Ahhhh Internship Interview Season. Although I am now a second year, I remember it like it was yesterday. Every first year Boothie is donning that “good” suit, it is a race against the clock to reserve a study room since everyone is doing practice cases or mock interviews, and corporate swag from recruiters is everywhere!!
To be completely honest, my experience was in many ways a series of expectations that did not always line up with reality. Allow me to illustrate with a few examples:
Expectation: Since I’ve spent weeks case prepping, I’ll just “crack” this case with a killer insight and a persuasive recommendation.
Reality: “So, if we capture 35% of the market we’ll reach….um 2 (carry the one), 4 (carry the 2), add a zero….umm yeah, you know what, this looks like it will reach a big number of people, so let’s give it the green light.”
Expectation: These companies will be so impressed by my cross-functional team experience. I’ll share a great story that shows I’m a leader, but also a great team player.
Reality: “A time I worked in a team? Okay, sure.” (Silently racks brain for any thread of a story for uncomfortably long time) “You know, I really love teamwork…” (Come on, Michelle – think!!!)
Expectation: I’ll drop my suit off at the dry cleaner with plenty of time to be ready for the big day!
Reality: Bless that extra suit in my locker
But alas! There was one thing about interview season where the reality was so pleasantly positively divergent from my expectations – help from my second year classmates.
Expectation: I bet second years are too busy and/or do not care enough to help me prep for all of my interviews.
Reality: 2nd year: “Here are 12 times I’m available to work with you, but you can also just give me a call or shoot me an email – I’m happy to work around your schedule!” Me: “Seriously??? Thank you!”
Interview Season is a time when the pay-it-forward spirit of Booth is so ubiquitous and almost palpable. Second year Boothies dedicate hours each week leading up to first year internship interviews to help first years work through cases, run through behavioral questions, study the ins and outs of potential employer companies, and ultimately gain the internship of their dreams. While the spirit of giving back is particularly poignant during this time, the generosity and genuine eagerness of classmates to help each other at Booth is something that I see and feel grateful for every day.
The strength of the Booth community is something that can be hard to articulate or understand without experiencing it first-hand, but if you spent just five minutes around the Winter Garden at Harper Center or at the downtown Gleacher center during interviews, you’d feel it.
Trust me.
