Alumni Share Strategies of Success at Career Center Event
Should you wear a yarmulke on a job interview? What do you order at that lunch meeting in a non-Kosher restaurant? How and when should you bring up the subject of Shabbat or Yom Tov? These are just a few of the dilemmas 黑料社 All鈥檚 helped students and alumni navigate together during an interactive conversation on November 26 on how to excel in the workplace while staying true to their religious values.
Rabbi Yona Reiss addresses audience at Career Center event.
鈥淲e want you to start thinking about these issues so you鈥檒l be better prepared to face them if they come up,鈥 said Joel Strauss, chair of YU鈥檚 Undergraduate Alumni Council Career Committee and a graduate of and the . 鈥淭he bottom line I want you to take away from tonight鈥檚 event is that we as Orthodox Jews have a tremendous responsibility to always act in an appropriate manner, never take advantage and never feel entitled鈥攂ut we also have a tremendous opportunity to be a Kiddush Hashem [sanctification of G-d鈥檚 name].鈥
The evening featured more than 14 alumni in fields ranging from medicine to accounting and management and representing big-name companies, including Citigroup, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Panasonic North America. Rabbi Yona Reiss, the Max and Marion Grill Dean of YU-affiliated , began the program recalling his early years working for a New York City law firm: 鈥淚 learned that there are some basic principles that have to be followed to be successful as an Orthodox Jew in a secular workplace.鈥
These included integrity, acting in a refined manner befitting of a person of faith and directness. 鈥淏eing open and honest from the very beginning about my limitations, drawing the line very clearly as to what I could and could not do, but at the same time not creating antagonism by being overly extreme in terms of my behavior, were some of the best things I did starting out,鈥 said Reiss.
Seven break-out sessions, each led by two alumni, offered students a forum to ask their own questions and share experiences with successful professionals who had been grappling with those questions for years.
鈥淭he breakout sessions were an excellent opportunity to interact with professionals who are out there in the world and to receive confirmation from voices of experience that it is possible to maintain one鈥檚 standards and be respected for doing so, while being effective and successful in the working world,鈥 said Ariel Caplan 鈥12YC, who hopes to pursue a career in biomedical research. He found Strauss鈥檚 warning not to use religion as an excuse or crutch especially important. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just morally correct鈥攊t鈥檚 critical to ensure that one does not create a bad name for religious people in general or Jews in particular,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 will definitely keep this in mind when negotiating with employers to request accommodations for religious reasons.鈥
鈥淚 love the variety of professions represented,鈥 said Estee Goldschmidt 鈥11S. 鈥淚 feel that a wide gamut of careers is represented by YU鈥檚 alumni, and I think it was important to meet with for many reasons that include building my network, learning about different professions and sharing school pride.鈥 She added that she has continued to seek guidance from the Career Center even after graduation. 鈥淚 found one of my first internships through the Career Center and I still find them extremely helpful.鈥
鈥淭he workplace environment can be very diverse on many levels and students need to navigate uncharted waters with regards to their religious observance,鈥 said Marc Goldman, executive director of the Career Center. 鈥淏ringing in alumni to discuss real-life stories and examples of how they have successfully dealt with these issues and others鈥 perceptions is a great learning tool that really hits home for our students.鈥
Goldman added that the night was one of more than a hundred yearly events designed by the Career Center to provide students with the knowledge and resources to achieve their goals and access a network of contacts as well as job, internship and graduate school options. 鈥淭he Career Center prides itself on tailoring its services to the needs and goals of the individual student,鈥 he said. 鈥淥ne-to-one counseling is the foundation of how our office helps students in everything from career planning to job search tools and strategies, while alumni and community members, as partners in our mission, are frequently involved in our programs and events, acting as YU鈥檚 most vocal and supportive advocates and employers.鈥
Learn more about YU鈥檚 Career Center at .
Rabbi Yona Reiss addresses audience at Career Center event.
