I Got the Job! Student Success Stories Artificial Intelligence Biotechnology Computer Science Cybersecurity Data Analytics and Visualization Digital Marketing and Media Mathematics Occupational Therapy Physician Assistant Physics Speech-Language Pathology Name: Ariel Mansano Major: Accounting and Business Analytics Graduation: May 2025 Story: I joined the summer 2024 accounting recruiting cycle late in the game. I applied for my ideal position right before the deadline and the Accounting Fair. I felt that I definitely helped my case at the Accounting Fair, even though they mentioned that there were very limited spots for the position I was applying for. I kept thinking positively and sure enough I was given an interview. After a great interview with members at the firm, I was offered the position! Name: Sarah Silver Major: Finance and Marketing Graduation: May 2023 Story: When I chose my majors, I did not yet know which direction I wanted to take my career. As I learned more about both finance and marketing, I realized that I wanted to find a job that integrated both skill sets. I was lucky enough to be guided by advisors from the Shevet Glaubach Center, and I quickly found a posting on the YUCL site for a job with an alternative investment firm, working on their Requests for Proposals team. This position will allow me to work in the financial field, while also exposing me to many of the aspects of marketing that I enjoy. Advice: Take full advantage of all the opportunities that are offered to students at YU, and specifically through the SGC. Over my years in YU, I had the chance to hear from many incredible speakers and industry professionals, all of whom were happy to answer questions about future career opportunities and be a resource when looking for jobs or exploring potential career paths. Name: Rachel Doretsky Major: Finance and Strategy/Entrepreneurship Minor: Data Analytics Graduation: May 2022 Story: Originally, I wanted to be in public accounting, but I wasn't passionate about it. I didn't know what I wanted to do as a career, but after getting involved in consulting opportunities like internships (created by Accenture and YU) and leading a team working with an Israeli biotech start up (TAMID) I found that I loved leading teams, learning from others, collaboration, creativity, constant learning curves, and the ability to grow my knowledge across different industries. Consulting was the career that would allow me to combine all of those things and more. Moving to Israel has been a top priority of mine for the last few years, so I was determined to find a job there. By networking with individuals from almost all of the consulting firms in Israel for the last year, I found McKinsey was my top choice for a few reasons. One, they're an industry leader and have the largest impact in areas that I'm passionate about, like sustainability, security, and defense. Two, the culture is amazing, and the people are brilliant, funny, kind, driven, supportive, and I'm sure I can learn so much from them. Three, their values align very clearly with mine, meaning I can contribute maximum value while remaining passionate and excited about my career. After a year of networking and preparing for interviews, the recruiting process took three very long months, but every second was worth it when I got the offer from McKinsey's Tel Aviv office. Making Aliyah and joining McKinsey's team has been a dream for a few years now, and I'm so incredibly excited and grateful to all of the people who helped and supported me in the process. I'm most looking forward to collaborating with others, being exposed to brilliant individuals, learning and contributing to my teams, giving back in ways that others have done for me, and more. I'm ecstatic to begin this journey and grow each step of the way! Name: Abigail Lerman Major: Accounting and Management Graduation: May 2022 Story: In Pirkei Avot, we are told to find ourselves a teacher. Luckily for me, I have had the good fortune of learning from MANY special people who have served as teachers and mentors throughout my professional journey. Let me tell you about a few of them. I discovered my first mentor when I scheduled my initial meeting with Mr. Matthew Garcia at the SGC, just several weeks after arriving at YU. Visiting his office for guidance quickly became part of my weekly routine. During our many meetings, he provided me with feedback on my resume, helped me create my LinkedIn account, prepared me for my first interview and invited me to attend numerous programs sponsored by the SGC. I eagerly took advantage of EVERY event he recommended, including information sessions with the Big Four accounting firms, networking events with established alumni in the field of finance and even a site visit to EY, which later set the stage for a full-time offer. Experienced, knowledgeable and extremely helpful, Mr. Garcia laid the groundwork to set me on the path for success. Ironically, I met my next mentor through a program organized by Mr. Garcia and the SGC. This time, however, my “teacher” did not have any formal training in career development nor a professional title. Instead, she was a student, just like me. However, what she did have was the insight that came from being an upperclassman and the willingness to take an inexperienced yet enthusiastic newcomer