Finding The First Job After College
I graduated college in June and I’m currently seeking an analyst role in CRE in NYC. I have 3+ years experience(worked full-time in college while still attending classes) and I have all the necessary skills for a 1st year analyst -Proficient at Excel, Experience with Underwriting, Familiarity with Key Terms such as Cap Rate, IRR, DSCR, NPV, DCF, etc. To be objective, the only weakness in my profile is I have never been trained to use Argus and I went to a non-target school. I’ve been consistently applying to entry-level real estate positions at banks, investment management firms, and private equity companies that I am well-qualified for, if not overqualified considering all the experience and skills I have. However, I have not received any type of interest from any company whatsoever. It’s really frustrating and I’m lost as to what is preventing me from getting an interview and receiving an offer. I don’t want to use the current economy as an excuse because I have seen and applied to plenty of roles(probably 50+). I’m just not getting selected and I’m starting to believe it’s because I don’t have a famous, private school on my resume.
Okay, so not to burst your bubble, but you just graduated in June, I doubt you are objectively "overqualified" to an analyst at the types of firms you list. Qualified, sure; but in fairness, that is not the bar.
Most of those type of firms have desires for people with grad degrees and some experience in the field or a related one (what was your 3+ yrs exp doing? depending on how that is framed on a resume, may be part of your issue...). Further, simply having a fancy name degree doesn't guarantee those type of jobs either. Many do not get them despite applying, they are competitive, especially at the UG level. Most UG hiring is due to and from internships, that tends to be the pathway. They don't venture outside of the former intern pool unless forced (and sadly, this is where 'do you know who my dad is' stuff happens, especially NYC).
I would look at entry level research roles in brokerage, appraisal, and lending. Those tend to allow new people in and give a way to build experience. Also, are you a member of all the big real estate orgs in NYC area? Like ULI, NAIOP, MBAofNY, YREPNY. Those are places to find leads on internships and jobs. You should be applying for internships along with jobs at these firms, especially in this market going forward.
Finally, don't fixate on the lack of a private school name. Does it give people advantages, sure. But it doesn't imply a disadvantage. I only went to so-called "non-target state schools" and manged to make my up and past people with so-called "target" degrees (FYI, people fail to understand these concepts, did a post a while back, personal pet peeve alert). You need to work harder, and it may take longer, but be humble in your approach. You can do it.
Yeah, not to sound harsh, but when people tell me they applied through the company website and other portals like LinkedIn, indeed etc... I basically tell them that they didn't apply to anything because its unlikely that a person will even see their resume. You should be reaching out to someone at the firm/on the team that you want to work for and cold email them to learn more about the position/firm on a 15min phone call or something. In my experience, the person at firm knows that I'm interested in the position and will usually give me an idea about the interviewing timeline or will pass my resume to whoever is in charge of screening resumes