Papers submitted in response to the title must cover the following 3 points:

     A. Two specific careers in the financial services profession must be analyzed. A minimum of at least eight professionals, four from each profession, must be interviewed. Some of the interviews must be face-to-face (including Zoom or Skype). Students must demonstrate an understanding of what practitioners do, not just the designations they may hold. Students should also examine the benefits, if any, derived from being active in professional associations.

     B. Students must examine the characteristics and preferences of each career. For example, how do practitioners describe and rank:

•     Income Opportunities

•     Flexibility

•     Work/Life Balance

•     Career Growth and Advancement

•     Job Stability

•     Sense of Meaning

•     Other

     C. The research must ​​include a discussion of what practitioners know now that they wish someone would have told them when they started their career.

     D. The paper should synthesize not just report the information gathered. It should not exceed 16 pages as more fully discussed below under “Paper Submission Requirements.”

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The competition consists of an oral presentation in addition to the paper. Judges will have the option to select up to 5 teams to compete in the oral portion of the competition. The number of teams selected may be less than 5 teams depending on the quality of the papers submitted. By participating in the competition applicants agree to assume any risk associated with the program, including releasing the organizers from all claims of loss, damage, injury, sickness or death that may arise as a result.

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   Scholarship Awards are in addition to cruise cabin expense*

1st Place – Up to $3,500
2nd Place – Up to $2,500
3rd Place - Up to $2,000
4th Place – Up to $1,750
5th Place – Up to $1,500

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Questions contact Terri Getman at tgchfc@gmail.com or 800-869-1327 or direct 952-232-8095

*Scholarships checks will be made out to qualified charitable entities

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TO COMPETE: Students must submit a written solution in the manner described below by midnight November 1, 2024. Teams entering the competition may be comprised of up to two undergraduate and/or graduate students per team. Students who graduate earlier in December 2024 are permitted as long as permitted by the university. A panel of judges will select up to five finalist teams with the top written solutions covered in the submitted papers. Each of the final teams selected will be from a different university. The paper will count 35% of the final decision.

 

FINAL ORAL COMPETITION: The plan is for the finalist teams to compete for scholarship funds in an oral competition during the unique Financial ConNEXTion Educational Cruise departing Galveston, TX on February 17, 2025 going to Costa Maya and Cozumel. The scholarship award will be partially based on attendance (both student & professor) at the educational meetings and group dinners conducted on the cruise. If the cruise is cancelled due to emergency the oral competition will be held by video and scholarships will be awarded.

 

ORAL COMPETITION CONTENT: The oral presentation will be based on how the information gathered for the paper influenced the students’ decision to either pursue, or not pursue, the 2 careers studied. PowerPoint will be optional. A team will be disqualified if a student or professor does not participate in the cruise for any reason other than medical or national emergency.

 

PASSPORT: Passports are required. 

 

CRUISE EXPENSES COVERED: The student finalists and professor from each university will have the cruise cabin expense for a double occupancy inside cabin covered. This includes meals in main dining, taxes, wifi, and gratuities. It does not cover transportation to and from Galveston or shore excursions. We recommend flights into Houston Bush International Airport arriving on February 16, 2024. Group rate package is available for February 16 in Houston and round-trip transportation from hotel to cruise pier and back to Bush airport. Reservations must be made with Continuing Education at Seas at 800-422-0711 before November 17, 2024 (refer to Financial ConNEXTion cruise). After this date changes will be made at the then available rate. 

 

OTHER CRUISE ATTENDEES: Students, family and friends are invited to attend this unique cruise experience.

 

SIGN-UP SHEET: If you think you will be submitting a paper please complete the sign-up sheet at the end and send it to tgclu@comcast.net. 

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FOR MORE DETAILS:

- Sample Questions

-Submission Requirements

- Format and Writing Style

CLICK BELOW! 

 

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