The Stony Brook University Career Center virtually held their annual Mock Interview Day event on Friday, October 22. Over a dozen companies attended from various industries, including Softheon, Stony Brook Hospital, YAI, Henry Schein, The Bountiful Company, and GEICO. The 130 students who attended were able to hear advice for a successful interview from each recruiter. In addition, many of them shared words of wisdom, encouraging students and recent alumni to practice their elevator pitch, research companies ahead of time, and create a quiet and clean environment before a virtual interview.
After recruiters introduced themselves and shared advice, students joined them in breakout rooms to practice answering questions. Employers were very impressed with the way Stony Brook students presented themselves while answering questions about their previous experience, teamwork skills, and why they chose their career field.
“It is going to be really hard to provide critical feedback, because everyone is doing so well,”shared Jason Merin from Stony Brook Hospital. “They were able to not only answer my questions but provide layers to their answers.”
Each recruiter selected a winner from their room based on the quality of the students’ answers and confidence in their delivery. Evangeline Parlapanides, who won from her breakout room shared, “Mock Interview Day was a really great experience and I am happy I was able to participate in it. I was nervous at first, even though it was for practice; but listening to how others spoke along with the helpful feedback from an employer who is accustomed to interviewing people on a regular basis was a great experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to attend, and I now feel a lot more confident going into my real interviews for positions.”
The winners of each room won the opportunity to meet with an alumni executive from the following companies:
Christopher am Ende, MS ’08, PhD ’13, Associate Research Fellow, Pfizer
Christina Geraci ’04, Principal Court Attorney, Suffolk County District
Franck D. Joseph II ’12, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, Office of the Queens Borough President
Chenell McBean ’18, Financial Professional, Forest Hills Financial Group
Danielle Tedesco ’14, Consultant, DT Consulting
Student Winners:
Francesca Argueta-Zamora, Business, Senior
Roha Arshad, Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Economics, Junior
Nadia Ashraf, Biochemistry and Sociology, Senior
Lathania Bennett, Applied Maths and Economics, Junior
Morgan Fish, Biology, Sophomore
Grace Howard, Business Management, Senior
Evangeline Parlapanides, Business Management, Junior
Max Kohlroser, Business Administration, Junior
Xiaotian Ma, Computer Science, Senior
Liomard J Mesa, Computer Science, Senior
Rhea Patheja, Economics, Sophomore
Ifunanya Ojukwu, Political Science and Sociology, Senior
Joli Vidal, Psychology, Pre-Med, Senior
Elise Tumibay, Technological Systems Management, Junior
Jonathan Yap, Computer Science, Junior
Students who spoke with the alumni executives had a great experience connecting with professionals from different industries while gaining valuable insight into life after Stony Brook. For example, Francesca Argueta-Zamora, shared, “My one on one with Danielle Tedesco, the director of product at DT Consulting, was really informative despite the fact that she works in a different field than I plan on going into. I asked for advice on dealing with stress and complicated situations and she provided me with valuable insight.”
The ability to network with industry professionals in a comfortable environment was an invaluable experience. Morgan Fish shared, “I had the chance to speak with the Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor at the Office of the Queens Borough President: Franck Joseph II. It was a great networking experience and a great way to improve my interview skills in a professional, yet low stakes environment. I was able to gain a lot of valuable advice about the importance of networking in all industries, and Mr. Joseph even talked about ways I could increase my presence and network on campus and to future employers, which is what helped him get to where he is today. It was very relaxed, informative, and motivational, and I am very grateful for the amazing opportunity.”
The alumni executive mentors thoroughly enjoyed speaking with current students and sharing important words of wisdom. “The work of the Stony Brook University Career Center is invaluable and has helped many Stony Brook students and alumni find their pathway into amazing careers,” said Franck D. Joseph II, Class of 2012 and Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor to the Queens Borough President, recalled, “I recently had the opportunity to sit with a number of students who were engaged with the Career Center and have received great help such as career counseling, developing their interviewing skills, and more. I can say that the investment into students is surely paying off at Stony Brook University, and it is a prime example of what other colleges and universities across our state should model. I look forward to continuing this partnership with my beloved alma mater as we pour into the emerging generations.”
“The opportunity to connect with a Stony Brook student and hear her passion for learning was so inspiring. It made me excited for the future and the impact Stony Brook graduates will have,” said Christopher am Ende ’08, PhD ’13.
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