Careers 101: How to Get a Summer Job in Business

It's time to get a summer job in business.

If you want to be a businessperson after graduation, you're not alone. "Despite the recent uncertainties in the stock market, a lot of students out there are still searching for jobs in the corporate world," says Nancy Saunders, business counselor at the Office of Career Services (OCS).

For many Harvard students, the first step along the path is that initial summer business internship. Working for a company over the summer can help students test the waters of a certain industry.

"It's unrealistic for a freshman to know what they want to do," Saunders says. She says summer internships are "an opportunity to try a few different jobs, and to use these experiences to narrow your focus."

"People should be encouraged to try different things in the first two years," she says, adding that the summer after junior year is particularly important: "It's the last opportunity to gain ground in the field you're interested in pursuing, and position yourself to be the highest possible candidate as a senior."

These benefits are only magnified in the competitive corporate job search.

A recruiter for Goldman Sachs, one of New York's top investment banks, warned students at the Career Forum last month that their chances were less than optimal: out of 6000 students who recently applied for full time positions at the firm, Goldman only accepted 120.

Saunders includes among the advantages of a summer internship such perks as getting a directly related industry job, making contacts and developing mentoring relationships.

Indeed, many summer business experiences for juniors can lead directly to future employment opportunities, as companies offer full-time positions to their most talented and hardworking interns.

"Known quantities are always more reliable than unknown quantities," she notes. "There are a lot of risks associated with hiring someone, a company could waste up to six or eight thousand dollars in hiring and training someone who doesn't work out."

So with all these rewards for landing a summer internship, how do you get started?

Saunders counsels her students to first learn as much as they can about an industry by reading about the firms and attending their on-campus information meetings.

"Hopefully by your junior year, you'll start to know some likely prospects," she says.

A good place to start looking, Saunders says, is the OCS Web page (see sidebar). In addition to general information on both summer job and full-time recruiting, the Web site offers a schedule of meetings, resume drop-off dates and interview schedules.

Even outside the recruiting process, the Web page has a list of non-recruiting companies to which students apply directly. These companies, however, require applicants to do a little more homework, finding out for themselves what each company requires.

"Students can also come down to the OCS," she urges. "We have binders full of company contacts, of Harvard alumni at these companies willing to speak to undergraduates. A lot of these alumni are also the firm contact people involved in the recruiting process, so it's often a good way to get information."

Also available at the Office of Career Services is a library of books on different careers, a daily resume review, numerous newsletters and handouts and a host of informational meetings on everything from interview tips to workshops on writing resumes. Students are also given one mock interview per academic year.

A student can also join one of the many business oriented clubs on campus, like the Harvard Investment Association (HIA) or the Harvard Consulting Club (HCC).

Mark G. Heiman '00, president of HIA, says that his organization is designed to educate people about the financial world by bringing in special speakers and taking an annual trip to Wall Street.

"Landing a summer job is much easier as a junior, because then the firms are recruiting you," Heiman says. "For a freshmen or a sophomore, it's harder to get a summer job than it is to land a full-time job after graduating."

Underclassmen are "most successful if they work through connections or through persistence, because most firms have a very structured junior internship program," he adds.

The door is not shut for sophomores, however. Saunders notes that Harvard students often have diverse backgrounds and exceptional experiences.

"A company may says that they like juniors, but if an individual has involved themselves in a sophisticated level and demonstrated experience that surpasses that of their classmates, then I would encourage them to apply," she says.

Companies expect two things from their summer intership program, Saunders says: "to make offers and to make business output, and the latter is more important, so companies will hire exceptional underclassmen sometime."

"Recruiters love aggression," says Jan Murray, head of recruiting at OCS. "If you know someone, always give them a cover letter or a copy too, and be sure to call them first."

Murray describes the first step in hiring someone as "eliminating most of the first group of resumes and cover letters, three fourths of which all look alike. If a colleague refers someone to you, and can attest to their suitability, that it's worth their time to talk to you, then they can certainly be of help. A contact will never get you the job, but a contact can help you get an interview. After that it's up to you."

Regardless of the competition, Murray stressed that "the on-campus recruiting program is open to all students. We encourage freshmen and sophomores to apply if they feel that they're an exception. My advice is that if you're interested, apply."

Some students have the best luck finding internships by searching for their own. Mary P. Murphy '99 landed an intership last summer with J. Henry Schroders in London by applying independently.

"I have family members who live in Europe," she explained, "and I knew about it through them. Schroders isn't a big presence in the States, but it's one of the larger investment bank in London, which is where I wanted to do some thesis research."

"I think OCS is extremely strong domestically, but it's not so good for foreign internships, where they were even especially eager to take me because I'm from America," Murphy says. "I think OCS is really great to get started with, but because every student is looking at those jobs, the competition is tougher. You need to find your own."

Finally, if you can't get a job in finance this summer, don't worry.

"Too many students already feel pressured to follow the crowd into business-related jobs," Saunders says. "There are a lot of other jobs out there, and I'd encourage students to make the most of their summers and explore some of them."