Businesswomen speak on networking

In the ever-changing economic environment in the United States, networking skills can increase an individual's probability of obtaining job interviews. Acknowledging this, the Financial Women's Association (FWA) Mentoring Program at Baruch invited Laura Smith-Dunaief and Patricia Jaquay, two FWA mentors, to share their knowledge and experiences on the topic.

Smith-Dunaief, a Principal of LASD Resource Development, kicked off her presentation with an anecdote on her networking experiences, and then went on to talk about the discipline of networking.

"It's not just about what you can do for me, but what I can do for you," said Smith-Dunaief regarding networking. "It's a two way street."

Smith-Dunaief said she has had an overall positive experience when meeting female Baruch students, and that during her six years as an FWA mentor, she has "met some great young women at Baruch."

Smith-Dunaief also said she admires the passion FWA members have for the organization.

After providing some tips on organizing contacts and sharing a handout with the members, Smith-Dunaief closed with a quote that she mentioned in the beginning of her presentation, "If you don't ask, the answer is always no."

Jaquay, who spoke after Smith-Dunaief, is a reverse mortgage loan officer at Bank of America.

In a similar style to Smith-Dunaief, Jaquay began with a personal story of a positive networking experience, which involved Heidi Miller, who was once ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the most powerful women in the United States.

According to Jaquay, there are three components to networking: "preparation, execution and follow-up."

After going over the importance of each, Jaquay warned, "If you omit the last part, forget one and two," indicating the importance of following up with someone after the first meeting.

Jaquay commented on the positive impact hand written notes have, as both an indication of effort and a way to be unique. In the modern days of e-mail, just being another message in the inbox makes it difficult to stand out.

On a positive note, "People are very willing to help you," Jaquay said.

Following the presentations, Alyce Mayo, administrative director of Entrepreneurship Programs at the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch, said a few words. Mayo is also responsible for FWA.

FWA was established in 1956, and part of its mission, according to the association's website, is "to encourage women to seek career opportunities in finance & business."

The mentoring program began in Baruch eight years ago. Typically, it consists of 30 students: 15 juniors and 15 seniors. Since its beginnings at Baruch, Mayo described it as being "beyond a success."

Mayo expects a bright future for FWA, saying she knows that it will continue to thrive.