Sponsored by Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business
New York – the city of dreams, opportunity and the Empire State Building. In 2019, the city reclaimed its crown as the world’s financial capital so it’s no wonder thousands of business students from all walks of life flock to New York City for a study experience like no other.
New York’s renowned reputation for commerce, entertainment and trendsetting talents makes for an exciting city which thrives off the hustle and bustle of those who live, work and study here.
We spoke to three business master’s students at the Zicklin School of Business in midtown Manhattan – the financial and commercial capital of the US – to find out why they chose New York and what their experience has been like so far.
‘I wanted exposure to how businesses operate in developed cities’
Wall Street firms and other big names in business, finance, retail, media and entertainment can be found here, including McKinsey & Company, JP Morgan Chase, American Express, IBM, Viacom, The New York Times Company, CBS, Bloomingdales, and Macy’s, to name but a few.
With countless American firms and multinational corporations looking for recent business graduates, career opportunities here are unparalleled. There’s no better place to network and establish important professional connections to help pave the way in one of the world’s biggest corporate cities.
Big names regularly hire business school graduates through institution partnerships and pipeline schemes. For Master of Science in Business Analytics student Sunny, a career in data analytics has been her career ambition.
Having moved half way around the world to study in New York, Sunny took some time to find her feet in a new city and new country.
“It was the first time for me to be independent. It was difficult, but I persisted,” said Sunny. She was soon able to find her place in both the school and New York, and gained a real sense of independence.
At Zicklin, professional career development is an integral part of every postgraduate degree program. Both Sunny and her fellow Master’s in Business Analytics student, Gabriella, credit the school’s Graduate Career Management Center in helping them secure internships and job interviews for corporate giants.
“I didn’t know anything about job hunting and career development when I first started my graduate degree last year,” said Gabriella. “As I attended more events and workshops, my mindset shifted and I became more confident in myself.”
Sunny agreed. “The Graduate Career Management Center provided us with a lot of resources to better our professional development and introduced us to events which help students find jobs.
“They helped improve my résumé, and I got an interview for JP Morgan. This shows the Graduate Career Management Center is crucial,” she added.
Syed, originally from Pakistan, believed getting his MBA in New York would “serve as a stepping stone” in helping him fulfil his ambitions of starting his own business.
With an undergraduate degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and several years’ experience as a project engineer, Syed wanted to “gain substantial knowledge about management and business studies” and “exposure to how businesses practice their operations in developed cities,” in order to implement these practices into his own business. He knew he could definitely find all of this in New York.
‘I wanted a degree with a clear professional direction’
New York is a thriving modern education hub with business schools at the forefront of research, innovation and, most importantly, student success.
Research has shown that the quality and notability of business graduate programs are some of the most important aspects affecting the average pay of graduates. For the Zicklin School of Business Full-Time MBA graduates in 2019, the average starting salary was US$89,333 with a US$14,000 signing bonus.
Looking at potential return on investment (ROI) of any degree is an important part of the decision-making process. Gabriella realized the benefits of choosing a postgraduate degree which was more defined and had a clear professional direction.
“I was expecting something more practical which can be applicable to the real working environment,” she said.
Fast forward to today, and Gabriella is mindful of how much she has learnt from her degree in both a professional and personal sense.
“I think it’s the fact that I’m learning a lot, not only from schoolwork, but also from a personal and professional development side.
“I’m getting more mature and comfortable with socializing as I have attended various networking events and interviews. I enjoy the fact I’m becoming the person I have always wanted to be,” she said.
‘It’s very fast-paced and has a different charm to it’
It’s easy to see why New York – built upon years of diversity, hard graft and adrenaline – is called the “concrete jungle where dreams are made of” by American singer-songwriter, Alicia Keys. Even beyond business, banking and finance, New York’s electric and cosmopolitan culture means there’s something for everyone.
“I visited New York several times before but living in New York is a whole different experience,” said Syed. “It’s a great city to live in. It’s very fast-paced and has a different charm to it.”
Gabriella had also visited the Big Apple twice before deciding to move here for her studies and she considers it to be a “great city full of opportunities to study and live a life.”
Its enticing array of international cuisine from Chinese eateries to authentic American diners and hipster coffee shops will certainly give you plenty of new favorite restaurants to discover and visit with friends. Long walks and bike rides around Central Park are never tiresome, but if you prefer something less physically taxing you can always admire the flagship store window displays along one of the world’s most expensive and famous shopping streets – Fifth Avenue.
