MetLife and New England Financial are starting the second year of a
Financial Fellowship Program in conjunction with the American College
in Bryn Mawr, Pa.; it has doubled since its inception last year and is
thought to be the only mentoring program of is kind associated with a
college or university.
The program
matches interns from colleges and universities with senior financial
services professionals in MetLife offices throughout the country. Forty
students completed the course last summer, the first year of the
program. Five of those were hired for financial services positions in
MetLife offices. This year, 100 students are interning for five weeks
in 40 MetLife offices for hand-on experience after studying for a week
at the American College.
"We do business
succession planning for other people," says Al Devji, a financial
planner with 15 years experience who is CEO and president of Devji
Wealth Planning, a MetLife office in Islen, N.J. "I am hoping this will
be succession planning for me and that the student working with me this
summer may be my junior partner someday.
"The young people
come in charged up and you can tell if they have the confidence to
succeed," Devji adds. "They have an opportunity to see what we do and
work with an experienced person. It can help them find out if they want
to do this type of work and they see how they can help their
communities."
The interns are
paid for their work and may receive college credits. Students apply for
the positions during the spring. Additional information can be obtained
at www.ffpmetlife.com/news.