Editorial Notebook

This is the time of year when many Harvard juniors and seniors begin looking for internships and jobs. While some dream of making millions, others worry only about their upcoming October midterms. But anyone who has ever been interested in a financial career has already been exposed to the most infamous rite of recruiting: the information session. While some look forward to the presentation and the hors d'oeuvres, others complain vehemently about having to shave and get dressed.

I say, stop your whining.

Yes, looking nice and proper for a recruiter might be inconvenient, but it's necessary. If you want that job, you need to take the time to sift through the hundreds of similar companies and figure things out for yourself. You need to meet the people who will be evaluating your resume and make an effort to distinguish yourself from your classmates.

I'm only a junior, but I've gone to some of these information sessions, talked with the recruiters and recent Harvard graduates and gathered information. Why? Because I'm interested in the financial world and want an internship. It's as simple as that. And if the networking and schmoozing at these information sessions isn't for you, I'm sorry to welcome you to the world we live in. If eager overachievers can feel comfortable in their endless barrage of pointless questions to befriend a TF, I think my networking for internship is justified.

This logic does not only apply to job-hunting. How do you think people get the best sections, get past the lottery of a Core class or get the thesis advisers they want? The same way you get a job--contacts, contacts, contacts.

Keeping in touch with and talking to the representatives at these information sessions is one of the keys to getting that coveted Goldman Sachs or McKinsey interview. And if you don't want to go into investment banking or management consulting, then you have nothing to worry about. So the next time you find yourself complaining about the Morgan Stanley information session that conflicts with your dinner plans, at least go for the free food. Savory baked tofu or shrimp and cocktails? You decide.

--DANIEL A. SHAPIRO