Pamela F. Peng
Going into fall recruiting, Pamela F. Peng had an open mind. She went through the traditional channel of the Office of Career Services (OCS) but also considered fellowships, graduate school and traveling. Taking the road frequently traveled has paid off for Peng, who now boasts a two-year contract with Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong.
In worst job market in years, Harvard seniors knew employment would be hard to secure. “I think my success is due to my willingness to try anything,” Peng says, “from the State Department to companies outside of recruiting, anything and everything that would interest me. I was prepared—and I was relaxed.”
Those who have not been as fortunate as Peng have another shot at recruiting this spring. Peng believes students who carry out their job searches into the spring must have a certain level of initiative. “It’s a bad economy. We all know that it’s not because of the quality of the candidate,” Peng says sincerely. “But I think what is most important is knowing that eventually we’ll all get to where we want to be.”
Certainly it is easier for Peng to be so upbeat about employment with an offer securely under her belt. Peng is candid about playing the game of recruiting. “It’s essential to present yourself well in an interview and present an image that is true to yourself,” Peng explains. She knows interviews are the perfect opportunity to show the recruiters what they want to see. But she cautions against false packaging and stresses attention to detail.
“Mistakes are all due to timing,” Peng says. “E-recruiting makes it so much easier.” With seniors no longer sprinting to Dunster Street before closing the doors of OCS, more time can be spent on last-minute changes and spell-checking. “Procrastination and rush jobs account for mistakes on cover letters and applications,” Peng offers. “Recruiters are looking for any reason to cut down on the number of applications.”
Peng seems to have made all the right moves. Two nights after her final-round interview with Goldman Sachs she received a late-night phone call—not of the obscene kind. Her roommate woke her with the unexpected news that someone from Goldman was calling. “I was sleepy and a little dazed and confused,” Peng laughs. “So I didn’t sound that excited on the phone. But after I got off I realized what was going on.” Peng didn’t accept the offer that night. With a few more final-round interviews to go, she wanted some time to check her instincts.
“I never thought I could have fun at an interview but I did at Goldman,” Peng says. “The people are great there and that really is so important.” Once she confirmed her gut feeling, Peng was ready to temporarily sign her life away to the financial world.
With the assurance that she will spend the first two years of her professional life in Hong Kong, Peng cannot wait to board the plane in August. “I am more excited about Hong Kong than I am about I-banking,” Peng confesses. She isn’t taking anything too seriously and says she will be as comfortable shipping off to Asia as she was going into recruiting.
Hong Kong is a world away from Wall Street—a fact which appeals to Peng. She is especially intrigued by the issues that China faces in development, a topic the Goldman office deals with daily.
But while she may know what interests her, and even how she will be spending 80 hours a week for the next two years, she is unsure of her future beyond this. Peng refers vaguely to the possibility of working in international relations, but she has found benefits in exploring different options.
“I don’t know what my dream job is,” Peng says. “But Goldman will give me valuable training—I won’t just being doing problem sets and writing papers. I don’t know if I will even stay in the finance industry. If I get to Goldman and I love it, then great.”
Although her long-term plans are uncertain, Peng knows what she wants out of her experience in Asia. She looks forward to discovering Hong Kong and that region of the world. She expects to learn more practical skills in a fast-paced environment than at Harvard. “What I hope to gain from my time at Goldman are the tangible skills that are transferable to other industries and interests,” Peng says.
Four years at Harvard have decidedly prepared Peng for the demands of the workforce. As much as she anticipates the excitement of Hong Kong, Peng is trying to live in the present. “Being a senior, it strikes you from time to time—when you least expect it—that this is it,” she says. “What senioritis is really all about is spending time with friends, making the most of the time left here and just having fun.”
Aware of the daunting time commitment that awaits her at Goldman, Peng is making tentative plans to travel in Europe after graduation. “Once I’m in Hong Kong I won’t really have the time to explore Europe,” Peng explains. “So this is a great opportunity for me. It will be nice running into Harvard grads in Barcelona and not in the Science Center!”
Peng is not quite ready to give every waking hour to finance. “I will have pretty much all of Asia and Australia at my disposal while I am in Hong Kong,” Peng says with optimism. “Now is the time to see a different part of the world.” Peng is also making plans to spend time with family and friends outside the confines of the office. Her parents have committed to a fall trip to Hong Kong and Peng believes (hopes?) that Goldman understands the need for rookies to have some down time.
In seven months Peng will be slaving away on a continent far from the comforts and security of college life in Cambridge. With hopes of leisure activities perhaps unjustifiably high, she leaves behind nights at the Hong Kong for chaotic days and endless office work in Hong Kong.