By Helena Goodman

Sara Schmitt of Amazon

Jennifer Lowe of MasterCard

Job seekers who have a strong work ethic and are good at networking and setting goals will have the upper hand in a tough economy, said representatives from three major corporations in a recent virtual discussion for prospective and current students at the Katz School of Science and Heath. “The panel discussion was a great way for students to gain insight from leaders in the STEM field,” said Jared Hakimi, director of recruitment and admissions at the Katz School, referring to the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “The Katz School not only prepares students academically but provides a network and exposure to industry insiders that students can leverage for their career success.” Sara Schmitt started off in advertising but is now a senior program manager at Amazon, working on ultra-fast grocery fulfillment, strategy and technology. She previously was a social media consultant for an infant nutrition startup, an implementation executive at Epic (healthcare IT) and media planner at Mediaedge (optimizing advertising mix and spend for confectionary and telecom clients).

Chris Mui of MediaCom

She advised students to look for mentors in the workplace and emphasized the importance of having a supervisor or employer invested in their growth and success. She also suggested they identify the skill set and experience they wish to gain when applying for a new job or thinking of a career change. “Knowing what your goals are and what you hope to gain from a role will help you when making big decisions,” she said. Jennifer Lowe is director on the new payment flows team at Mastercard, responsible for bill-pay exchange commercialization that enables go-to-market activities, including all BPX external trade efforts, research and marketing. She has been with Mastercard for seven years and most recently completed her MBA at Cornell University as part of the Mastercard innovation scholars program. “People love to talk about their experiences, so don’t hesitate to reach out and learn from someone who can help you,” she said. “Even if someone you know from school doesn’t specifically specialize in your desired sector or work at your dream company, odds are they know someone who does.” Chris Mui, an associate director at MediaCom, oversees teams responsible for the planning and execution of digital advertising campaigns. He’s involved in paid search and social media campaigns for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, fitness, financial services and oil and gas industries. “Some skills can be taught, so even if a candidate doesn’t have 100 percent of the skill set needed, we will hire them if we recognize the right attitude and strong work ethic.” The Katz School of Science and Health is an academic powerhouse in the heart of New York City. It offers master's programs in five sectors that are redefining the economy: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Biotech and Health, Digital Media, and Fintech. In the lab, classroom and clinic, we lead with kindness, integrity, generosity and a commitment to making the world safer, smarter and healthier. Click here for information about the Bright Futures Scholarship Initiative that offers a total fixed tuition of $25,000 for science and technology master's degrees.