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What jobs am I qualified for and how do I land them?
I'm a senior at NYU studying Behavioral Economics and I'll be graduating early in January. Last summer, I struggled to land an internship even before COVID-19 hit, and I don't want to end up in the same boat again. I love startups, tech, entrepreneurship, and finance. #business #career
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8 answers
Updated
Marie’s Answer
I would suggest that you ask for help, starting with the support offered at NYU. I would also suggest creating a profile on LinkedIn (linkedin.com). This is a good place to start to build your network, and companies also post jobs on LinkedIn. Consider building a broad network of people inside and outside of your field. You never know where a job lead may arise.
There are also online sites that provide advice on job searching. You may want to check out The Balance Careers (https://www.thebalancecareers.com/)
Good Luck!
There are also online sites that provide advice on job searching. You may want to check out The Balance Careers (https://www.thebalancecareers.com/)
Good Luck!
Thank you Marie! How would you suggest a student start building a network through LinkedIn? I've had an account and have a good amount of connections, but I'm not sure how to leverage that network.
Nicholas
Updated
Sebastian’s Answer
Hi Nicholas,
Especially when you are not entirely sure about what you want your day-to-day to look like and are interested in a number of industries, I would recommend looking for internships in the consulting space, regardless of whether it's at a larger professional services firm or smaller specialized consulting agency.
Consulting firms hire students and industry experts from all different backgrounds, majors, and industries in order to support clients through a well-diversified team. Some companies may have stop hiring full time resources right now, but a lot continue to offer internships at least.
Best of luck on your journey!
Especially when you are not entirely sure about what you want your day-to-day to look like and are interested in a number of industries, I would recommend looking for internships in the consulting space, regardless of whether it's at a larger professional services firm or smaller specialized consulting agency.
Consulting firms hire students and industry experts from all different backgrounds, majors, and industries in order to support clients through a well-diversified team. Some companies may have stop hiring full time resources right now, but a lot continue to offer internships at least.
Best of luck on your journey!
Hi Sebastian,
Thanks for the advice! I've been actively searching for management consulting positions as I agree with you—it can be a great way to get exposure to a wide set of industries!
Thank you again!
Nicholas
Updated
Morgan’s Answer
Hi Nicholas,
Based on your education, you can really explore a lot of different industries and roles leaning into your analytical skillset. Tech and Finance highly-value potential candidates ability to use data-driven decision making/having a data-driven mindset to deliver results and hit company goals.
I've been in the tech industry for 8 years and studied Political Science - they were in no way related but I networked my heart out by connecting with other students I went to school with and professionals connected with friends and family. Ultimately, I landed a contract job with Amazon - thanks to a friends I went to college with - which opened up many doors for me. Reach out to NYU Alumni's that are in roles that are really interesting to you on LinkedIn and see if you can have a conversation. Ask your extended family if they have connections in industries of interest.
Find University Recruiters/Student Program Coordinators that work for different companies as well, do it early before they start recruiting for the next summer internship programs.
I would suggest not to shy away from contract jobs as well, it is is great way to get your feet wet in exploring different opportunities and finding the type of work that really speaks to you and get a flavor of different organizations.
Best of luck to you, enjoy the journey and trust the process!
Based on your education, you can really explore a lot of different industries and roles leaning into your analytical skillset. Tech and Finance highly-value potential candidates ability to use data-driven decision making/having a data-driven mindset to deliver results and hit company goals.
I've been in the tech industry for 8 years and studied Political Science - they were in no way related but I networked my heart out by connecting with other students I went to school with and professionals connected with friends and family. Ultimately, I landed a contract job with Amazon - thanks to a friends I went to college with - which opened up many doors for me. Reach out to NYU Alumni's that are in roles that are really interesting to you on LinkedIn and see if you can have a conversation. Ask your extended family if they have connections in industries of interest.
Find University Recruiters/Student Program Coordinators that work for different companies as well, do it early before they start recruiting for the next summer internship programs.
I would suggest not to shy away from contract jobs as well, it is is great way to get your feet wet in exploring different opportunities and finding the type of work that really speaks to you and get a flavor of different organizations.
Best of luck to you, enjoy the journey and trust the process!
Hi Morgan,
Thank you for your kind and helpful response! I'm wondering what the process is for contract jobs and how I might be able to find opportunities like that?
