If you had asked me a year ago what I would be doing for my summer internship, I wouldn’t have been able to predict it even in the slightest. Even today, I still couldn’t imagine what this summer had in store for me. But it all started with the search…
To trace back to where this story began, I’d have to start somewhere in August where I sat at my desk inserting the final touches on my resume. I had some idea of what I came to Owen to achieve – a change of pace from my prior years of experience in economic and financial consulting. My eyes were set on a career path within corporate finance; as such, I would expect my summer internship could be codified in such a manner.
Days turned into weeks which soon turned into months of research on companies, mock interviews, cover letter tweaking, discussions with classmates, career advisors, and alumni to hone in on opportunities for summer internships. As more information fell in my lap, the laundry list of potential places I’d like to work whittled itself down to a handful of companies. The internship pursuit continued full steam with a trip to NSHMBA in Minneapolis and an Owen Career Management Center sponsored event known as Wall Street Week during the fall. Looking back, these events did much to prepare me for the focused job search and interviewing I would encounter in the winter.
A few tweaks to my resume and a lint brushing of my suit later and I now found myself in New York City on a balmy 38-degree January morning conducting first round interviews for a Fortune 50 pharmaceutical in conjunction with Owen New York Interview Day. Soon after, the firm I was interviewing flew me back to New York for a second round “super day”. Around the same time, I interviewed with another Fortune 50 telecommunications firm who traveled to Owen and then a couple weeks later had an opportunity for a second round phone interview.
The days went by quickly and on a mid-February morning I received a call about an offer with one of these firms. The next day, another call arrived, with another offer from the other firm. Now, I was faced with a decision between two companies – both of which had highly sought after internship programs, both of which were highly regarded as leaders within their industry, but both of which offered starkly different internship opportunities.
Faced with a decision, I chose the path I would have called “less traveled” considering what I was looking for in August. A summer role within corporate audit for a leading pharmaceutical company quickly took me farther than what I could have possibly imagined at the start of school.
To be continued …
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