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Ryan Clydesdale ’20 Wins the Prestigious Cornerstones Summer Analyst position

Ryan Clydesdale ’20 Wins the Prestigious Cornerstones Summer Analyst positionMathematics major with a double minor in Economics and Chemistry, Ryan Clydesdale ’20, was awarded the prestigious Cornerstone Research summer internship experience.  According to Clydesdale, “and I had a great ten weeks as a Summer Analyst at Cornerstone Research. From gaining an understanding of the daily workflow of economic and litigation consulting, to acquiring some of the skills that come along with the job, and developing as a professional in general, I benefited immensely from this experience. I am now comfortable with coding in multiple programming languages, using Microsoft Office at a more sophisticated level, and collaborating with others to function as a productive member of a project team.”

Navigating the Application Process

To apply for this position, Ryan submitted his resume, transcript, and a cover letter to Cornerstone through Allegheny’s Career Education office. He was then called back for a phone interview, where he further discussed his interest and qualifications. The next step was a Skype interview, where he took part in two mock case studies. During the latter he was given background information on mock cases and the interviewers asked questions about his approach to investigation and analysis. As part of the process, Ryan was interviewed by multiple Cornerstone employees at various levels of management.

Cornerstone Research

Cornerstone Research is a leading economic and financial consulting firm specializing in the analysis of complex economic, financial, accounting, and marketing issues that arise in the context of various kinds of litigation. Cornerstone Research has 700 staff and offices in Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington.

Cornerstone Research values the professional growth of its summer analysts and recognizes their contributions to clients and the firm. Consequently, many summer analysts choose to join Cornerstone Research full-time upon graduation. The analytical depth of assignments, the breadth of industry exposure, and experience working in case teams offer outstanding preparation for analysts applying to top graduate programs in business, economics, and law, and for ensuing careers in consulting, finance industry, and academia.

Allegheny College is grateful for the many opportunities extended to our students by Cornerstone Research and their continued support of undergraduate experiential learning. The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics works in partnership with  Allegheny Career Education to mentor students on how to locate and apply for internships, secure housing and apply for funding sources to defray costs.

The Allegheny Wealth Management Club Seeks Students Who Want to Master Personal Finance

Under the guidance of Professor Michael Michaelides, students Rafael Balanquet ’20, Club President, and Trevor Day ’20, Vice President, have organized the department’s first wealth Management Club designed to give students a collaborative environment in which they can openly discuss and learn about topics relating to personal finance. The club will invite guest speakers, use simulations, and perform individual research in order to educate members about personal finance topics and how get a head start on managing their own money.

According to Balanquet, “While the club still is in an infant stage, we would like to insure that it continues to bring in students who are interested in learning about these topics in a rather relaxed environment. For this reason, we would like to have past executives and members alike to invest time into helping later generations of students through both alumni relationships with future employers, along with assistance in the actual club atmosphere itself. This will help develop topics and standards the club should abide by in order to get our aspiring financially conscious students a path in the right direction.”

There are no requirements for students to join the club other than a genuine interest in personal finance.  The students have created an ambitious agenda to attack during the school year.  Here is a small sample:

  • Each student will “adopt a company” in other words, pick a company, in whichever industry they like, and consistently provide up-to-date analysis of their company, such as news, public offerings, stock price changes, different business deals, etc. This will also include the key information on their most recent earnings call for the respective fiscal quarter.
  • “Index Watch” – Students in teams of two look at a certain index and report on the change in trading price and basis points each week.
  • Students can participate in a Mock Stock Market Game on the club website.
  • Students will learn how to perform a technical analysis to determine buy/sell states in securities
  • The group will conduct discussions of recent news stories relating to the economy.
  • The club members will reach out to alumni and external speakers to understand some of the more specific occupations in finance, such as CFP and CFA, and the process of them getting their designation (or pursuing) and their day to day activities and advice for the job market.

More information will be available at the beginning of fall semester, however students and alumni that would like to participate can email bryan@allegheny.edu for more information.

#OneYearOut with Joe Wesolowski ’18

This interview is one of a series conducted by the Center for Business and Economics Fellows with recent Business & Economics graduates about life after graduation.

Joe Wesolowski '18
Joe Wesolowski ’18

This interview was conducted during the Spring 2019 semester by CBE Fellow, Troy Elphinstone ’19 with recent graduate, Joe Wesolowski ’18.

Troy:   Where are you currently employed? — How did you hear about this position?

Joe: I am currently employed by Crown Castle International. Crown Castle is a management, consulting, real estate, infrastructure, and technology company specifically for firms in the wireless communication and emerging technologies space. I interned for Crown in the summer of 2017 and had the opportunity to come back for a full time position. I found Crown Castle through some mutual connections formed at Allegheny and some general networking prior to the internship.

Troy:  What do you do on a day to day basis?

Joe: I work on the Area Finance team for the Mid-West Area of the company. Each Area Financial Analyst is responsible for a certain line of business within the company (ie. Real Estate, Operations, etc). The goal is to support that line of business within each major city/office hub for the area by preparing beginning and end of quarter/year budgets, projections, forecasts, and any other financial planning for the group. Managers or Team/Project leads will come to the team for advisement on their big data projects or recurring issues/situations that may arise during the work day. We offer up assistance and provide feedback for their various projects/issues.

Troy: How did Allegheny help prepare you for your current job?

Joe: Allegheny does an outstanding job establishing their student’s theoretical foundations, but the greatest tool Allegheny drills into their student’s repertoire is communication and problem solving skills. Post grad Allegheny students will find out quickly that they are very well equipped to be an adaptable employee for any company they go and work for. Allegheny provides the refinement of skills that a lot of other young post grads do not have. Allegheny also provides a vast network of alumni and connections that want to help and see students succeed, so it can give you a leg up in an organization building those connections.

