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“Not everything in life happens according to plan. With that, there might be unexpected opportunities. Try not to make any assumptions before trying anything out. You will likely be more successful the more you try new things with an open mind.”
Sehyun Kim (’23), Financial Management Specialist at Aon in New York, NY
🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩
We recently caught up with Jay Sehgal (BA 2014 Psychology, Minor in Middle East & South Asia Studies) who works as an Investor and Chief of Staff at venture capital firm MetaProp in📍New York, NC. In his role as chief of staff, Jay supports MetaProp’s General Partner in the strategy, operations, and management of their investment team. ay is responsible for ensuring that their internal processes and workflow operate smoothly—essentially keeping the engine running efficiently in support of their goals.
Here are a few fun facts about Jay:
🌍 Jay studied abroad twice when he was at Wake: Summer 2011 in India and Fall 2012 in Venice.
💻 He was part of the Student Technology Council and worked at The Bridge in ZSR.
🎩 His senior year, Jay had the privilege to serve on the WFU Board of Trustees as Student Trustee.
We’ll leave you with some wisdom from Jay:
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“Everyone will have an opinion—whether from short-form media, blogs, Reddit, your parents, or friends. You’ll hear plenty of advice, but ultimately, the decisions you make should align with your own values and goals. Start with the end in mind: think about what truly matters to you, then reverse-engineer the steps to get there. It’s okay if your path looks different from someone else’s—there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.”
Read more of our Q&A with Jay at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-jay-sehgal/
We’ve been talking to a lot of @wfualumni 🎩 who have worked in public sector jobs and are hoping to shift into private sector roles. Before you navigate from a government role into a corporate one, there are several differences between the two sectors to consider as you apply for new jobs.
Check out these 5️⃣ strategies from Harvard Business Review to help you get started and then read this recent article (linked in bio & stories) with resume tips for showcasing your KSA’s in a way that translates to private sector roles.
https://hbr.org/2025/03/a-guide-to-updating-your-resume-when-moving-from-public-to-private-sector
As career, executive, and team coach Marlo Lyons mentions in this article:
📣“It’s not just skills and actual work that differs: Job titles, business metrics, and work culture vary significantly between sectors. A government “executive officer” might map to a VP, director, chief administrative officer, department head, or chief of staff in private industry, depending on their specific responsibilities. Similarly, government success is measured by policy impact, long-term outcomes, and compliance, whereas businesses focus on revenue growth, scalability, and innovation.”
Reach out to our team if we can be helpful as you make the transition to a new industry or line of work!💛🖤
According to senior recruiter for GrowthLoop, Kathleen Nolan, this current job market is “a not normal” one. 🚩
We’re hearing from recruiters of all industries that their open job postings are getting flooded with candidate applications. In fact, many postings receive so many applications that recruiters are taking down their postings before the stated deadline. (💡Pro Tip: Do NOT wait until the last minute to apply. That posting might get taken down early!)
Whether you’ve been recently laid off from a job or are trying to enter the job market, here are 4 helpful tips to help you stand out as a job seeker.
To read the full article published in CNBC this past Sunday, visit the link in our profile or stories. And as always, reach out to our team if we can help you put some of these best practices into action!
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/30/recruiter-whos-hired-hundreds-4-steps-can-help-job-seekers-stand-out.html
Been a while since you’ve updated your resume? Whether you’re planning to apply for jobs or simply need to update your document with recent accomplishments, we’ve created a quick guide to designing an awesome resume. 💡
Once you’ve integrated these best practices into your resume, our team is always happy to take a look and give you feedback.
To learn more, visit the link in our bio or stories.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/resume-guide/
We know there’s a lot going on in the world right now, especially with regards to the world of work. Rather than making assumptions, our team would love to know what your biggest career challenges are currently, the type of career support or resources you need, and how you’d like to receive that support. 🫶
Take less than one minute of your day to answer our short alumni career needs survey at the link in our bio or stories.
It’s our privilege to support you in your post-Wake career journey and appreciate any information you can give us to better do that! 🎩
https://forms.gle/xPT4HjYNNz2j28Lx5
Feeling unfulfilled in your job or regretting a career move? You’re not alone—but you can find something better.
Join us for our next alumni webinar on Wednesday, April 9th, from 11:30am-12:15pm ET on Zoom. In this webinar, Certified Career Coach Hallie Crawford will help you gain clarity, overcome obstacles, and design a career that truly fits you.
Register at the link in our bio or stories!
https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/online-alumni-webinar-from-stuck-to-thriving-04-09-2025-0011819
Wake Forest alumni 🎩 are invited to attend this upcoming webinar hosted by ACSN (the world’s largest network of alumni career services leaders)! Join LinkedIn’s former head of Education Marketing, Jeremy Schifeling, to learn the insider secrets to navigate this challenging moment, including:
🔀 How to shift your career to a new role or industry – even if you’re not sure how to make the leap
👀 How to make sure your LinkedIn profile is ready – by focusing on the keywords that recruiters are searching for right now
📈 How to increase your chances 10X even when opportunities are scarce – and even if you’ve been laid-off
While the session will be recorded, just be sure to join LIVE since only live participants will be eligible to win a free LinkedIn Profile Makeover from Jeremy himself!
Register at the link in our bio or stories, and be sure to indicate that Wake Forest University invited you to participate on the registration form. 💛
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-wLZzf10RdqTuLnYFR1r-A#/registration
Our next Coffee Chat with Alumni is coming up in April! ☕️ Deadline to sign-up and be included in our pairings for alumni conversations is next week on Friday, March 28th. 📆
Whether this is your first time participating or you’ve signed up for every coffee chat this past spring, this is an awesome (and easy) way to expand your network. 👥👥👥👥👥👥
*This is an alumni-only event (students – connect with @wfuopcd for student networking opps!)*
[Side note: This is NOT a live, time-specific event! And yes, you have to register for each month in which you want to participate!]
If you’re new around here, this is how it works:
1️⃣ You register.
2️⃣ We pair you up with another 🎩 Wake alum and introduce the two of you via email.
3️⃣ The two of you find a mutually convenient time for a conversation (phone, Zoom, in-person, whatever makes sense for y’all!)
💥And just like that, you’ve grown your network, one conversation at a time!💥
It’s super simple. Sign-up at the 🔗 in our profile or stories to give it a try!
https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/online-coffee-chat-with-alumni-04-01-2025-0011491
🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩
We recently caught up with Marshall Shaffer (BA 2015, Communication and Sociology, Minor in Film Studies) who works as Associate Director, Paid Social, at Ogilvy in📍New York, NY. Marshall began with the company in 2018 and executes new paid media offerings for health & wellness clients. As their media expertise grew beyond social to encompass a broader range of digital tactics, he has kept a foot in both worlds to understand how content and distribution go hand-in-hand.
Here are a few fun facts about Marshall:
🎬 Marshall is also a professional movie critic certified on Rotten Tomatoes.
🎤 He has interviewed such talents as Robert Pattinson, Emma Stone, and Paul Mescal!
🎭 He was once pulled on stage during a show and had to act opposite Daniel Radcliffe.
We’ll leave you with some wisdom from Marshall:
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“Start noticing the areas of your life where you feel your mind drawn — and ensure that you’ve aligned your investment of time and money with that. For everything else, figure out a way to reduce the amount of energy you have to expend on those things.”
Read more of our Q&A with Marshall at the 🔗 in our profile or stories.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-marshall-shaffer/