What am I doing wrong? - Junior finance major at a smaller school in the NYC area
I'm a junior finance major at a smaller school in the NYC area. I currently intern at a lower tier large investment bank and I've been with this company since the start of the school year in September. I am involved at my school and get good grades.
I feel I should easily be getting an internship with the experience on my resume, yet I have applied EVERYWHERE and have heard back from zero places. My resume is strong, my cover letter is good; I've had them both checked by the career center at school and professors. I don't understand what more I can do. I even applied for the summer program at the firm I currently work for, and never heard back. Oh, and I'm a girl. What am I doing wrong?
Maybe your resume is fucked up. Post it here.
Network. Try to figure out who' looking at your resume and try to get in touch with them.
real talk
Pace University?
In this environment you need to be reaching out to Alumni, sending emails, cold calling, hitting up linked in, whatever.
Post your resume and we will critique it for you.
From someone who can speak from experience, resume dropping is TRASH. Networking is the difference between night and day. Here is the response I gave to a similar pm:
1) go to career services, get a list of alumni in the city/industry you want to work in, and CALL. No emails. Truthfully, it took me 2 years to grow some balls and call. No one will tell you this, but cold calling is a bit scary and intimidating. What helps is having a pre-made speech you want to convey AND PRACTICE. It will get easier, but you must start now. Be Bold!! 2) I think I recently saw some SA positions on Doostang. Get a free account and see if there are any SA positions you like. If so, pay $9.99 and you get to apply to ~20 jobs. Totally worth it for 10 dollars. 3) If you cant make it into BB, go for MM and boutiques. Get a list of firms, go on their website, check out some names, then Call asking for the specific names you saw on the website.
I know WSO users will rip on me for #1, but I'll admit it. I was nervous the first couple of times I called alumni. By the 5th call it became second nature. Also, the "grow some balls" comment won't apply to you. So just replace "ovaries" for "balls" and were all good. Hope this helped.
Reach out to alumni, they are often more willing to help than you may think.
it's the networking most likely. Have you spoken to anyone at the banks you're applying to? If you're dropping cold on-line with a non-target, it goes straight to the garbage.
Ihatetaxes --> I agree with the calling, but I would probably email first. Calling is a powerful tool, but a lot of people will help you out if you email 1st. Randomly calling people CAN work, but you will also piss off some people who otherwise would help if you emailed them first.
Good advice though, you suggestions were spot on.
True. True. Then at least in an email say how you are an Alumni, were "refereed by XXX to speak with you", and ask to have a conversation for any opportunities in their firm.
your first mistake is you listened to your career services
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