I've been on this forum over a year now, mostly lurked because I never had anything to contribute that couldn't be said better by someone else or couldn't be answered with the aid of the search function.
I never intended to go to Wall St., but I figured that if I stuck around and learned from the best, I would have a shot at the best regional boutique firms. So for the past year I have been learning and soaking up as much knowledge as possible. Preparing myself for the slim chance I would make it in. Today I had my first interview, and I also got the informal notice of landing the position right afterwards. Don't worry, I'm not celebrating just yet because I don't have the offer letter in my hands, but when/if I do... oh boy, it's on!!!! I'm a single mom and I have struggled like the devil to stay in school, work full-time, and yeah - parent. So many times I thought of giving up, but I would come here for inspiration and keep going.
I did my homework. I bought the behavioral and technical interview guides, and I was SO prepared. I practiced, I memorized the names of the executives, figured out why the firm was unique and I brought it. Because of this forum I figured out what it took and I nailed the questions and how to tell my "story". Even if this informal offer falls through, I am ready for the other interviews.
Thank you SO much. I hope to be able to contribute in the future, in the meantime I'll keep to the socio- and political threads for fun ;-)
Update: Got the email just now... it's official :) YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!
get that yellow star girl
Congratulations! Sounds like you worked your ass off and definitely got rewarded for it. I can definitely appreciate the work you did as a single parent (I dont have kids, just an odd situation hehe). But again, congratulations and I hope all goes well for you!
Nice, I'm a father (though 20 years old and not single) trying to get on the street as well. Looks like I could learn from you lol. What school did you go to? GPA? I haven't ran into many stories like yours so a track record would be a nice thing to look at.
Doing good enough in school + full time job + parenting all by yourself does not seem like an easy thing to do at all... good shit
PM me and I can give you details but I am at a state school with a decently respected business program. My GPA is around 3.2 and should be a 3.4 at the end of this semester. It would have been higher but I almost gave up one semester. My job at the time also got creamed with projects and school wasn't a priority. (Feeding my kid >>>> 4.0 GPA). My family has helped out this past year which, has made a big difference. I was trying to take responsibility for my situation and do it all alone. First lesson learned ---> martyrs burn at the cross for a reason lol.
Keep at it - your kid will thank you. One of my visualizations when I am struggling is to imagine my son watch me walk and get my degree. That lights a fire under my ass! I also plan on using it on him to get a great education when he is rebellious teenager. All about the leverage hahahaha
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Thank you :) yes, being a single parent is definitely unusual but I think it proves just how bad I want it. I like to think it's prepared me for the analyst hours considering I'm already used to pulling all-nighters and working when everyone else is having fun! I don't regret a minute of it. I can provide my son with the best education and financial security. Whatever it takes...
Good luck! Sounds like you really worked your ass off for this. Curious though how you managed to convince them you're ok with working the long hours despite being a single mom.
I didn't have to. I did the big no-no and put spending time with my son under interests on my resume. I figured if a firm is going to hold being a parent against me I won't be a good fit anyways. But my pitch is that it just shows my drive and determination. I'm very organized and I manage my time very efficiently. I have learned to get things done when I can so I don't get caught sleeping and to try to prepare and anticipate for the next project. Because when you have a paper and a midterm the next day - the kid WILL wake up in the middle of the night with a 104 fever. Murphy's Law lol. My resume also helped. I owned a business at the age of 22 that required crazy hours.
Having a child doesn't mean you can't work hard. I would rather work hard in one position that compensates me well than take two jobs and work the same number of hours and barely make ends meet. Either way - I have to bust my butt. Same reasoning that I don't get child support. I'm not wasting my time in a courtroom to get what my son is entitled to when I can be out making money for myself. Does it suck sometimes when I have barely seen my kid in three days? Yup, but the alternative is much worse. It's all about how you see it and use it to make you stronger. And I am also starting out as an intern, because I want to work out the scheduling kinks before I hit the ground running.
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This is awesome, congrats and good luck!
kids, and 100/hr week of pure hell....gulp.
So where do you put the kid when you are in the office at 2 am??
I asked for an extra cubicle just for him...
congratulations.. That takes a ton of commitment. Best of luck to you, especially since the road only gets harder from here.
Wow! Impressive, an intern I knew had a kid. I actually didn't find out until after he left. It made me respect him that much more.
1) Congratulations and good luck!
2) I've prepared for this round for a few months now using the Vault and Wetfeet guides. No sample answers but I've got 4000 wds of prepared self-written stuff. Just bought the WSO guides to round out my answers.
Wow, I thought this was going to be another empty two-sentence thank you, but this is actually quite impressive. Congratulations, I can't even imagine what that must have been like. You're like an educated, female version of Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness. I fucking love that movie!
Haha, me too!!! It has been a source of inspiration you could say. I love how he started cold-calling from the top of the list. Untraditional backgrounds call for untraditional measures, right? You know why I love America? Because no other country (in Europe at least) roots for the underdog like they do here. Where I'm from you cannot do better than the next or you are a show-off and think you are better than the rest. It can't possibly be that you just have drive and ambitions to not do the same ol thing like everyone else...
I pulled questions from the vault as well, have not heard about wetfeet, so I will look into those. Thanks!
Congrats love to hear when persistence pays off!
absolutely loving this!
Congrats! Very inspirational story!
I don't mean to be rude or disrespectful in any way, but why have a child so young? To me, a child seems like a lot of work and responsibilty, maybe too much. Time away from the kid might impair his/her emotional well being later on. Also, rearing a child in today's world (a scary, scary place) almost seems like you're doing a disservice to the kid. I might be incredibly biased since I don't plan on having children, but reproduction doesn't seem all that rational in this day and age. But congratulations on your success.
Yes, oh college student, please tell others how they should raise their children, what with your expansive knowledge of the world and all that. Shut up kid, keep this nonsense on the Parenting Magazine message boards.
As I examine your perception of reality in this statement, and extrapolate my observations upon your level of intelligence, I must thank you kindly, good sir, for you electing not to produce offspring is a great service unto your species.
If only I had an SB...
Oh child.
I was 25 when I had my son. I am now 29. But I do feel at times that I have done him a disservice by bringing him into the world. I vaguely remember tears flowing in the middle of the night when he was a newborn and I would read about some crazy family murder-suicide. Now that I have accepted my mortality and the cycle of life I feel zero guilt. I just pitch in a few extra hundred to his therapy fund ;-) I never planned on having kids either but guess what.... birth control fails sometimes.
And the emotional well-being... I'm just not gonna answer that one. Way too complex and long. All I can say is that when there is a will there is a way and I would rather work long and hard and never worry about making rent instead of living paycheck to paycheck on two crappy minimum wage jobs. Or I could just go on welfare and let people like you pay the way for me and my son and work at some shady job under the table to get the pay needed to bridge the gap.
A child is a lot of work and responsibility, but he is my family, and I do that shit with a smile on my face because there is no love in this world that I have felt before the way I feel with him. HE is the reason I finally got my shit together in life. HE is the reason I got myself out of a very bad situation with a very bad person and made something of myself. HE is the reason I push myself everyday to be better, to be the role model he deserves. He gave me the motivation and purpose I was needing so very badly at that time in life. When you love your family the responsibility doesn't feel as such nor does it feel like work. If there is anything you take from my post, take the last sentence, because that is the damn truth.
You're are darling simply exceptional and inspirational and I salute you for that. And for the person who didn't treat you right - he was a fool for not realizing that nor appreciating you.
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