Key Takeaways

‍

She got the most out of her summer project: a media-company deal she worked through across public comps, DCF, and even an LBO. It pushed her to pick up skills and think through strategic rationale on her own, beyond what her regular staffings asked for.

‍

A couple of things she'd tell anyone starting out:

• Look for mentorship beyond your own group — alumni, past networking contacts, or anyone who shares your background

• If you're coming from a non-finance background, don't panic: the industry is open to it

‍

What surprised her most was the people. The intern class turned into actual friends — she met someone at a first-day event, figured they'd never cross paths again, and the two ended up staffed on the same deal.

‍

Finding her way in worked much the same way: she clicked with people who'd done theater like her, and they were the ones who showed her how the industry worked and what someone without a traditional finance background could do.

‍