By Hannah Gendel & Dani Kellner
Zach Benfanti
How often do you catch yourself stressing over how to land that prestigious internship? Have no fear! Senior members of the Cornell business fraternities Delta Sigma Pi and Alpha Kappa Psi are here to help!
From Google to Goldman, these Cornellians have experienced a taste of what it’s like to work in the real world. Lucky for us underclassmen, these talented, passionate students reveal juicy insights on the importance of collaborating with peers for interview prep, social networking via LinkedIn, and strategies to stay true to yourself and your interests during the application process.
We’re not kidding! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy reading this one of a kind Q&A. It’s not only useful, honest advice to scheme future jobs, but a great reminder that all your involvement in extracurriculars and late night studying at Mann Library will actually pay off!
Where did you intern this summer?
Alexa Davis (Delta Sigma Pi): I interned at Google Inc. at their headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Reid Williamson (Alpha Kappa Psi): I worked at Blackstone in the Restructuring & Reorganization group.
Rhiana Gademsky (Delta Sigma Pi): Barclays within their Investment Banking Division.
Tess Munsie (Alpha Kappa Psi): I was an Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs in the Technology, Media & Telecom group.
Yuxiao Tan (Alpha Kappa Psi): I was a software engineering intern at Facebook on the iOS Search Team.
Zach Benfanti (Delta Sigma Pi): This past summer, I interned as a Growth Equity Analyst at Stripes Group, a boutique venture capital firm in New York.
Tess Munsie
That’s impressive! How did you land the job?
Alexa (DSP) : Thanks! I applied on Google’s general website and the application was relatively simple. Candidates were required to submit a brief essay in addition to what you would expect in a traditional job application. Candidates who were selected for interviews had 2-3 conversations with full-time Googlers via Google Hangout. Shortly after my interviews, I got a call from my recruiter with the good news!
Reid (AKPsi) : I had great friends who helped me a lot in the process. The brothers of Alpha Kappa Psi especially helped guide me to focus where I needed to improve most when preparing for interviews and the internship itself. I also read a lot about the industry I was interested in and when it came time to interview, I just tried to be myself. I am also thankful for the experiences I had during the summers before I worked at Blackstone. It was incredibly helpful to draw on what I learned from this work when faced with a new project at Blackstone.
Rhiana (DSP) : I was abroad last spring so I went through accelerated recruiting in the fall for IBD, which inherently entails a lot of networking, phone calls, and attending info sessions. However, the DSP alumni were invaluable during the process both from a networking standpoint, as well as a source of information and advice about navigating recruiting.
Tess (AKPsi) : Positions in investment banking are in high demand, especially at Cornell. Once you decide that this is the industry in which you want to start your career, you have to fully commit. It takes a semester of information sessions, networking phone calls, and interview prep, but Cornell has great resources to help you along the way.
Yuxiao (AKPsi) : A combination of perseverance and practice. To land the initial interview, I had a friend who had previously worked there, and he referred me to his recruiter. I was able to convince the recruiter to set up a phone interview with me. From there, I was offered an on-site interview in California. I spent a lot of time researching technical questions and practiced answering them.
Zach (DSP) : Through a combination of networking, phone calls and attending the information session on campus I was able to secure my first round interview (and subsequent offer) with Stripes. I think that the amount of research I conducted on the firm worked to my benefit as well, as many of the questions I fielded concerned trends in the macroeconomic climate, venture-backed investment activity, and where Stripes fit in. Additionally, there is a DSP alumnus (who was a senior when I was a sophomore), who I am forever indebted to for the invaluable advice he offered as I navigated through the process.
Alexa Davis (right)
So, how important are things like LinkedIn and networking to job hunting anyway?
Alexa (DSP) : Networking is incredibly important because you get to better understand a firm’s culture, learn about new opportunities, and also extend the length of your interview! Why have just one 30-minute conversation when you’re directly compared against 20 other candidates? Networking is a great way to informally get to know someone better and illustrate your skills before the interview ever begins.
