“Success is dependent on effort.” - Sophocles

An elevator pitch is a succinct and persuasive speech that is used to spark interest in yourself (or interest in a project, idea, or product). For the purposes of FirstGen Ahead, college juniors will soon have an opportunity to practice their 30-second elevator pitch that introduces themselves to a panel of coaches. Coaches will provide feedback and students will have another attempt to integrate the feedback received and practice again. The feedback will be based on the rubric emailed to students and includes elements of an elevator pitch (introduce yourself, explain what you do, explain what you want), and delivery (cadence, clarity, tone, body language). This is timely as most college juniors are about to begin interviewing for summer internships. If college seniors would also like to participate again this year, please contact Susan@FirstGenAhead.org before February 13. The “Improving Your Elevator Pitch” session takes place on Sunday, February 27 from 7-8pm ET. 

Writing a customized cover letter for each position in which you apply takes time – and it matters. A survey by ResumeGo found applications with tailored cover letters yielded 53% more interviews than those without cover letters. 

Your company’s mission of democratizing financial services for people all over the world is highly motivating to me. I have personally witnessed inequities in accessing financial services. Applying my finance and technical skills to eliminate this inequity is why I enthusiastically submit my application for the Fintech Specialist position. Compare that opening sentence to this one: I am writing to you to apply for the Fintech Specialist position. Which letter would you want to keep reading based on the opening paragraph and why?

One internship accomplishment I’m most proud of is developing an algorithm that forecasted with 85% accuracy demand for financial services in low-income communities across three states. Compare that statement to this one: I have worked at XYZ for the past two summers and have been exposed to a variety of financial and technical projects. Which statement is stronger and why?

It is because of an alignment of the company’s mission with my own motivations and a match between the FinTech Specialist job requirements with my relevant skills and experiences, that I hope to hear back from you to further explore a potential fit. Compare that statement to: I am highly qualified for this position and will call you by the end of the week to schedule a time to talk. Which one of these statements strikes the right tone for a concluding paragraph and why?

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Google yourself. LinkedIn will be one of the first results to appear (assuming your public profile is visible; if not, check your account settings). This is the time of year for students to strengthen their LinkedIn profiles (and Handshake profiles).

Here are some 10 tips to do so:

After making these types of improvements, share your profile with your FirstGen Ahead coach and other trusted advisors and ask for feedback.

It wasn’t until this year that I learned what an informational interview was, along with its value and importance. Conducting an informational interview is a skill that anyone should learn how to do because it builds your network with people who have similar interests and expands your knowledge about potential careers.

Along with students in my FirstGen Ahead cohort, we each conducted at least three informational interviews. While it was not uncommon for us to be nervous at first, our nerves were quickly settled once we started having a conversation. We learned that people liked to talk about themselves and their career journey, and they were happy to serve as a resource.

Some of us interviewed people we already knew, such as professors, friends, and acquaintances in positions we were curious about. Some of us also did not know the people who we were about to interview – they were introduced to us by someone else but held a position we wanted to learn more about.

Preparation is key. If we only have 30 minutes to conduct an informational interview, we want to ask questions where we can’t find the answers online. One way of preparing is by searching their online profile, the company in which they work, and job outlook data in their field. We also want to ask open-ended questions where the response isn’t a simple yes or no but provides context and insight. Finally, we need to be mentally present and listen to their answers, rather than rush to ask the next question on our list, as there might be a follow-up question that is pertinent to ask.

The first step I took was getting to know the person by simply asking about their past, specifically their career journey. This enabled me to establish a genuine human connection. For example, “What was the path you took to get to where you’re at now?” An additional key question I asked that led to a great interview was: “What are some of your best achievements in your field?” The reason why asking about achievements is so crucial is because it allowed me to understand what is required in a job. Asking a question about what makes a competitive applicant was one of the most valuable aspects of the informational interview for me. I learned lab experience matters for my future career aspirations. Overall, I found the interviewees were open, displayed humor, and were interested in getting to know me and serving as a resource.

For me, I realized that my professors, friends, and even some acquaintances can give me a huge head start in my career with just a thirty-minute conversation. For example, I was able to make a better timeline and plan my entire year until September 2022 based on the first informational interview I conducted.

For others, they received generalized advice pertaining just not to careers, but to life. For example, don’t be afraid to take risks, always apply yourself, and be persistent in tough times.

Almost all students connected with people during their informational interview who they want to have as part of their network; some students found potential future mentors.

The value of an informational interview comes from how much you can take advantage of it. Whether you learn ways to improve your marketability, acquire a mentor, plan out your year, or even simply learn about a person’s career journey, this type of interviewing is important for your future and for your career.

As a college student, it’s nearly impossible not to feel symptoms of stress. In addition to the stress of living during a pandemic, other causes of stress common for college students relate to academics (adaptation to a new context, preparation for and completing more challenging exams, pressure to perform) and non-academic demands (where to live, the need to create new social relationships, roommate and other social conflicts, money worries, concerns about post-graduation plans). The mental health concerns of college students are well documented.

Being unable to manage stress can be harmful to your academic performance (reduced ability to pay attention or to memorize, less dedication to study, etc.) as well as to your physical and psychological health (substance abuse, insomnia, anxiety, physical and emotional exhaustion, etc.). How you cope can make a difference in your ability to manage stress.

While there are many coping strategies, they are generally categorized into two broad types: 1) approach (also called active) strategies and 2) avoidance (also called evasive or disengagement) strategies. Approach strategies are aimed at making an active response to the stressor. Approach strategies include planning, taking a specific action, seeking support, positive reappraisal of the situation, or acceptance. Avoidance strategies are used to evade stressful situations, such as distraction, denial, and wishful thinking. Based on these classifications, there is a broad consensus that the approach strategies are related to good academic, physical, and psychological adjustment whereas avoidance strategies usually mean maladaptive consequences for students.

Here are five approach strategies to cope with the stress of being a college student during the pandemic:

How much do you need to save? If you’re starting to save at the age of 25 and want to retire at age 65, it is recommended to put away at least 15% of your salary. But before you can save, you have to get yourself out of debt. Every situation is different, but a couple of basic principles apply to everyone. First, no matter how much debt you have, ALWAYS max out on the employer match on your 401(K) retirement plan. Some employers will match the amount of money you put into your retirement account up to some maximum amount. The human resources staff can educate you more about this process. The “return” on this money is usually between 50% and 100%, which is higher than the worst credit card interest rates. Next, make it a priority to eliminate your debt (credit cards, car loans, and student loans). Only when you’ve gotten rid of all your debt are you truly saving for retirement. 

Did you know nearly one-third of all American students now go into debt to get through college, and the average student loan debt reached a record high of $38,792 in 2020? Overall, the average starting salary for the Class of 2020 was $55,260. While it’s good to know national averages, what is more helpful is to learn the average student debt for students at the college you are attending and the average wage of students who graduate with the same degree and from the same college as you. How do you find this information? Contact the financial aid office at your college and the head administrator of your college department if it isn’t publicly reported. 

What was a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work and how have you dealt with it? You’re probably not eager to talk about past conflicts during a job interview but, if you’re asked directly, be honest. You don’t want to go into the kind of detail you’d share when venting to a friend. As you calmly and professionally tell the story, be mindful of spending more time talking about the resolution than the conflict. Apply the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format, and don’t forget to mention what you’d do differently next time to show you’re open to learning from tough experiences.