Student Stories
Cecile Aro, MBA 2012
During my first year at Stern, I pursued a summer internship in impact investing, an extension of my interest in supporting entrepreneurship in emerging markets. As a career switcher, the mock interviews and Office of Career Development counseling sessions helped me develop and articulate my story. I had an amazing summer, splitting my time between Santiago (Chile) as an Endeavor eMBA consultant and the US as an Associate in Developing World Markets. The network I developed through my role as a co-president in the Stern Private Equity Club, along with the advice I received from peers, alumni, and OCD career counselors, were instrumental in my search for a full-time position during my second year. After graduating, I look forward to joining the Associate Program at Partners Group, a global private markets investment firm. I am excited about this opportunity, and very grateful for the time I spent here at Stern.
Benjamin Loveland, MBA 2012
I came to Stern with a focus on getting into Investment Banking. To get ready for the intense recruiting period, I leveraged every resource available to me, including: Office of Career Development (OCD), Graduate Finance Association (GFA), and MBA2's. OCD's program was critical - resume reviews, job search strategy groups, mock technical interviews, and counseling. The GFA connected us with alums almost immediately, coordinated Training the Street courses, and arranged guest speakers for lunches and conferences. MBA2's were another important resource, providing examples of what to do and maybe more importantly, what not to do. They also helped me navigate the myriad of recruiting events by each bank. I spent my summer internship at Credit Suisse and really enjoyed the culture, the work, and especially the Stern network. I'm excited to return to Credit Suisse full-time after graduation and continue building on the impressive Stern network at CS and in New York.
Kanan Bhatt, MBA 2012
During my time at Stern, I found myself pursuing both on-campus and off-campus recruiting opportunities. The Office of Career Development (OCD) was incredibly supportive in helping me navigate through what was, at times, an overwhelming process. The panels, mock interviews and workshops (particularly those related to informational interviewing) were a terrific preparatory experience. Moreover, outreach to Stern’s alumni network had a tremendous impact in shaping my career goals and ultimately led to an exciting spring internship with IFC (Independent Film Channel.) My summer internship with Ogilvy Entertainment was the result of an informational interview and OCD proved to be a great resource as I explored this non- traditional recruiting path. During my second year at Stern, I joined OCD as a Career Coach. This dynamic role gave me the opportunity to mentor first year students during their internship search process and share the insights learned from my own experience. I’m thrilled to join Prophet as a Senior Associate this fall, the result of an on-campus recruiting opportunity, strong alumni network and the strength of Stern’s career development resources!
Ilana Fischer, MBA 2011
I arrived at Stern knowing that I wanted to switch careers into management consulting and I began working with OCD immediately. Through my career coach, I revised my resume until it was ready to go. I went through training for corporate recruiting, mock interviews, and multiple job search strategy sessions to help me prepare for interviews. I also worked closely with the career counselors when I had specific questions or needed advice on anything job search related—from what to wear to how to end my thank-you notes. Finally, I spent months practicing case interviews with my classmates. In addition to formally preparing for the job search, I learned so much from my classes, classmates, and my experiences as a business-school student in New York City. My professors were former consultants, bankers, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. I also served as a Board Fellow at a local non-profit organization. I still turn to my Stern friends for advice as I navigate the working world. I received an offer to intern at Bain & Co. in New York for the summer, where I returned full time after graduation. During my second year at Stern, I worked as a career coach helping first-year MBA’s prepare for the job search, and I still work with students today. The collaborative and supportive environment at Stern is something I know I couldn’t have found anywhere else and I am proud to be a Stern alum!
Ryan Heller, MBA/MFA 2011Given that I was an MBA/MFA student (EMT focused on the Stern side) and looking to work in film/TV, my search was fairly self-directed. While in school I interned at production companies and at Focus Features, where I did lots of script coverage and also got a chance to see how films were packaged, sold, financed, and distributed. I took advantage of OCD's coaching and resume review services and went on the LA trek and to Cannes as part of the Craft and Commerce of Cinema class. I also attended a handful of EMTA (formally MESA), and alumni networking events, all of which helped me understand the role that digital was playing in changing the film and TV landscape. I decided I really wanted to land in a role post-school that would help me better understand digital distribution and position me to be a part of the change that was taking place. I saw a posting on the EMTA newsletter about a summer position at Starz in the digital media group. I had a great summer there and when I checked back in with my supervisor (a Stern grad, by the way), it turned out they had an open position and I came on full time two months after graduation. It's been great.
Sasha Leinster, MBA 2011The Office of Career Development was a great resource throughout the recruiting process. The mandatory mock interviews ensured that I stayed on track, despite my very busy first year schedule. I got feedback during my technical mock interview, which helped me to be much better prepared for actual interviews. Access to career coaches and career counselors was also a big plus. I loved that they were always accessible to answer any questions and give great recruiting and career advice. I interned at Deutsche Bank in London, and the Stern name was very strong there. While there, I had a powerful support network. The Stern alums made us feel very welcome and comfortable, setting up many events and meetings to ensure that we met all the right people in the organization. I felt very proud to be a Stern student, and was excited to return to Deutsche Bank in London for a full-time position after graduation.
Godfrey Powell, MBA 2010I came to Stern to focus on Media & Entertainment. The Media program at Stern, led by Al Lieberman and Samuel Craig, is amongst the top 3 in the nation. The program is finely structured, and I felt that it was very fluid and adaptable to the changing industry trends. I grossly underestimated how much I would learn at Stern – both in and out of the classroom. I expected to get some tangential learnings, meet cool people, and get a good job, but my two years at Stern were filled with so much more. What I loved about Stern was the variety of resources. At Stern, if you need something, you can find it. During my second year, I learned about a great international opportunity at Samsung in Seoul, Korea, where I currently work in the Global Strategy Group. I always knew I wanted to work abroad in some capacity, and my time here at Samsung has been great. As I was recruiting for my position, I found the Stern career counselors to be my best resource. They were great to bounce questions and thoughts off of, and worked closely with me as I negotiated my international offer. Though far away, I still feel very connected to the Stern community.
