BURNSVILLE, Minn.–In an effort to assist future-focused high schoolers who are beginning to make decisions on career path options, Firefly Credit Union has been providing career panels as an efficient yet insightful alternative to job shadowing. By attending panels, students have the opportunity for individual contact with the full executive team, including the CEO.
“Our panels provide a unique opportunity for students to learn about a variety of positions that transcend the financial services industry, including those related to Human Resources, Finance, IT, Marketing, Member Services, Risk Management, and Business Strategy,” said Marty Kelly, SVP Chief Marketing Officer at Firefly Credit Union. “It is also not every day that high school students are able to have a dialogue with the CEO of a billion dollar financial institution.”
A typical panel includes a background of the credit union and Firefly’s company culture. Students also hear from the entire Firefly Executive Management Team who explain their role, a “day-in-the-life” overview of their position, and the paths that led them to where they are today. The panel also gives students advice on gaining essential life skills that will help ready them for whichever future profession they hope to pursue.
“A large takeaway that these students will surely see by attending a career panel is that while the roles of those on our Executive Management Team vary greatly, collaboration is integral to the success of any team,” said Kelly. “No matter what industry students end up in, they will almost always be in a role that will require them to have the skills needed to work in partnership with others who have different academic and professional backgrounds.”