Tepper School Students Explore Career Paths Through Fall Industry Treks

Last month, Tepper School of Business students took their learning on the road, participating in a series of industry treks across the country. For master’s students, treks organized in partnership with the Masters Career Center connected participants with alumni, company leaders, and industry professionals while offering firsthand exposure to a range of dynamic career paths. 

In New York City, members of the Graduate Finance Association (GFA) embarked on their annual Investment Banking Trek. The trip began at Jefferies and continued at J.P. Morgan, where Tepper School and CMU alumni led open discussions about careers in investment banking and shared their professional journeys. The final day included visits to Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and RBC, followed by a GFA alumni and student happy hour. 

Those pursuing careers in consulting traveled to Chicago for the Masters Consulting Trek, which included alumni networking opportunities and site visits to Deloitte Consulting, L.E.K. Consulting, McKinsey & Company, and PwC. The experience provided valuable insights into the consulting industry and the range of strategic challenges business leaders help solve across sectors. Alumni shared perspectives on the consulting lifestyle, client engagement, and how a Tepper School education prepared them for success in this fast-paced field.

On the West Coast, students explored the intersection of business, technology, and innovation through two industry treks. Members of the Business & Technology Club (B&T) traveled to the Bay Area for their annual trek, beginning with a Google campus tour and a visit to the Intel Museum, followed by a networking happy hour. Over the next two days, students visited eBay, Adobe, Lucid Motors, Yelp, and Visa. Alumni at each company shared insights about innovation and leadership. The trek concluded with a mixer at Berkeley Haas, fostering collaboration among students and alumni from multiple business schools.

Farther north in Seattle, members of the Defense, Aerospace, Robotics, and Tech (DART) Club visited Blue Origin, Boeing, Microsoft, Starfish Space, and Pioneer Square Labs. The trek offered students an inside look at frontier technology companies shaping the future of space, defense, and robotics. Highlights included facility tours, discussions with engineers and product leaders, and an alumni happy hour. The trip culminated in a dinner with astronaut Chris Sembroski and Voyaj founder Yasmin El Baggari, who shared inspiring stories about exploration, innovation, and human connection.

Undergraduate students also took part in similar experiences designed to expand their professional networks and explore potential career directions including two days of finance-focused site visits in New York City. The group visited BBVA, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Evercore, and MUFG, meeting with industry professionals and learning more about the skills and experiences employers value. Students came away with new perspectives on the finance industry and valuable connections for their future careers.

Across every trek, Tepper School students strengthened alumni relationships, deepened their industry knowledge, and returned to campus with fresh insights and inspiration for the career journeys ahead.