Troy: What advice would you give to current Allegheny students?

Joe: My advice for current Allegheny students is to absorb every opportunity that can help you grow as a person and a young professional. Do not take the small events for granted. If the department puts on a career talk or a skills building event, go to it. Also, do not be afraid to put yourself out there during your job search process. Utilize the department and the career education office, but do not be afraid to send out emails to alumni yourself. Put yourself out there and build your network as much as you can during your four years at Allegheny.

 

#OneYearOut with Margo Birol ’18

This interview is one of a series of interviews conducted by the Center for Business and Economics Fellows with recent Business & Economics graduates about life after graduation.

This interview was conducted during the Fall 2018 semester by CBE Fellow, Emma Black ’20 with recent graduate, Margo Birol ’18.

Margo Birol ’18

Emma: Where are you’re currently employed— How did you hear about this position?

Margo: Currently, I work at UPMC as a financial analyst within the Finance Management Rotational Program. I heard about this opportunity through another alum, as well as on campus recruiting.

Emma: What do you do on a day to day basis?

Margo: My team supports two hospitals through a series of routine reports that offer insight into revenue drivers and cost productivity. Additionally, we provide ad hoc reports to our operational partners to help them make informed decisions. We are in the process of getting ready to budget for the 2019 calendar year.

Emma: How did Allegheny help prepare you for your current job?

Margo: In short, Allegheny taught me how to learn. While I learned a lot about Economics at school, I also learned how to think about the bigger picture and consider the impact of my work. Through my various classes, I learned how to think analytically and balance multiple assignments at once. My professors encouraged me to dive deeper into the work I was doing and ask questions when necessary.

Emma: What advice would you give to current Allegheny students?

Margo: My biggest piece of advice would be to remain open-minded and be proactive during the internship and job search. Additionally, utilize the strong alumni network. A lot of doors will open, so don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone for an opportunity.

Gator Day Student Panel, “Things We Wish We Knew 4 Years Ago”

Celebrate Gator Day with the CBE Fellows!

All are welcome to enjoy light refreshments and attend a special panel presentation by the CBE Fellows who will offer their experience and tips for taking advantage of the many opportunities Allegheny offers to help students to grow into their interests.

The Fellows will share their experiences of learning where to go and who to connect with to take the best advantage of internship opportunities, study away, Greek life and all of experiences available to students at Allegheny.

There are student presentations in the Quigley Hall lobby after the panel describing various summer internship experiences with students on hand to explain the “how to” of  discovering their ideal experiential learning experience.

Entrepreneurship, Technology and Graduate School

Steve Suchora '10

Steve Suchora ’10

Steve Suchora ‘10 will share how his economics education combined with the practical experience he gained from participating in the Gator Innovation Challenge, now known as the Zingale Big Idea Competition, inspired him to start a business and pursue a Master of Information Systems Management degree at Carnegie Mellon University.

Attend this event to learn how this path led him to his current role as a Software Quality Engineer for Confluence Technologies.

A Really Big Idea: Calc-Tech LLC

Steve created an app designed to help students improve their score on standardized tests. His company, Calc-Tech, helps students to achieve higher scores college entrance exams such as the SAT test in the college admissions process to enable them to get into their school of choice using the SAT Operating System.

How it works

Calc-Tech’s SAT Operating System (SAT_OS) is an SAT calculator program that you can purchase for $14.95 and transfer to your Texas Instruments graphing calculator using your Windows or Mac computer. The program contains a set of math functions that you can use during the SAT test to work the math problems faster and with better accuracy. To date, there are over 20,000 users of the SAT Operating System.

The use of this software is permitted under the The College Board’s official Calculator Policy.

Learn more at calc-tech.com/

CBE Lunchtime Learning: “What’s Our U.S. Economic Future?”

All are welcome to a special presentation by noted economist, Norman Robertson, titled, What’s Our U.S. Economic Future?  This special CBE Lunchtime Learning will take place on Wednesday, October 3, 12:15 – 1:30 pm in Quigley auditorium.  Come early, enjoy pizza, and take advantage of the opportunity to hear a professional analysis of the U.S. economy.

Norman Robertson

For 20 years, Robertson was the chief economist at Mellon Bank and was a member of its Senior Management Committee. He also served as an economic adviser for Smithfield Trust Company and was a consulting economist and an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Carnegie Mellon University. A native of London, Robertson studied at the London School of Economics and is a graduate of the University of London. His presentations and written commentaries on economic issues have been widely reported in national, regional and local news.

Welcome 2018/2019 Center for Business and Economics Fellows!

2018/2019 CBE Fellows
2018/2019 CBE Fellows, from left: Trevor Day ’20, Carlos Sanchez ’20, Troy Elphinstone ’19, Jack Goodman ’19, Emma Black ’20

This year the Economics Department welcomed our returning Fellow, Troy Elphinstone ’19 and new Fellows Jack Goodman ’19, Trevor Day ’20, Carlos Sanchez ’20 and Emma Black ’20.  These students are already at work bringing their energy and voice to the Center for Business and Economics activities.

Click here to learn more about our Fellows program.

Two Economics Majors Named Finalists

A team of two economics majors – Walter Stover ’17 and Hayden Moyer ’17 – has advanced to the final round of a national legislative letter writing competition sponsored by Debating for Democracy, a Project Pericles Initiative, in which students research, develop and advocate positions on public policy issues.