The 60-Second Commercial Assignment
By Ed Barr
MSCF students work hard, very hard. They study stochastic calculus, time series, simulation, machine learning, fixed income, options… and business communications.
In addition to practicing presentation skills, interviewing, networking and business writing, students in the business communications course are given then opportunity to flex their creative muscles in an assignment that asks them to create a 60-second video “commercial” advertising themselves to recruiters.
Students need not have a deep understanding of videography, marketing, or advertising; they must simply record a video answering two questions:
- What benefits will you provide us should we hire you?
- In what ways are you different from the other candidates (or, why should we hire you and not your classmate)?
We live in an age of social media and, for now, many virtual interactions. This business communications assignment allows students to gain experience using this media. With their permission, we present here two of these student “commercials.”
Enjoy!