Financial Services FAST Track
Growing the Pipeline of Women Interested in Financial Services
At Forté, we are committed to inspiring the best and brightest young women in the country to pursue the many challenging and fulfilling careers available to them in business. In June of 2008 we continued in that tradition by launching our first industry-specific program: the Financial Services FAST Track (FSFT).
- Created to encourage women to consider a career in finance.
- Offers candid descriptions of career experiences, expectations and opportunities in finance.
- Showcases the leadership, innovation and intellectual capital of our FSFT corporate sponsors.
- Differentiates Forté companies as the best place to work for high performance women in financial services.
Forté understands the multi-dimensional interests that drive the career and life decisions of our female future leaders: business, family, and contributions to a global community. The FAST Track addresses those needs through our innovative programming over the course of their career.
A Career in Financial Services: Is it Right for You?
It’s easy to close your eyes and imagine what your life would be like, starting out in a financial services career, perhaps as an investment banker, a bond trader, a research analyst or an investment manager.But understanding exactly what a career in financial services entails, or even what the term, “financial services” refers to, is far from simple. So, let’s ask the so-called stupid question: What are financial services? And what function do these services play in the world?
Financial Industry Career Options
So, you want to work in Investment Management, Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, or Sales and Trading … here’s what it will be like:
Financial Services: Myths and Facts
You've heard all of the myths now get some facts and learn more about the financial services industry
Career in Finance Webinar: Online Office Hours
Our FSFT corporate sponsors joined large audiences online for a 1-hour office hours session to present information about their firm and answer everyone’s questions. Did you miss it? Don’t worry—click below to access the webinar recording.
Podcast Series
During our June Conference for incoming MBA’s Forté made a special effort to interview the speakers so that you could learn from the Conference as well. A three-part series, the FSFT podcast will take you inside the world of financial services, the role of negotiating and what it takes to be good, and insights on managing your career over time in this industry.
- Episode #1:
Overview of Financial Services: The Big Picture
This three-part series explores careers in financial services through conversations with top women executives at several major firms. They talk about the range of career opportunities for women interested in finance, how to build a career for the long-term and the importance of knowing how to negotiate. In our first episode, you'll hear from Professor Laura Born and several vice presidents and managing directors from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Citi, Fidelity and Deutsche Bank.
- Episode #2:
Corporate citizenship and managing your career over time
Once you get established in a career in financial services field, how do you manage that career over time? What are the range of options and possibilities for women in financial services? In this second installment, we hear from corporate leaders at Wachovia, Citi, Deutsche Bank and MetLife about defining their own path and creating career satisfaction. We also talk about corporate social responsibility and the options available to women in financial services who want to contribute in this arena.
- Episode #3:
Dealmaking and Negotiation
Research suggests that many women struggle to build dealmaking and negotiation skills, two capabilities that are crucial for many careers in financial services. In this installment, we hear from Stacy Sonnenberg of Goldman Sachs and Susan Fleming Cabrera, who worked in private equity before pursuing academic research in management at Yale University. They talk about the research on women and negotiation and how to cultivate your negotiation skills for career success over the long term.
MBA Students
June Conference
Incoming women MBA students from Forté schools are invited annually to submit an application to attend the Financial Services FAST Track Conference—a deep-dive into the industry. The 2009 Conference yielded 127 applicants, 105 acceptances, and 91 attendees.
Women participating in the Conference were offered an in-depth look at cross-functional views of finance and the opportunity to meet a variety of senior level professionals in the industry. (Over 100 executives participated in the 2008 Conference.) The Conference offered luncheons, seminars, panels and personal connections with top women in the field--that motivated and informed the smartest women in the country about the opportunities available to them in financial services. Click here to view the 2009 Conference Program.
SAVE THE DATE! The dates for the 2010 Financial Services FAST Track are June 24-25 in New York City. Please mark your calendar and bookmark this web site. Additional information about the conference and how to apply will be available in March, 2010
MBA Webinars
The FSFT want to continue to conversation with the MBA’s online and help them prepare for the re-launch of their career. Listen to past webinars:
- November 16, 2009 Interview Do’s & Don’ts
Corporate Panel: Citi, Deutsche Bank and Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Webinar Recording>>
- February 11, 2009 Managing Your Career Over Time
Corporate Panel: Wachovia & MetLife
Webinar Recording>>
- November 17, 2008 Interview Do’s & Don’t’s
Corporate Panel: Citi, Deutsche Bank, & Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Webinar Recording>>
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