Finance Students Explore Job Opportunities in Chicago

On the chilly morning of Friday the 13th, five students from the A.B. Freeman School of Business’s Master of Management in Energy program and three of the school’s Master of Finance program met in the warm Chicago lobby of BP’s offices. The students along with two staff members from the career management center traveled to Chicago for a day full of informational sessions, networking opportunities, and potential interviews.
The group first met with three members of BP’s three year rotational program, including one Freeman school alum. The BP employees fielded and answered many questions not only about the program, but also on life in Chicago as a young energy industry professional. During a lull between engagements, several of the students interested more in trading job opportunities grabbed coffee with another Freeman school alumnus who gave insight into power market trading and some potential companies which may have openings in the area.
Lunch was served at the Chicago Buckingham Athletic Club with several other Tulane alumni and recruiters from NiSource, one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the country. Great food and spirited discussion on not only job opportunities, but also convivial stories of work in the energy industry carried lunch participants into the early afternoon. An office visit with Trading Technologies, provider of software to much of the industry, as well as the Freeman School’s impressive trading laboratory, left many of the students impressed with the laid back, work hard-play hard office environment the company boasted. The office bar, which opens every day after 4 PM, was a nice touch as well.
During several of the breaks, some students met with other contacts previously established on their own and some visited the museum at the Chicago branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. The day culminated with an impressive networking opportunity at Poag Mahone’s bar which brought together many Chicago-area Freeman alumni from the energy, trading, and business communities to meet with the students and connect. Additionally, representatives from companies such as power generator, Invenergy, came and spoke with the students while enjoying a cold beer, good food, and a chilly Chicago evening.

 

Adam Laurie and Richard Fannin
Master of Management in Energy Candidates 2016
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