Over the past few weeks, we had the pleasure of attending two exceptional Professional Development Days, thanks to the generous support of our partners and hosts, BNP Paribas and HSBC. These events provided our Cohort 27 Corps Members with a deeper understanding of alternative career paths as well as valuable insights into job readiness and corporate sustainability!
At BNP Paribas, the BNP Paribas summer interns led our Corps Members on a tour of the trading floor, with a few cohort members getting to choose whether to buy or sell real stocks! The day continued with an engaging session on financial literacy covering the psychology of spending, budgeting basics, and investment strategies, followed by an open forum that allowed our members to ask what HR and recruiters really look for in candidates. The day concluded with one-on-one resume reviews and mock interviews, where BNPP employees provided personalized feedback and advice to help our Cohort 27 members refine their resumes and interview skills. Thank you to all of the BNPP employees who shared their afternoon and expertise with us, especially Nathalie Texier Guillout, Head of Equity Sales; Jamie Vaccarino, Head of Functions Recruitment; and the Equity Derivatives Sales team including Marie-Laure Dang, Managing Director for Equity Derivatives Sales; Lorem Basile, Sales Trader; and Thomas Juan, Director of Index Trading for Equity Derivatives!
At HSBC, the day began with inspiring opening remarks about HSBC’s work and history with GCF, followed by insightful presentations on career paths and resume building, detailing challenges, successes and networking opportunities that shaped HSBC employee careers. After the presentations, attendees participated in personalized mock interviews with HSBC employees, who offered constructive feedback and tips to enhance their responses and overall presentation. This successful day couldn’t have been possible without the hardwork and dedication of many individuals, including Shani Bess, GCF Board Member and Senior Vice President of People Engagement; Richard Melford, Regional Head of Surveillance; Carrie Ho, Vice President, Relationship Manager; Lenore Farrell, Business Analyst; and Keisha Buckanan, Regional Community Development Manager.
Both professional development days were a tremendous success, providing our Corps Members with unique opportunities for learning and networking within real-world settings. Thank you so much again to our partners HSBC and BNP Paribas for making the days possible! We look forward to our continued partnership and enriching our Corps Members through more career exploration events in the future!