Reid (AKPsi) : I think the real value of LinkedIn is that it’s a great tool for keeping track of where your friends go after they graduate. In 10 years, you’ll be able to see all the interesting experiences your Cornell friends have had. It’s a much more efficient way of managing professional contacts than traditional business cards. I haven’t used LinkedIn much for meeting new people, but I think it’s a great tool for that as well. Speaking with people in industries and positions you find particularly compelling is a really important component of the job search process. I am thankful that Alpha Kappa Psi gave me access to such a great group of students and alumni who were willing to speak to me throughout my job search process.
Rhiana (DSP) : Within finance, both components are incredibly important to make yourself known during recruiting. There are a lot of qualified students going out for only a handful of internship spots, so building a network of people that will vouch for you within the firms is key.
Tess (AKPsi) : I never took advantage of LinkedIn when trying to get a job at Goldman Sachs, but I recognize the role it plays in some of my peers’ job searches. Networking is a large part of the job hunt because you want to develop a complete picture of what a career in investment banking (or any industry) is truly like. Speaking with individuals in your desired field, not only helps you understand if it is a right fit for you, but also shows that you have done your research when you are in an interview.
Yuxiao (AKPsi) : Very important. For software related technical roles, the focus falls on LinkedIn more so than networking, but both factors are very important. Recruiters for tech giants, start ups, and other software based companies spend a significant amount of time looking for candidates on LinkedIn. Having a clear, concise LinkedIn profile will greatly increase your chances of having a recruiter reach out to you regarding employment opportunities.
Zach (DSP) : I am a big believer in the power of LinkedIn as it is a great vehicle for networking, which in my opinion is the single most important component of any recruiting process, no matter the industry. At the end of the day, the job hunt is all about marketing yourself, and by mastering the craft of informational calls and polishing your LinkedIn profile–inherently your candidacy will become that much stronger.
Rhiana Gademsky
After going through the process, what advice would you have for students going through recruitment now?
Alexa (DSP) : Networking shouldn’t be a one-time event when you’re actively recruiting for an internship or job. Students should always be reaching out to contacts and meeting new people … you’ll never know when you might stumble upon an opportunity! Also, reaching out to someone only when you need a favor can be viewed negatively. Professionals are real people who care about maintaining relationships, so make sure you’re keeping in touch.
Reid (AKPsi) : Do your diligence, read a lot, and relax. It’s important to speak with others about their experiences to get a good idea of what you might be interested in doing, think through some questions that might be asked in an interview, and when it finally comes time to interview, don’t forget to relax and be yourself.
Rhiana (DSP) : First of all stay organized throughout the process.. Second, leverage any connection you have within firms to connect with more individuals. Finally, help your peers out; it may seem competitive, but it is significantly easier to go through recruitment with a group of people you feel comfortable asking for help.
Tess (AKPsi) : Avoid getting competitive with your peers. It is easy to view other students as competition when you are applying for a limited number of spots at a firm, but it is important to work together and support each other. I had a few buddies in Alpha Kappa Psi who went through the process with me. We helped prep each other for interviews, sent Thank You emails together, and networked alongside each other at information sessions. Now these friends are working at incredible firms like J.P. Morgan, UBS, and Credit Suisse.
Yuxiao (AKPsi) : Don’t stress, but do your due diligence. Do your research before applying. Make every deadline. Have friends, mentors, and family members read your application. Look at alumni of your organizations to see if any of them work in the companies you want to pursue and, if so, reach out! When you land the interviews, shift your focus to learning about the company and its culture and always have relevant questions to ask your interviewer!
Zach (DSP) : For students going through recruitment now, I think the single biggest piece of advice I can offer is to stay level-headed and even-keeled always. The process is one where there are definitely high points and low points, and it is important to understand that. I also believe it is critically important to stay true to your passions, too. Many students find themselves recruiting for roles that perhaps are not aligned with their ultimate passions, and that is something I actively tried to avoid and would encourage others to as well. More semantically, organization is extremely valuable. Given the volume of firms and the importance of networking, one misstep can really have far-reaching implications. To that point, make a spreadsheet and update it frequently. Finally, utilize the Cornell network specifically. Cornell is an amazing place and by virtue of being a student here alone, your candidacy is heightened. Leverage your friends, peers, mentors and advisors–all of them can help more than you even know.
Reid Williamson
How did your business fraternity help you in the internship search process?
