'Network New York' Opens Doors for UB Business Students in Tight Job Market

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- To serve the career needs of its students in a poor national job market, the University at Buffalo School of Management has organized a networking session with more than 30 well-placed UB alumni employed in New York City for 75 of its MBA and business-administration students on Jan. 10.

UB's "Network New York" will give students a chance to consult with alumni from 25 top New York City firms like Kraft Foods, Merrill Lynch, NBC, Prudential, Ernst & Young and Andersen.

To be held 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Manhattan headquarters of Andersen, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, the event includes resume-critiquing sessions with alumni and "realistic job previews" of various careers and industries.

"Reaching out to influential alumni is one way to generate opportunities in a tight job market," says event organizer Michael Paolini, associate director of the School of Management's Career Resource Center. "This isn't meant to be a recruitment event, but we are hoping it will open doors for our students."

In addition to job advice, the students will get a primer on living in New York City. UB alumni Carlos Rey Martin, vice president of finance at BBVA Bank in New York and Paul Houghton, a senior associate at Andersen, will provide pointers on apartment hunting, subway riding and safety precautions after dark.

"These things are second nature to New Yorkers, but they can be tricky for newcomers," explains Martin, who says he's unsure how the events of September 11 will color his presentation.

According to Paolini, Andersen is donating space for the event in recognition of the many UB graduates the company has hired over the years. Andersen partner Gary Koster, a UB alumnus, is an organizer of the event.