3 Reasons Why You Should Participate in City Tutors’ Programs

If you're a Baruch student, you are probably aware of the fact that the college offers more than just rigorous education. Baruch also provides career guidance and professional development through its career centers, mentorship opportunities through Executives on Campus, and fun social events through Student Life and student clubs. So, if you can have virtually all your academic, professional, and social needs met at school, why bother looking for resources or counsel anywhere else? One good reason is that expanding your horizons beyond campus grounds would enrich your learning experience and widen your network.  

Joining The City Tutors’ programs, for example, would allow you to grow as a well-rounded individual in New York City. Since Baruch is a partner of City Tutors, some Baruch students have already benefited from the organization’s workshops, events, and mentorship program. Two of those students include Akash Karmakar and Candas Kirnaz.  

Akash moved to New York from Kolkata, India, to pivot from a career in software engineering to that in finance. While studying at Baruch, he learned about and signed up for the City Tutors through the Graduate Career Management Center (GCMC). Like Akash, Candas moved to New York from Turkey also to study finance—a shift from his career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Candas also learned about the City Tutors through the GCMC but did not sign up for any programs until later: “I was applying to many jobs, but I didn’t hear back from any employers,” Candas recalls. “Then one of my classmates told me that he was joining some webinars from City Tutors, so I applied for the newsletters, and I listened to the webinars. I found them interesting, and then I applied.” 

The City Tutors is a free learning and career center for New York City residents. As Candas explains, the organization has three main programs. “One is the monthly webinars, which cover different topics and include different professionals,” Candas describes. “So, students can join and listen to them and understand what the professionals are sharing, their advice, their experiences. And then, students can reach out to these professionals directly through LinkedIn to ask for more details. The second is mentorship. You can apply for a mentor and City Tutors will match you with one. The third is in-person events. From time to time, they make different kinds of social events, where you can meet mentors and mentees at the same time.” 

Both Candas and Akash provide insight into each of these three programs, and offer three reasons why you should participate in City Tutors: 

1) you will have the chance to learn from a greater variety of industry professionals 

2) you can receive personalized mentorship 

3) you will develop meaningful relationships with people of a larger community 

Let’s dive deeper into each. 

1) You Will Have the Chance to Learn from a Greater Variety of Industry Professionals 

If you’ve attended networking events or other similar gatherings at Baruch, you have probably met numerous professionals and experts working in your field of study. When Candas attended GCMC events, for instance, he mostly met individuals working in finance. At City Tutors, however, participants are invited to attend events that cover a variety of subjects including but not limited to data, bitcoin, fintech, and so on. Candas also points out that even if you attend an event about a subject unrelated to your industry and meet people who do not work in the field you are interested in, those newly formed connections may know other people who can help you achieve your professional goals. Participating in City Tutors will thus offer you opportunities to expand your network beyond the connections you make on campus and beyond your industry of focus.  

2) You can Receive Personalized Mentorship 

If you’ve never had a mentor before, City Tutors is a great place to find one. In fact, mentees are allowed up to four mentors at a time. The mentors are professionals with industry-specific knowledge who voluntarily give their time to provide career guidance. According to Akash, they are also different from coaches in that mentors speak from their own personal experiences.  

Akash and Candas both took advantage of City Tutors’ mentorship program and worked with their mentors to tailor their resumes for finance roles. Following the mentors’ advice eventually resulted in employment opportunities. For example, Candas received offers from companies like Deloitte and Grant, Herrmann, Schwartz & Klinger LLP.  

But what if you still feel hesitant to work with a mentor, despite the obvious benefits? Akash claims, “There’s nothing to worry about. Have a chit-chat, share experiences, just have a normal conversation like you would with a friend. Eventually, you will build a friendship in the long term.” 

3) You Will Develop Meaningful Relationships with People of a Larger Community 

City Tutors not only hosts professional events, but fun, casual, social ones as well. Intended to bolster a sense of community, these events allow attendees to meet people of many different backgrounds and from all walks of life, ranging from young students to long-time graduates. Akash recommends going to these gatherings, which may include office visits, happy hours, sports, and even hiking. “You will build long-lasting friendships through it,” Akash says. “You will meet very nice people who are not even related to your field: someone with a different background, someone maybe from finance, someone with a tech background. You come together, share experiences, and you learn a lot.” 

Candas also believes that fostering such a community at City Tutors will help create a pipeline of volunteers and mentors. “So, for example,” he explains, “I go to the events, I had a mentorship program, now I get an offer and maybe, after graduation, I will be a mentor also in City Tutors. So, they are looking for students to not just participate now, but in the future as well. Because of that, I think it’s good to bring people together.” 

Going to City Tutors’ events would be especially beneficial for international students. Meeting people from a larger community would increase their chances of finding employment opportunities that would sponsor them. 

How to Get Started with City Tutors 

If we’ve made a convincing case as to why you should participate in City Tutors’ programs, here are a couple ways you can get started:  

1. 1. Akash recommends that you first visit City Tutors’ website at https://www.thecitytutors.org/ and sign up for a mentor. By getting to know one person, you will eventually feel more comfortable exploring what City Tutors has to offer and thus meet more people.  
    

2. 2. Candas recommends that you start by attending City Tutors’ webinars. They are typically large and less than an hour long. They are also a great way to learn about professionals’ experiences. Afterwards, you can choose to contact the speakers and develop your network that way.  

However you decide to get involved with City Tutors, you are bound to have an eye-opening experience. Go to a webinar and you will become more knowledgeable on a given subject. Go for mentorship and you will learn industry insights from a professional who has once been in your shoes. And most of all, go for the community; you just might develop a professional relationship (or even friendship!) that might last a lifetime. 

About the author:  

Elizabeth Moy is a graduate student in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch College, pursuing an MA in Strategic Communication. She is also a College Assistant with the Zicklin Graduate Career Management Center.