Tech Group’s bottom line is to help students get jobs and its leadership team is willing to do whatever they can to help their members.
The student organization is a sub-organization of the Association of Latino Professionals for America geared toward providing members technical skills such understanding commonly-used software within accounting, finance and technology companies.
“The point of ALPFA and Tech Group is to make everyone more well-rounded. ALPFA provides something we don’t and we provide something ALPFA doesn’t,” said Kevin Betancourt, Tech Group’s president. “… When we come together, we make our students stand out because they have those soft skills to get in front of a recruiter and the tech skills to get them the job.”
The senior finance major says the technical skills Tech Group provides, in addition to ALPFA’s curriculum, give members an edge over their peers in job hunting.
“Once you go to an interview and you say ‘I know Excel,’ and you really do know it like the back of your hand, you have an advantage over everyone else,” Betancourt said. “You might be given a spreadsheet on an internship and have to know how to create tables or have to present a PowerPoint to a higher level executive. We teach pretty much everything you would need to know.”
The organization’s treasurer, John Cristancho, says this knowledge is the biggest takeaway for students who join.
“Last year, I had an internship with Johnson and Johnson and during my interview they asked me to do a ‘vlookup,’ and walk them through it,” Cristancho said. “Many of us, when we went into our first internship, we didn’t know what was expected of us as far as technical software, so that’s what we strive to teach [members]. Not only for internships, but when they go for a full-time position.”
To help give students the skills needed for the types of jobs they’re seeking, Tech Group hosts weekly workshops and individual teaching sessions. Each of the organization’s events are planned to develop students professionally and academically, said Juan Grajales, the organization’s program director.
“When it comes to our workshops, we set up the curriculum so that students can apply some of the skills not just for work but also in the school environment,” Grajales. “… We try to have the student body to be aware of the fact that if you are in need of these skills, then we are an organization that is open to all FIU students.”
The workshops and events usually bring firms and professionals to offer networking opportunities and real-world experiences, said Betancourt.
“The people who teach our workshops have prior knowledge in the field, so they are credible …They provide us with data and whatever we may need, in addition to having professionals who are still in the field and have lots of experience, and they give us great lessons,” Betancourt said.
These opportunities come from partnerships the organization creates with big-named companies that are looking for Latino employees.
“This fall, we had partnerships with Deloitte, a Big Four accounting firm, and they came out and held workshops with us. We also had a partnership with Microsoft, where they held a workshop at the Microsoft Store. We had gaming tournaments, or events in the GC Pit where they get to show their virtual reality and different products,” Betancourt said.
Cristancho says the organization is also attempting to build a partnership with JPMorgan Chase to assist students interested in finance and give them some exposure to the various segments of the business world.
“When we partner with different organizations, because Tech Group doesn’t charge a membership fee, one of our goals is to get sponsorship through those companies. So we’re giving exposure to the company to students but we’re also providing a way to run the organization,” said Cristancho.
Experiences like these are why it’s important to get involved and apply for leadership positions, he says.
Betancourt says joining the organization gave him a leg up on the competition and from the things he’s learned, he’s gotten post-graduation job offers. One of the biggest lessons he’s taking away from the organization is to seek opportunities to learn more.
“You can know nothing, and learn anything. Just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean you should be discouraged,” said Betancourt. “If you don’t know something, come to us and we’ll help you.”
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