As a corporate analyst for JP Morgan Chase & Co., Eddie Walter should have confidence running through his veins. But every so often, he flips through a journal on his desk for a quick boost.

That journal is filled with advice from a program that helped shaped the way he looked at the business world. As a Syracuse University alumnus with plenty of experience under his belt, Walter said he still uses skills from that program — the Dulye Leadership Experience — in his life today.

Sixteen SU juniors and seniors will travel to the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts from March 21-23 to participate in the DLE, to learn how to take the fear out of finding a job and building a professional network after college.

Linda Dulye, founder of the DLE and a ’77 SU alumna, created the program to transform students into confident professionals who stand out among their peers and other college graduates in the country. It teaches them how to show off their best skills to potential employers, making them invaluable to their company. Ninety percent of DLE graduates have jobs or internships within three months of completing the program.

This year, 150 hopefuls applied to the program this year, Dulye said. It marked the highest number of applicants the program has ever received.

From there, Dulye; Sue Edelstein, faculty member and mentor; David Bartell, director of development and two DLE student alumni narrow down the applicants to 26. The applicants are then interviewed via Skype and first asked the question in orientation, “So tell me about yourself.”

Dulye said she saw a common thread in each of the 2014 finalists with previous DLE graduates. Each one had to tell their story, which can be extremely emotional, she said.

Trenna Hill, a senior child and family studies major, will attend the program this year. Although many of the mentors are in business-related fields, she said she is excited to gain from their experience.

“I’m a sponge going into the program,” Hill said. “I want to learn as much as I can.”

Hill said she is most interested to learn about networking and how to build up her interview skills. With experience teaching in local schools and playing on SU’s lacrosse team, Hill said she is ready to try something completely new.

 Edelstein, founder of The Edelstein Group, which specializes in the professional development of future executives, has taught at the program since the beginning in 2008. She said that the skills taught in the boot camp range from what to wear, to how to make small talk, to what to eat and much more. Edelstein said the “coaches” at DLE act as mentors to the students and keep a relationship that lasts years outside of the program.

Edelstein said 60 percent of jobs are not publicized; so networking is key. With her background in advertising, Edelstein teaches about selling yourself to future employers in an interview. She said the key is setting oneself apart.

“The presentation that I have is about standing out, telling your story, telling your experience,” she said. “You don’t think you have any experience? Well, you do.”

DLE graduates show more ambition and potential than other students, Eddie Walter said. Walter was a senior analyst at the Orange Value Fund, captain of the SU Men’s Club Soccer Team and president of Psi Upsilon during his years at Syracuse.

“You learn to excel as the lowest man on the totem pole in your group,” Walter said. “It’s not who you are, where you come from, what your background is. It’s a very diverse group of students from multiple colleges.”

Walter said he still keeps in touch with his mentors at DLE and with Dulye for guidance about future job prospects.

“How many students still graduate with a huge question mark still in their head and don’t really know where they’re going?” Dulye said.  “Making dreams come true is the goal.”

Published on March 19, 2014 at 1:00 am

Contact Jackie: jmfrere@syr.edu | @jackie_frere