Advice for hopeful CRE monkey
Current undergraduate junior (non-target) doing my best to ensure I am capable of adding immense value when/if I can receive a full time offer when I graduate in May 2021. I have a top 50 PERE internship coming up. What skills/knowledge/abilities must I bring to the CRE internship to ensure I am capable of 1. Receiving a full time offer, or 2. Leveraging the experience/relationships to secure interviews elsewhere. So far I’ve adopted the underdog mentality and am pounding the pavement on LinkedIn trying to create advantageous relationship. I’m utilizing free resources (Adventures in CRE, Break into CRE, etc), to improve general understanding, and financial modeling ability, but admittedly have a lot of room to improve. What are some resources that I can utilize (REFM?), that will ensure I am capable of competing at the highest of levels and able to add value on day one. I greatly appreciate any and all help those in the industry could provide. Thank you all for your time.
Don't go into it thinking you know much of anything. Know how to ask good questions, create top quality work product, and appear extremely enthusiastic and excited to be there.
All in all, be a student of those around you. at a repe top 50 firm as an intern you're not there to prove you know anything, you're there to prove you can learn and apply concepts very quickly. Those that prove that get return offers.
One thing I’m looking to have going into full-time is the Argus Enterprise cert.
I’ve read conflicting things regarding the importance of an Argus cert. What makes an Argus cert the most valuable in your opinion?
I think it will give me an edge in recruiting - would be worth it to get one extra interview or to beat one other candidate imo.
If you want to work for a firm where Argus is used daily, then showing proficiency is key. The cert. is a cheap and easy way to do so without having a job where one was required to use it. Frankly, such firms will sometimes not even consider a resume if Argus proficiency isn't listed as a skill (or otherwise disqualify in the initial screening interview).
I think it is worth getting if you are interviewing for many fields of institutional CRE, especially if any focus on office or retail is possible.
there’s a top 50 for REPE now?
No I apologize for the confusion, the firm is top 50 on the PERE 100.
Culture fit is incredibly important in most firms hiring practices. Do you fit into the team and the firm dynamic. Try and pay attention as much as you can to what people value, what behaviors are clearly looked down upon, and what is valued.
A few tips, make friends naturally. Do not try to brownnose, or just impress the senior folks. The analysts/associates will have a lot to say if an intern gets a FT offer, if you piss them off (or do shitty work for them) you will have low chances. Same is true for exec assistants and other staffers, people sometime neglect the influence they have as gatekeepers.
Clearly, your skill in getting the job done correctly is important, but so is your attitude and work ethic. Read the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People", its a classic but really great info for getting along and getting ahead.
Good luck and congrats!
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