Financial Services Eat and Meet

Deadra Miller, staff writer

On Oct. 18, 2017, Andre Luck from career services gathered three professional money management specialists. Their goal was to give PVCC an opportunity to learn about what it takes to acquire a job in financial industry.

At the gathering, Dr. Karen Totten White, assistant vice president at Carter Bank and Trust; Devyani Goradia, certified public accountant (CPA) and owner of Accounting Solutions PLLC; and Bryan Strickland, certified financial planner (CFP) at Wilkinson Wealth Management LLC, joined Career Services Manager Andre Luck on the platform to educate students on what employers in the financial services industry are looking for in potential employees and interns.

To apply for an internship or employment, applicants would have to possess these certain traits: attention to detail, a good attitude, dressing for the job that you want, good communication skills, and organizational skills.

Although these characteristics are required for both positions, the internships are not paid because they are the trial period for the employer to see how the employee handles situations under pressure.

Any position acquired through an employer is going to have some type of background check, but in the financial industry, these checks are more important than others.

All of the panelists agreed having a felony on one’s record is a major disqualification. However, some misdemeanors are accepted depending on the position the person is applying for. To get more details about what is acceptable, the panelists suggested contacting the office of the prospective employer.

When the representatives were asked why they came to PVCC to explain about the industry, the panelists said the employers need employees with a new perspective on the industry.

If you are interested in working in this industry, contact Andre Luck in Career Services or contact one of these professionals directly. There is another Eat and Meet Forum coming on Nov. 15, 2017, though the industry and professionals have yet to be determined.