Navigating the Business World With the Support of A Career Ready Certificate

It can be confusing navigating the business world on your own, but with Forté’s Career Ready Certificate program, you can have access to all the support you want. When NYU Class of 2024 student, Prashi Joshi, heard about the certificate from a classmate, she found a strong community of supportive, successful women that she looked up to as role models. Throughout the program, she was able to explore a broad range of industries, including her interest in finance. Because of her experience with the Career Ready Certificate, Prashi is now starting her first internship in a field that she is excited about, with the support she needs to succeed.

How did you hear about Forté?

I first heard about Forté as a freshman, from one of my seniors in the NYU Economics Society. Upon joining, I regularly received email newsletters featuring events and job opportunities that were extremely well curated, and helpful. What makes the Forté community stand out to me is the people – I’ve remained in touch with India, for instance, throughout the Career Certificate program. She has always been here to help whenever I have had questions or needed guidance. I hope that I am able to continue my relationship with Forté and inspire other women in the NYU Community through events in collaboration with the NYU Economics Society.

How did you hear about Forté’s career ready certificate program?

I learned about the Career Certificate program from Tanya Sharda, a classmate at Stern, who is a campus ambassador for Forté at NYU. Having engaged in several Forté conferences previously, I was inclined to enroll into the program immediately.

What motivated you to complete the certificate?

Having access to a set of organized resources that were curated specially for students like myself, I found myself motivated to get all the knowledge I could get from the program. The content was informative, interesting, and different from the materials I had been exposed to through my courses at university. This program helped me further my career growth and I’m grateful to have gotten the opportunity to share with and learn from the experiences of other women in the cohort.

What was your experience like with the certificate program?

In one word: insightful. I was amazed by the breadth of resources we were provided with, from modules introducing fields like Finance and Consulting, to workshops focused on building softer skills like negotiation and communication. To get these organized resources, along with a network of diverse women from schools across the country, was truly an inspiring experience, and a privilege.

What are your plans for after college? How did the certificate program influence your career and professional network?

This summer, I will be joining BlackRock’s Investment Division (Fixed Income) in Princeton, NJ, as a summer analyst. While I’m thrilled for the learning opportunity this internship presents, I am still looking to continue exploring my interests in the Finance and Consulting fields for full time roles. Before the program, I knew very few women who were pursuing a career in my fields of interest. As such, I found it challenging to identify role models who I could look up to and seek advice from. Forté put me in touch with a strong community of women, and gave me the skill sets and exposure I needed to embark on my professional journey.

What advice do you have for other undergrads who might be interested in joining the certificate program?

To other undergrads who might be interested in joining the certificate program I’d say make the most of the program! Engage as deeply as you can with the course materials, making connections to how you might apply a concept in a professional setting, and TAKE NOTES! More than anything else, make that extra effort to get in touch with other members in your cohort, and professionals in the Forté Network, to learn about their experiences. You only get out of it what you put in!

Ready to earn a career ready certificate? Check out our certificate page for more information to see if you qualify.