Alexa (DSP) : Alumni of my business fraternity, even those who I had never met before, were incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the recruiting process. Former members would spend hours on the phone with me explaining their work experiences and how I should navigate interviews. In fact, a recent DSP alumni who works at Google full-time is the reason why I applied to the BOLD internship program and was an incredible source of support throughout my summer!
Reid (AKPsi : Alpha Kappa Psi helped me immensely in my internship search process. The alumni and current students are always willing to speak with other brothers who are looking for opportunities. Hearing about the experiences of others is a great way to figure out what areas you might be interested in working in. Alpha Kappa Psi instantly gives you access to a huge group of people with all kinds of great experiences in many different fields. When preparing for interviews, the brothers are great at making sure you are prepared and confident.
Rhiana (DSP) : The DSP juniors also recruiting for IB were my support group that I mentioned before. We traded contact information, reminded each other of deadlines, and helped each other prep for interview. DSP also organized smaller networking sessions as well as office visits, and the alumni helped us all build connections with firms and set up individual firm visits.
Tess (AKPsi) : Alpha Kappa Psi is a community of like-minded, ambitious, and friendly people who put an emphasis on giving back. Whether it’s the seniors who mock interviewed me for countless hours at 2am for superday interviews, the alumni who work directly with us to schedule private networking opportunities, or just the best friends who offered moral support, this organization thrives on the investment in its younger members. I know it sounds incredibly cheesy, but it is through Alpha Kappa Psi that I found my dream job and was pushed to reach my full potential.
Yuxiao (AKPsi) : Some people ask how a Computer Science major, or anyone who does not have a direct business focus, can benefit from a business fraternity. I always tell them that I’m a pretty solid example. AKPsi gave me a sense of confidence. I learned proper recruiter etiquette, how to be interesting without overbearing, and how to keep interviews light and casual, but also professional. Without the people of AKPsi, I would definitely not be where I am today.
Zach (DSP) : Simply put, I would not be where I am today with the offer to return to Stripes without DSP. Whether I point to alumni support, my fellow DSP ’16 members or the sheer number of doors opened both literally and figuratively (here at Cornell and NYC, too), I wake up every day feeling so incredibly lucky to have found DSP. Further, DSP provided the exposure for me to get a better understanding of the various industries within the umbrella of business. Whether investment banking, consulting, real estate, human resources, private equity or venture capital–the fraternity has instilled the confidence in me that what I know I am going to be doing in my entry-level job is the right place for my skill-set, interests and passions.
Yuxiao Tan
Now that you’re a senior, what’s next for you?
Alexa (DSP) : I’ll be graduating with a double major in January, but staying in Ithaca during the spring semester to spend time with friends and write for Forbes.com. In September, I’ll be moving to San Francisco to work full-time for Google.
Reid (AKPsi) : I’m enjoying senior year while it lasts. I’ll be returning to the group I interned with after graduation, so I’m focusing the rest of this year on being involved with the organizations that have influenced my time at Cornell.
Rhiana (DSP) : I’ll be returning to Barclays full time for at least the next two years. After that I’m not sure, I may go get my MBA, transition to another role within finance, or even leave the industry completely (I always wanted to spend some time on the West Coast)! I like to keep my options open.
Tess (AKPsi) : After graduation, I will be returning full-time to Goldman Sachs. I will definitely miss Cornell and the people I have grown so close to over my four years, but I am excited to move to the Big Apple and join the amazing Alpha Kappa Psi alumni community!
Yuxiao (AKPsi) : I recently just accepted a full time offer at Google in New York City. So now I can just kick back, relax and enjoy the rest of the year.
Zach (DSP) : September 6, 2016 marks my first day of work at Stripes Group as a full-time Growth Equity Analyst. I intend to be there for at least two years, but after that am not sure yet. I had the time of my life at the firm this past summer and when my two years finish up, I may consider (if the opportunity is there) staying at Stripes, potentially pursuing my MBA or working at a portfolio company where I can add value from the experiences gained in being on the buy-side.
This post is brought to you by the professional business fraternities Alpha Kappa Psi and Delta Sigma Pi. Learn more about their organizations here and here!