Thanks again!
Nicholas
Hi Nicholas!
I'd recommend checking out some tech contracting firms such as: Robert Half, Kelly Services (that is who I contracted through), Aerotek, Randstad.
Also, when going to apply for jobs look and see if they have a Temp/Contract roles that you can filter as well. Hope this helps!
Morgan Schuh
Updated
Gianni’s Answer
I would recommend you reach-out to companies you are interested in. I know it's an easy answer but networking is especially efficient in getting an internship. The COVID pandemic put a lot of complexities with working from home and financial pressure on companies. Unfortunately a lot of companies (like where I work) had to make the tough choice and not offer them in 2020. The good news is things are looking a lot better (still not great) but I would expect a lot of intership to be available again in 2021.
Thank you for the reply, Gianni! What does reaching out look like? Does that mean submitting my resume to an application, cold contacting people on Linkedin, or trying to connect with recruiters over email? (Just to clarify, I'm looking for a full-time job now).
Nicholas
Updated
Justin’s Answer
Hi Nicholas,
I was in a similar position, studying at a leading university in the UK, and struggling to find an internship (in finance) in pre-COVID times.
I would just like to echo what has been said, that connecting with as many people as possible within your class / university cohort / professors / employees of companies where you had worked before is effective in showing with whom you have worked with.
In terms of things you can do with your CV it is difficult in finance, but understanding all of the base topics that are covered in university, reading books about finance (ie Reminiscences of a Stock Operator) and being interested generally in news about finance. This can range from the company that has recently gone public, acquisitions of firms, changes in govt policy and their effects on the market etc. Being a part of this information flow can do wonders for questions that can pop up in interviews.
If you have interests in startups, feel free to send them an email with your CV and what you are interested in because they have a different, less bureaucratic hiring structure (your mileage may vary here though) and something like that can do wonders. Even if nothing happens and you apply for a position a year later, having that first contact can make a difference.
Keep at it with applying though. I know applications can be time consuming and frustrating, but it is necessary. Only one good one needs to go through :)
Best,
Justin
I was in a similar position, studying at a leading university in the UK, and struggling to find an internship (in finance) in pre-COVID times.
I would just like to echo what has been said, that connecting with as many people as possible within your class / university cohort / professors / employees of companies where you had worked before is effective in showing with whom you have worked with.
In terms of things you can do with your CV it is difficult in finance, but understanding all of the base topics that are covered in university, reading books about finance (ie Reminiscences of a Stock Operator) and being interested generally in news about finance. This can range from the company that has recently gone public, acquisitions of firms, changes in govt policy and their effects on the market etc. Being a part of this information flow can do wonders for questions that can pop up in interviews.
If you have interests in startups, feel free to send them an email with your CV and what you are interested in because they have a different, less bureaucratic hiring structure (your mileage may vary here though) and something like that can do wonders. Even if nothing happens and you apply for a position a year later, having that first contact can make a difference.
Keep at it with applying though. I know applications can be time consuming and frustrating, but it is necessary. Only one good one needs to go through :)
Best,
Justin
Updated
Marie’s Answer
Hi Nicholas,
In response to your comment, I would also suggest the following with respect to LinkedIn:
1. Connect with the people you know - family, friends, parents of friends, co-workers, classmates and professors.
2. Look at the LinkedIn page of the companies you may be interested in. Do any of your connections have a connection
with someone who works there? Would they be willing to make an introduction for you and possibly get you a call with someone who works at the company? If so, have a conversation with this connection. In those conversations I suggest you focus on what that person can tell you about the company and her/his career path.
3. After these conversations, request these people to connect with you as well.
4. You can set up a job search in LinkedIn. If you see a jobs you are interested in, apply for it. Then check if any of your connections are connected with someone who works at the company and ask if they will make an introduction. In these conversations I would also ask the person to talk about the company, and their career. Does this sound like a company you would want to work with? Find out if they know about the open position, or if they know someone who does. Tell them you have applied for the job and ask them if they have any advice for you.
5. After these conversations, request these people to connect with you as well.
In doing this your connections with companies you are interested in will grow. So will your knowledge of these companies. Hopefully this will help you to find positions you will enjoy working in now and in the future.
Good Luck!
