Studying Abroad in NYC

 

Hello. My name is Billy Lang and I am a second year student at the University at Albany. Currently, I am living back in my hometown of Stratford, Connecticut. I have recently been offered the opportunity to pursue an internship in New York City, working as an Intern for the Chief Compliance Officer of Nikko Asset Management Americas. In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing with you my story. A story that is inspired by education, both in the classroom and on the job. One of the many challenges for college students and graduates is finding valuable experience in the work place. Over the past decade, standards to qualify for entry level positions have been increasingly adding value to internships and relevant experience over degrees alone. As the work force is changing, the way in which I learn must change as well. My blog will about the broad concepts of working with a team, learning by doing, and applying all of the 21^st century skills that move businesses and people forward. We have spent most of our life sitting in the classroom, reading text books, and writing essays that will never be read again. Now, I am changing that for myself. I will be spending most of my Spring 2016 working with business professionals who are looking to share their experience and offer their knowledge; these are the teachers that I am looking forward to having.

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Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Quote by Eugene Ware

There’s something about beginnings that takes people out of their comfort zone. Starting something new is not always easy and sometimes it can be a challenge; whether you are meeting someone new, enrolling in a new school or starting a new job. However, I truly believe that those moments define who I am. If I spent my life doing the same old things, with the same old people, I would not be where I am today. It’s important to try new things and more importantly different things. It takes a frame of reference to know where you actually are in your life and to realize where you’re going. I could have stayed in school this semester, but instead I branched out.

Imagine Loving What You Do: Sweet Music

Today started off the same as any other. Waking up early and starting the morning commute. Get to the office, grab some coffee. Say “good morning!” and ask “how the hell are ya?” as I go to my desk. I have a pretty big desk. A few computers, printer and scanners are around me, along with some white walls and a semi-comfortable office chair. I look out the window just behind me and see the other skyscrapers. The blue background and white clouds appear on my computer screen as I log in. It was raining outside today, but the view is always stunning. Looking out and seeing the tall buildings is motivating. Looking in to the buildings, knowing business is booming inside is even more magnificent. It must be nice to run a business way up in the sky – all I know is it sure is nice working in the clouds.

Organization: Antidote for Workload Frustration

I am about a month into the job and I am getting the hang of things. Staying organized is a major key and it is not usually something that is enjoyable. It can be tedious and time consuming, but it usually pays off in the end – if you give yourself enough time. I say this because for any few weeks there can be a plethora of projects and assignments that need to be completed. The easiest way to get overwhelmed is to be unorganized. At least when I am organized, I know when I am in over my head – instead of finding out at the last possible minute. Time management is an important feature to staying organized. Not only do I need to know the length and details of the assignment, I need to have an estimate on how long it will actually take me to complete it.

Time is Value

This is NOT a blog post about time management tips. Billy Lang wrote this  in March 2016, when he “Studied Abroad” in NYC! He was offered an internship at a marketing firm and it taught him lessons for a lifetime. 

The daily grind is always fun. It can be tiring and exhausting, but at the end of the week, it is always worth it. The weekends can never come fast enough and are usually too short, but that is how it has always been. Everyone from students to employee’s wish the weekend was longer – that will never change. The experience that I am gaining now is showing me the reality of the world we live in; rarely is there enough time to do what you want to do because we are always focused on doing what we need to do.