鈥淭he breakout sessions were an excellent opportunity to interact with professionals who are out there in the world and to receive confirmation from voices of experience that it is possible to maintain one鈥檚 standards and be respected for doing so, while being effective and successful in the working world,鈥 said Ariel Caplan 鈥12YC, who hopes to pursue a career in biomedical research. He found Strauss鈥檚 warning not to use religion as an excuse or crutch especially important. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just morally correct鈥攊t鈥檚 critical to ensure that one does not create a bad name for religious people in general or Jews in particular,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 will definitely keep this in mind when negotiating with employers to request accommodations for religious reasons.鈥
鈥淚 love the variety of professions represented,鈥 said Estee Goldschmidt 鈥11S. 鈥淚 feel that a wide gamut of careers is represented by YU鈥檚 alumni, and I think it was important to meet with for many reasons that include building my network, learning about different professions and sharing school pride.鈥 She added that she has continued to seek guidance from the Career Center even after graduation. 鈥淚 found one of my first internships through the Career Center and I still find them extremely helpful.鈥
鈥淭he workplace environment can be very diverse on many levels and students need to navigate uncharted waters with regards to their religious observance,鈥 said Marc Goldman, executive director of the Career Center. 鈥淏ringing in alumni to discuss real-life stories and examples of how they have successfully dealt with these issues and others鈥 perceptions is a great learning tool that really hits home for our students.鈥
Goldman added that the night was one of more than a hundred yearly events designed by the Career Center to provide students with the knowledge and resources to achieve their goals and access a network of contacts as well as job, internship and graduate school options. 鈥淭he Career Center prides itself on tailoring its services to the needs and goals of the individual student,鈥 he said. 鈥淥ne-to-one counseling is the foundation of how our office helps students in everything from career planning to job search tools and strategies, while alumni and community members, as partners in our mission, are frequently involved in our programs and events, acting as YU鈥檚 most vocal and supportive advocates and employers.鈥
Learn more about YU鈥檚 Career Center at .
Rabbi Yona Reiss addresses audience at Career Center event.
鈥淭he breakout sessions were an excellent opportunity to interact with professionals who are out there in the world and to receive confirmation from voices of experience that it is possible to maintain one鈥檚 standards and be respected for doing so, while being effective and successful in the working world,鈥 said Ariel Caplan 鈥12YC, who hopes to pursue a career in biomedical research. He found Strauss鈥檚 warning not to use religion as an excuse or crutch especially important. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just morally correct鈥攊t鈥檚 critical to ensure that one does not create a bad name for religious people in general or Jews in particular,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 will definitely keep this in mind when negotiating with employers to request accommodations for religious reasons.鈥
鈥淚 love the variety of professions represented,鈥 said Estee Goldschmidt 鈥11S. 鈥淚 feel that a wide gamut of careers is represented by YU鈥檚 alumni, and I think it was important to meet with for many reasons that include building my network, learning about different professions and sharing school pride.鈥 She added that she has continued to seek guidance from the Career Center even after graduation. 鈥淚 found one of my first internships through the Career Center and I still find them extremely helpful.鈥
鈥淭he workplace environment can be very diverse on many levels and students need to navigate uncharted waters with regards to their religious observance,鈥 said Marc Goldman, executive director of the Career Center. 鈥淏ringing in alumni to discuss real-life stories and examples of how they have successfully dealt with these issues and others鈥 perceptions is a great learning tool that really hits home for our students.鈥
Goldman added that the night was one of more than a hundred yearly events designed by the Career Center to provide students with the knowledge and resources to achieve their goals and access a network of contacts as well as job, internship and graduate school options. 鈥淭he Career Center prides itself on tailoring its services to the needs and goals of the individual student,鈥 he said. 鈥淥ne-to-one counseling is the foundation of how our office helps students in everything from career planning to job search tools and strategies, while alumni and community members, as partners in our mission, are frequently involved in our programs and events, acting as YU鈥檚 most vocal and supportive advocates and employers.鈥
Learn more about YU鈥檚 Career Center at .