In response to your comment, I would also suggest the following with respect to LinkedIn:
1. Connect with the people you know - family, friends, parents of friends, co-workers, classmates and professors.
2. Look at the LinkedIn page of the companies you may be interested in. Do any of your connections have a connection
with someone who works there? Would they be willing to make an introduction for you and possibly get you a call with someone who works at the company? If so, have a conversation with this connection. In those conversations I suggest you focus on what that person can tell you about the company and her/his career path.
3. After these conversations, request these people to connect with you as well.
4. You can set up a job search in LinkedIn. If you see a jobs you are interested in, apply for it. Then check if any of your connections are connected with someone who works at the company and ask if they will make an introduction. In these conversations I would also ask the person to talk about the company, and their career. Does this sound like a company you would want to work with? Find out if they know about the open position, or if they know someone who does. Tell them you have applied for the job and ask them if they have any advice for you.
5. After these conversations, request these people to connect with you as well.
In doing this your connections with companies you are interested in will grow. So will your knowledge of these companies. Hopefully this will help you to find positions you will enjoy working in now and in the future.
Good Luck!
Wow, Marie! Thank you so much for that thorough response—I think I have a clear direction of how to approach things now. I've often been told to try to network without a clear strategy of how to do so, but this is fantastic practical advice. Thank you again!
Nicholas
You are welcome!
Marie MacNichol
Updated
Grace’s Answer
Behavioral economics is an awesome entry point to all sorts of research and data careers. Gianni and Marie's answers are great but I'll just throw out a few specific job titles and keywords you should be on the look out for:
Most entry level jobs will have the title "Analyst" - this doesn't tell you much but indicates that you'll be looking at quantitate data, mixing it with business strategy, and outputting some kind of report or recommendation about how the company should work.
You mentioned that you're interested in Entrepreneurship - check out any jobs referencing "strategy" or "business development" - these are the departments that will teach you what it means to run and operate a business.
You can find these jobs in just about any industry, but since you say you're interested in finance, you should also be on the look out for any companies calling themselves "FinTech". It's an area with a lot of new investment and a lot of cool opportunity!
Most entry level jobs will have the title "Analyst" - this doesn't tell you much but indicates that you'll be looking at quantitate data, mixing it with business strategy, and outputting some kind of report or recommendation about how the company should work.
You mentioned that you're interested in Entrepreneurship - check out any jobs referencing "strategy" or "business development" - these are the departments that will teach you what it means to run and operate a business.
You can find these jobs in just about any industry, but since you say you're interested in finance, you should also be on the look out for any companies calling themselves "FinTech". It's an area with a lot of new investment and a lot of cool opportunity!
Thank you for the thoughtful response, Grace! Those are some great leads and I'll start looking around. Plus I'm really interested in FinTech too!
Nicholas
Updated
Charlie’s Answer
Hey Nicholas,
Great question, and one that I grappled with a lot as I was looking at internship opportunities and post-grad options. I would highly recommend reaching out to family, your friends' parents involved in fields of interest, and get into the habit of "informational interviewing."
Let me explain informational interviewing a bit - it's essentially having a phone/Zoom conversation with professionals that align with your interests. You ask them about their day-to-day responsibilities, hear about their career path, and get their feedback about other people to contact. This was hugely impactful for me as I was exploring career paths and opportunities. It helped me find my internship between my junior and senior in college (the guy called me with an opportunity and I was floored).
In short, ask thoughtful questions, think about "would I like to this person's daily responsibilities," and enjoy the conversations - I've found them to be super helpful and interesting. Best of luck to you and your job search!!
Feel free to shoot me a linkedIn note and I would be happy to explain further or answer any questions!
Great question, and one that I grappled with a lot as I was looking at internship opportunities and post-grad options. I would highly recommend reaching out to family, your friends' parents involved in fields of interest, and get into the habit of "informational interviewing."
Let me explain informational interviewing a bit - it's essentially having a phone/Zoom conversation with professionals that align with your interests. You ask them about their day-to-day responsibilities, hear about their career path, and get their feedback about other people to contact. This was hugely impactful for me as I was exploring career paths and opportunities. It helped me find my internship between my junior and senior in college (the guy called me with an opportunity and I was floored).
In short, ask thoughtful questions, think about "would I like to this person's daily responsibilities," and enjoy the conversations - I've found them to be super helpful and interesting. Best of luck to you and your job search!!
Charlie recommends the following next steps: