively improves your chances of being hired, and the networking opportunities are a great way to learn about the journeys of other finance professionals. Particularly, getting to know how they navigated their roles in order to be successful in their field. Regular networking can help students gain extensive insights into different roles, which can help them evaluate whether they have the necessary skills and passion for those positions.
Overall insights:
It was such a valuable experience to attend the WIF Conference! We had the opportunity to visit the workplaces we were interested in, network with industry professionals, and learn about different cultures at major firms. We also got to learn about different job opportunities and professional experiences from the individuals we met. During the networking sessions, everyone was enthusiastic to share their experiences and knowledge, and answer all the questions we had.
As young female students, we were impressed by the journeys of the female industry professionals who shared their experiences of how they became successful in finance. They were highly encouraging to us in pursuing our career goals and overcoming the challenges we might face.
We felt that the WIF Conference was a wonderful opportunity for female students to be able to network in person with successful professionals in finance roles. The event gave us an opportunity to learn from their career paths, especially those of female professionals who shared how they broke into finance. It was very inspiring to learn about the challenges they faced, both personal or professional, and how they overcame those hurdles to become successful in their field. In addition to that, we learned a great deal about what makes one a successful candidate for a role in finance, which will definitely help us prepare for future co-op work terms and full-time roles. We look forward to being a part of such events in the future!
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