Internship Panel: I Know What You Did Last Summer
As the weather cools down and the semester gets into full swing, BWUA took a moment to reflect on summer 2014 in our September GBM. This month, we put together a panel of six upperclassmen who interned across different industries, to find out how they got those internships.
Our panelists included:
Wharton senior Jordan Jett (Consulting: Bain & Company)
Wharton senior Kamar Saint-Louis (Sales & Trading: Citigroup)
Wharton senior Gelila Haile (Consulting: Accenture)
College senior Christiane Johnson (Asset Management: BlackRock)
Wharton junior Faith Dawson (Retail: Under Armour)
College junior Soraya Hebron (Non-profit: Fresh Air Fund)
Panelist discuss summer internships across various industries.
The panelists each shed some insight on what they spent the summer doing and walked club members through a typical day in their respective offices.
They discussed the importance of preparing ahead, networking and taking advantage of the resources available. Some panelists suggested looking into diversity recruitment organizations such as SEO, INROADS, and MLT for more access to internship opportunities. Students were advised to have several eyes look at their resumes and practice interviewing skills with friends, alumni or career services. When asked about how to prepare for technical questions in an interview, panelists stressed early preparation. Using company websites as references, studying Vault guides, and having as much relevant background knowledge as possible were just a few things panelists listed.
The panelists eased the well-known underclassman fear of 'not having enough experience' by reminding them that it's more about how they are adding value to the clubs and organizations they are involved in.
All members were encouraged to read the BWUA newsletter and visit the website often for news on internship opportunities as well.
We had a great turn out at our first GBM of the semester and were very excited to welcome the Class of 2018 to both Penn and the Black Wharton Undergraduate Association.
Class of 2018 eager to learn more about BWUA
Sangkee was served for dinner.