On March 5, 2020, the Student Accounting Association and Student Finance Association hosted a joint meeting at the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology. The guest speakers included two IUP alumni who currently work at PNC in Pittsburgh: Brady Wise (’95 BS, accounting), head of enterprise risk management and chief operating officer of independent risk management at PNC; and Mitch O’Shell (’19 MBA and ’18 BS, finance), a risk associate with PNC. Both speakers offered helpful advice to the students in attendance.
Wise began the meeting by telling students they need to “build their brand.” Wise expressed the importance of students discovering what they value and what their strengths are, which is very important when building one’s résumé and finding the right position. Wise noted that strengths can be intertwined into the position for the company. He also emphasized that résumés should be free of grammatical errors and should be appealing to the eye. He urged students to have someone else review their résumé and to take advantage of professional résumé workshops.
The SAA and SFA hosted a joint meeting on March 5 featuring guest speakers from PNC, Brady Wise ’95 and Mitch O’Shell ’19. Shown in photo: Bobby Kanick, SAA vice president; sophomore accounting majors Lorena Solivan and Hemanta Dhakal; Mitch O’Shell; Brady Wise; Matt Cowan, SFA vice president; Jay Morrison, SFA president; and Rebecca Shellenbarger, senior finance major who will be joining PNC’s Independent Risk Management Development Program after she graduates.
When it comes time to interview, Wise recommended that students “dress to impress” the interviewer, and should dress similarly to the highest level of management at the company. Wise said it is very important that candidates have researched the company and know the background of the corporate culture. At the end of the interview, it is suggested that the interviewee ask at least three questions and send a thank-you note to the interviewer within 24 hours of the interview.
At PNC, Wise has had much experience and success, and he enjoys working at PNC because it offers an environment for growth without the competitiveness of a big firm.
On a daily basis, Wise helps to evaluate many different types of risk. Depending on the department, a risk manager could evaluate external companies’ risks involved with products, internal risks of credit failure, fraud, and criminal risks involving PNC’s cyber information.
O’Shell said that, upon entering PNC, employees are placed into a program where they rotate through four different programs. This allows for PNC employees to gain insight and experience in each risk department. The program offers mentorship and places new employees with a group of other people where they can establish professional relationships. At the end of the rotation, employees are placed into a full-time risk position.
PNC has several different standards that upper management expects to see from candidates. It is important that candidates have strong integrity, team collaboration skills, and respect, among other qualities.
When networking, Wise says it is important to be professional with all company members because upper management watches how employees interact with one another. Wise told those in attendance to be careful what they post and like on social media because it can influence hiring decisions.
Both speakers provided excellent advice to students in attendance for professional development. At the conclusion of the meeting, there were opportunities to network with both Wise and O’Shell.
It is always a privilege to have PNC bank here at the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology.
—Submitted by, Sandra Shanshala, SAA Publicity Chair