Attending professional networking events: 3 points

In the last week of August prior to returning to campus, I attended the Bloomberg HBCU Academy of Excellence in New York City. This event, meant to familiarize potential HBCU talent with the Bloomberg work environment, was three days of networking, professional development, and fun. As a part of the News and Media sector of the program, I was paired with an HBCU-connected Bloomberg mentor, with whom I met regularly in the weeks prior to the event. During my few days in the office, I had the opportunity to meet and shadow Bloomberg journalists, network with the Black and HBCU-connected community within the office and from other institutions, work on Bloomberg-exclusive technology, and attend workshops and panels on how to strengthen my writing and prepare for a potential career at Bloomberg. I truly feel that I learned a lot from the program’s hands-on approach about markets, economics, and business journalism. The experience truly helped me to begin to visualize what I want from a workplace as I prepare for life post-graduation, and was a fantastic opportunity for me to expand my knowledge and familiarize myself with new skills in the realm of journalism. 

by Bethany Benjamin