Future Housing Leaders helped shape my career aspirations
As an intern at Walker & Dunlop this summer, I was given the opportunity to also participate in Future Housing Leaders. The information presented in Future Housing Leaders was extremely beneficial to my future career development. I always knew that connections were important in business and career opportunities, but Future Housing Leaders provided me with the resources to turn the skills I learned into action. I made connections that are integral to my future success with those in real estate through the tools the program provided.
One presentation that really facilitated this insight was Kirsten Parker’s keynote, which explained how to use LinkedIn to “grow your brand.” I learned that professionals in the industry, especially alumni from the university you attend, are more than willing to set up calls to discuss their roles and experience in real estate. I have since set up numerous calls with real estate professionals, ranging from entry-level analysts all the way up to members of the board of directors at major players in the real estate brokerage industry. These opportunities have been a fantastic way to showcase the knowledge I have gained during my time at Walker & Dunlop as a Capital Markets Summer Analyst and gain more insights into potential career paths.
Future Housing Leaders also provided me with priceless resources such as the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Bound Course, which allowed me to sit in on live webinars with top professionals in the real estate industry. I learned about the entire mortgage banking process from origination and servicing to secondary markets and regulatory compliance. The opportunity to hear firsthand from professionals in the industry has furthered my passion for real estate and confirmed my desire to pursue real estate post-undergrad.
Lastly, Future Housing Leaders did an incredible job of highlighting how important diversity is in general, and specifically in the real estate industry. The content I have been exposed to during this program has emphasized how critical it is to recognize diversity in the workplace. Specifically, it has helped me gain insight into the fact that everybody comes from different backgrounds, and this is something that should be celebrated. Having a diverse group working on a problem does not hinder success, but rather helps it flourish by establishing a platform for discussion and promoting compromise. This allows people of all different backgrounds to give their opinions and bolsters collaboration — a critical skill to success in our fast-paced society.
Future Housing Leaders provided me with resources that have helped me develop networking skills, gain a deeper understanding of the real estate industry, and shape the individual I strive to be in the workplace.