In June, more than 150 interns from over 20 organizations descended upon the Bank for “Intern Buzz,” two half-day events hosted by the Boston Fed and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce as part of the Internship Collaborative initiative. The events served as an opportunity for area organizations’ interns to network and learn how best to leverage internships.   

Over the past several years, the Bank and the Chamber have worked together in a partnership known as the Internship Collaborative, which seeks to strengthen New England’s workforce and economy by convening employers, students, and college career counselors around talent retention initiatives and events. Intern Buzz is an annual summer event for local interns, and this year, the event was split into two days to accommodate demand.

Research conducted by the Boston Fed, in conjunction the Chamber and Mercer, found that New England has a low retention rate of talented college graduates relative to other regions of the country despite a large amount of non-native students who come to the area to attend the region’s prestigious colleges and universities.

“Intern Buzz is a great opportunity for area interns to learn not only about networking, but also to practice it and develop relationships that will strengthen their ties to the Boston area.  The goal is to encourage more of them to stay in the area after graduation to supply the talent our growing economy needs,” said Assistant Vice President Krista Blair.

At the events, First Vice President Ken Montgomery welcomed students and explained the Boston Fed and the Federal Reserve System’s role as the nation’s central bank—and our focus of promoting a strong economy within New England.  Montgomery emphasized the robust Boston market and the myriad of industries and opportunities rooted in the region.

Farhana Cannon, CEO and founder of iMedia Exposure, taught students the basics of utilizing social media for professional networking. According to Cannon, individuals need to market themselves as a small business with a carefully curated brand. She encouraged the students to establish a presence on key professional social channels and offered tips to get the most out of their networks. 

Starr Coughlin, an intern with Iron Mountain who attended Thursday’s event, said she picked up several tips from the presenters on how to effectively network. “If you’re apt to collecting many business cards, right after meeting someone and obtaining their card, you should write down what you talked about and where you met them on it.”

Interns representing State Street Corporation, Deloitte, Natixis Global Asset Management, Iron Mountain, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Fed, 451 Marketing, and many other organizations comprised the approximately 150 Intern Buzz attendees.