By Emmanuel Okoli
I recently had a conversation with a student in one of my classes who hadn’t had an internship yet, which nearly resulted in me raving about this organization that I recently learned about. The organization had been involved throughout the semester, bringing KPMG (a top-four accounting firm) CEO Paul Knopp to speak on the Lehman campus.
They’re called the New York Jobs CEO Council, and I’ve recently had the opportunity to see just how influential and impactful this organization is.
On August 21st, I had the chance to attend a US Open exclusive event hosted by the New York Jobs CEO Council at the largest tennis organization in the world, Arthur Ashe Stadium, in Queens. There, I conversed with job recruiters, the managing director, and senior associates and learned about the work of the New York CEO Council and how they got to where they are.
New York Jobs CEO Council
The New York Jobs CEO Council is committed to creating economic opportunities in New York City and beyond, focusing on bridging the skills gap and fostering a diverse workforce. Led by influential CEOs from some of the world’s most prominent companies, the Council has pledged to connect 100,000 New Yorkers, including 25,000 CUNY students, to quality jobs by 2030.
So far, they’ve helped 7,634 CUNY graduates get hired into family-sustaining entry-level roles and enabled 2,313 CUNY students to get paid internships.
How do they do this?
They offer resources like resume and cover letter templates, and events.
“We want to act as a student resource,” said Niezum Ahmed, a Baruch College graduate interning as a multimedia intern for the New York Jobs CEO Council. “We want to direct you to where you need to go and help prepare you to become career-ready.”
As I talked with the organization, one thing that kept coming up was its Talent Network, which recently offered students an opportunity to attend an industry trek with Bloomberg, with professionals who spoke about their journeys to Bloomberg.
The Talent Network is a one-stop shop for much of what the New York Jobs Council has to offer.
Why it matters to students
Lehman College has one of the most diverse college communities, with 55% of the community being Hispanic or Latino and 25.4% Black or African American, according to an article by DataUSA. However, this demographic is often underserved and underrepresented, especially in the job market. The New York Jobs CEO Council is looking to help change that.
“We talk a lot about representation. Representation is the catalyst of our organization. We want to be able to showcase to New Yorkers and, specifically, CUNY students, [...] that you can make it.” says Niezum. “I mean, that’s in our tagline. [...] Because it’s true. It doesn’t matter who you are, what type of background you have, if you grew up with all the resources, or if you didn’t grow up with any resources [...]. We offer opportunities for everyone.”
Speaking of under-representation, Lehman students can utilize this opportunity to get their name, and Lehman’s, out there, which is why Daniella joined, a sophomore majoring in accounting and Lehman’s New York Jobs Council Ambassador. “People sleep on Lehman so much, and I’m like, Baruch isn’t the only one that can give you these freaking prodigies. Other schools can produce good kids, not only one.”
The New York Jobs CEO Council offers internships, networking opportunities with CEOs via their talent portal, and access to top recruiters.
The deal with Internships
I wouldn’t want to be another broken record, but internships are extremely important to college students.
The unemployment rate of students with versus without internships is massive, especially those in social work and computer science. The New York Jobs CEO Council is a way to get internships so no one gets left behind in the job market.
