SIPA Boot Camp Draws Students Seeking Careers in Finance

On October 4, SIPA held its 14th annual Finance Careers Boot Camp, drawing about 120 students to the Scandinavia House in New York City. The event was sponsored by SIPA alumnus Peter Marber MIA ’87, managing director at Global Evolution, a Danish investment bank.
In his opening remarks, Marber highlighted a particularly inspiring aspect of the boot camp’s legacy: some of the speakers at this year’s event had once been student participants in the boot camp themselves, underscoring the event’s enduring impact on graduates’ careers and its role in fostering a cycle of mentorship and professional development within the SIPA community.
The afternoon kicked off with an overview of job search strategies presented by SIPA’s Career Advancement Center (CAC). The CAC team highlighted available resources and emphasized students’ lifelong access to the office’s services as alumni. Cullen Newton, director of employer outreach, gave advice on networking strategies, stressing the importance of reaching out to alumni, building early relationships, and leveraging contacts for referrals.
This talk was followed by a dynamic Wall Street panel featuring professionals from CIBC Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and Citigroup. The panelists discussed the importance of being specific when reaching out to alumni, emphasizing that generic coffee chat requests are less likely to succeed than thoughtful, well-researched inquiries with a clear agenda.
Karen Chen MPA ’18 from Morgan Stanley shared an illustrative anecdote about the breadth of the SIPA network, recalling that she and Kingsly Wang MIA ’19 from J.P. Morgan Asset Management had unexpectedly connected on a work call, which showcases how SIPA alumni often collaborate across different financial institutions.
One of the most anticipated sessions focused on visa sponsorship, a critical topic for international students. Experts from UBS, Morgan Stanley, and Capstone Investment Advisors addressed the importance of starting the process early, maintaining resilience throughout the job search, and highlighting the STEM OPT extension to prospective employers as a potential advantage in securing sponsorship.
As the finance industry increasingly emphasizes sustainability and social responsibility, the boot camp dedicated a full session to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and social impact careers with representatives from Neuberger Berman and the MSCI Sustainability Institute.
“The ESG panel really stood out to me,” said Rishika Todi MPA ’25. “It was inspiring to see alumni working across different aspects of ESG. As they mentioned, there is no single set path to break into this field, which made understanding how their SIPA education translates to ESG roles particularly valuable. I’m looking to pivot into impact finance, so having more alumni connections in this space is invaluable.”
The event concluded with a session, led by Jack Hind Smith MPA ’23 from Mastercard Strategic Growth (MSG), on working with recruiters. Smith encouraged the attendees to “take the call” from recruiters as these conversations help keep one current about the job market and these interactions are potential long-term relationships. He also addressed numerous questions from career changers, offering guidance on how to effectively position themselves and articulate their career pivots to recruiters.
The SIPA Finance Careers Boot Camp continues to be a cornerstone event, bringing together current students with alumni who have leveraged their SIPA degrees into successful careers in finance.