Career Ready: Alumni Offer Guidance in Annual Alumni Dinner Series

Lander College for Men Graduates, Accomplished in Their Fields, Come Back to Campus to Share Professional Experience and Insights With Students

February 20, 2024
Top: LCM pre-dental students with alums who are now dentists; Bottom: Accounting students with alumni at Career Week
Top: Lander College for Men pre-dental students with alums who are now dentists; Bottom: Accounting students with alumni at Career Week

Students received real-world advice about their future careers and had the opportunity to ask alumni about their personal career paths, their college and graduate school experiences and the lessons they learned on the job. Practical guidance on preparing for job interviews, work-life balance and managing professional and religious commitments were also shared.

Finance and Accounting Alumni Pay It Forward

“I come back to Lander College for Men to pay forward the career advice and direction that I was fortunate to get from the alumni network when I was a student. I have immense gratitude to be counted among the ranks of students that LCM has successfully sent off into the workforce,” said Jason Appleson, CFA, Managing Director, Head of Municipal Bonds, PGIM Fixed Income.

“Lander students continue to set standards in their respective disciplines. The students display the full suite of desirable characteristics that employers look for, including hard-working, motivated and capable. Who knows, one day I might be working for one of them!” continued Appleson.

Accounting majors heard from seasoned auditors, consultants and tax professionals and “learned the benefits of working hard at the start of our careers to ensure our future success as well as what it’s like to be a Jew working in a non-Jewish environment,” said future CPA, Noam Zimmerman.

Future Physicians, Dentists Learn the Ropes

Pre-med students learned about resume building, MCAT studying, student loans, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the all-important medical school interviews. According to Dr. Noam Lax, a neurologist, “getting into medical school is definitely the hardest part of the entire process, from undergraduate all the way through attending physician.” Dr. Coby Dorfman, who attended Touro’s New York Medical College after Lander and is now a pediatric resident at Westchester Medical Center, seconded Lax’s comments.

The physicians shared advice on choosing medical schools and residencies based upon Shabbos and Yom Tov accommodations. They and other health science alumni throughout the week discussed the pathways from Touro’s Lander Colleges to the University’s respected graduate and professional programs.

Pre-dental student Yosef Aronov was thrilled by the opportunity to connect with alumni Dr. Seth Faigen and Dr. Andrew Lermer. “We discussed everything from maintaining a work-life balance to dealing with patients and running a successful practice. Dr. Faigen's analogy about running a marathon—where ‘you don't need to trip others to win, you just need to run faster’—really struck a chord. It reminded us that in dentistry, helping each other out doesn't take away from our own success; it actually helps us all win. So, while we focus on our studies and exams, we should also lend a hand to our peers, knowing that together, we can all thrive in this profession.”

Matan Schiller, also a pre-dental student appreciated tips alumni shared for gaining acceptance into dental school, such as “learning Spanish, being involved with extracurriculars and ultimately making sure to be well-rounded individuals.”

Mrs. Jodi Smolen, Career Services Director at Touro’s Lander College for Men, says Lander Career Week is invaluable for students. “Alumni come back to campus, connect with current students and provide real-time advice about what is happening in their industries. Students gain a better understanding of what to expect regarding work-life balance, what skills are truly important and how to advance their careers.”