Students’ private sector career trip to New York

First-year MIB student, Nathalie (who has also conducted interviews for us — you may have met her!) offered to report on the recent career trip students took to New York City.  Here’s the story:

Traditionally the Fletcher School student body goes on two career trips each year: to New York in January and then to Washington, DC a month later.  These trips are renowned by students for the career opportunities they provide, and are also considered a no-miss event on the Fletcher social calendar.  As the number of students interested in the intersection of the private and public sector grows, a need was identified to organize an additional career trip earlier in the academic year to meet the recruitment deadlines of some of the larger private sector companies.  The International Business Club rose to the challenge and organized the student-run Private Sector NYC Career Trip in November.  As one of the Club’s leadership team members — and coming to Fletcher this year with five years of work experience in the private sector — I wanted to share some of my impressions both of the day itself and the preparations leading up to the day.

We had begun our internship and job search preparation already with our first Professional Development Program (PDP) class during Orientation week.  PDP continued through the first half of fall semester, with Friday mornings dedicated to refining our résumés, elevator pitches, and cover letters.  This all felt very premature to me — I thought “I’ve just left my job.  I’m planning on staying here for two years.  What am I doing this for?!” — but after seeing that deadlines for consulting internships began in the fall, I quickly changed my tune.  The New York Career Trip helped jump-start my internship preparation, and made sure I was 100 percent ready with an up-to-date CV and a great elevator pitch.  The team leaders for each of the company visits were also very helpful, as they ensured participants were prepared for each meeting.  (When trying to make a good impression to a potential employer, there can be such thing as a stupid question.…)

NY tripIn total 81 students made the trip down I-95, visiting between us a total of 21 companies in one day!  The companies ranged from Morgan Stanley to Major League Soccer, from Google to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and from Dalberg to Eurasia.  I personally visited LRN, Monitor Deloitte, and Dalberg.  Two of these sessions were hosted by Fletcher alums who were very helpful in their advice on finding a job in the private sector.  They both recommended taking Corporate Finance at Fletcher, definitely making the many hours I am spending on the coursework now worth it!  The other session was a more formal recruiting session; managers presented their company’s structure and projects, generating a lot of excitement about applying to their firm.  The day was topped off with an Alumni Happy Hour, with NYC-based alums coming to meet and network with us.  And then, as a true Fletcher student who is never one to miss the opportunity to explore, the rest of the weekend was spent with a group of my classmates discovering new parts of New York.

Overall, the trip was a resounding success, with lots of great feedback from students and alumni alike.  Personally, it was a welcome opportunity to get the ball rolling on my internship search and it has motivated me to keep the momentum going, as some of the January deadlines are quickly approaching.  The trip also showed me how students can really take an active role in the community at Fletcher, and are encouraged to do so.  I was able to make direct connections with alumni and other interested employers, something not so typical in larger business programs — another Fletcher bonus to add to the already long list!

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