Two seniors, Jean Degraphe and Anthony Rumi, secured full-time positions at major finance firms in New York City. Both were offered jobs following completion of summer internships with Bloomberg and Morgan Stanley, respectively.

Degraphe, a policy studies major and economics minor, will begin working as a Bloomberg Analytics help desk consultant upon graduation. Rumi, an economics major, is also New York City-bound to work as a full-time analyst within Morgan Stanley’s operations division.

Both students met representatives from the companies they interned for during the College of Arts & Sciences-organized Stocks & Finances trip, which is geared toward nonbusiness majors. During the two-day trip, Rumi and Degraphe visited multiple Wall Street banks and other financial institutions and had the chance to meet with recruiters and senior management.

“The trip gives a very rare opportunity to interact with company representatives on a personal level and give them a sense of who we really are. I can almost guarantee that by going on this trip, recruiters will be able to recognize you later at SU. This experience also helps many students find that employer they click with the most,” Rumi says.

Both Rumi and Degraphe credit the trip with opportunities to both impress the companies they worked with and also let them assess personal fit with each firm.

“What ultimately made me choose Morgan Stanley was the people. I felt that I clicked with the employees from Morgan Stanley and agreed with the values the firm stands for,” says Rumi.

Degraph also speaks to fit with his future employer, Bloomberg: “I really liked their culture of transparency. Everyone also seemed very content to be working there,” says Degraphe.

During their summer internships, both seniors learned critical skills to succeed in finance.

“I gained a lot of general finance knowledge, especially information related to commodities and recognizing key players in the finance industry. There was also a heavy focus on soft skills, like giving presentations,” Degraphe says. The soft skills focus led to his greatest point of pride during the internship—a presentation to his sales team highlighting the company’s competitors and displacement opportunities to better serve Bloomberg.

“I feel that the internship has improved many skills that employers look for, such as time management, attention to detail, Excel and communication skills,” Rumi says of his time in Morgan Stanley’s global loan services department, where he worked with securitized assets, client portfolios and collaborating with fellow interns on developing a new cost allocation model for the company.

Their time downstate also sold Rumi and Degraphe on New York City as a new home. Reflecting on the past months, Degraphe says, “It was great. When I wasn’t working I was able to go to bars, museums and nightclubs and really get a feel for the city.”

Rumi adds, “It really was a great experience and a unique opportunity to live in Manhattan and really explore the city—every day there was something new to do.”