CFA Society New York launched a successful mentorship program for Level II candidates in Spring 2019, drawing inspiration from a similar initiative orchestrated by CFA Society Orlando.
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The local society sought to build on that year-one success through a multitude of program enhancements and—as it relates to its program participants—saw encouraging gains in society membership.
CFA Society New York refined its application process, devising a revamped candidate form more conducive to gaining a meaningful appreciation for the respective career objectives, key strengths and foremost areas of development of their program audience. The local society also recruited previous participants to serve as event planners, and to aid in the review and matching of applications. The updates to the program ultimately proved to afford mentors an increased capacity to offer valuable expertise and guidance.
The second iteration of the mentorship program launched in January 2020, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States. Prior to widespread lockdowns, CFA Society New York organized a number of events, including speed networking and study-group sessions.
Since the local society has been unable to present onsite events—and, naturally, offer in-person attendance opportunities—the program encouraged mentors and mentees to stay connected via virtual programming, such as a virtual happy hour and a career advancement panel. An uptick in society membership has followed.
"We believed establishing a mentorship program could be a great way for CFA Society New York to build relationships with exam candidates," said Maggie Wong, CFA, Young Leaders Group Chair. "It would provide access to the local professional network, events and resources, as well as allow members to give back to the investment community."
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