under her wing. Rebecca Shiner became my “go-to” person during my next few semesters at school, advising me on important matters but through the lens of a peer. She readily gave me input on what classes to take, helped tutor me before my exams and even suggested I purchase a business suit so that I would be prepared for my first big interview when the time came. As a result of Rebecca’s sage advice (and the Semi-Annual Sale at Ann Taylor), when I received my opportunity to meet with the partners at EY a few months later, I was not only prepared for their interview questions but my tailored black business suit was already hanging in my closet ready to go! It would be impossible to talk about my career trajectory without mentioning my next mentor, the professor who initially ignited my passion for accounting, and taught me the necessary skills to pursue a career within my chosen field. For four consecutive semesters, I was blessed with the opportunity to learn from the “Queen of Accounting,” Prof. Aliza Rotenstein, one of YU’s many talented and experienced professors. Her unwavering dedication and commitment to her students, without a doubt, helped me master the material in my foundational accounting classes. While she consistently set the bar extremely high for us, her willingness to meet before exams to answer questions, and after exams to ensure we had mastered the material and never made the same mistake twice, proved invaluable. I sincerely credit Prof. Rotenstein’s belief and investment in my success with my confidence to pursue a future accounting career at a top firm. Having people like Mr. Garcia, Rebecca Shiner, and Prof. Rotenstein in my corner certainly gave me an advantage when I met my next mentor, Mr. Juan Camacho, EY’s Recruiter. I arrived twenty minutes early to the EY Information Session he was leading on campus, giving me not only a chance to schmooze with him but the opportunity to share my excitement about the prospect of working at EY, along with my elevator pitch outlining why he should hire me, before anyone else even arrived. Over the course of the next few months, we communicated regularly as I learned more about EY and the company learned more about me. However, even after he shared the exciting news that I had secured an offer for a summer internship in their Audit Division, our correspondence continued, accompanied by opportunities to represent EY at future YU events, as well as to serve as a mentor myself for a new recruit. In addition, he also encouraged me to apply for several unique opportunities, such as the “Natural Born Solvers Digital Ambassador Program,” which provides 120 interns from across the country with the tools to innovate the audit process and apply them to a project for an actual EY client, and the chance to transfer to Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS), a highly specialized field within the Audit Division. I am extremely grateful to Mr. Camacho for his part in helping me earn invitations to both these selective programs, which have greatly enhanced my industry knowledge and skill set. However, my story would not be complete without mentioning the two “strangers” who also had a hand in helping me secure one of the ten coveted positions within FAAS. Upon learning that there had been only a handful of interns previously assigned to FAAS, I immediately did my research and connected with two of them on LinkedIn. While the first student provided me with valuable insight into the interview process, described the projects he had worked on and spoke about the skills he learned through the experience, the second student texted his former EY supervisor towards the end of our hour-long conversation, recommending me for the position and asking him to put in a good word for me with my interviewer. As a result, by the time I connected with the EY partner who interviewed me the following day, I was not only extremely prepared for the interview but he already knew from his colleague that I was resourceful, tenacious, motivated and possessed the ability to connect easily with others — qualities which were necessary for the position I was seeking. I am so thankful to the two former interns for agreeing to take my initial call and providing me with so much assistance throughout the application process and the internship itself. Advice: As I look back on my journey to landing a full-time offer working in FAAS at EY’s New York City office, I know that our sages got it right: To find success, you need to “find yourself a teacher!” Because of this, I have incredible hakarat hatov [gratitude] for all of the people who have served as one of my treasured “teachers,” as I know that it is due to their collective guidance, support and wisdom that I have been given the opportunity to work at my dream job following my Graduation from Yeshiva University this spring! Name: Benjy Aryeh Major: Finance Graduation: May 2021 Story: In January 2021, I was privileged to go on the YU RENSOP Tech Trip in Israel. We visited a bunch of Israeli startups and one of the companies was Similarweb, a web analytic company that gives companies insights into competitors’ web performance and strategy. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company, YU alum Jason Schwartz, spoke to us about the company and I was fascinated by it. I was a junior that year, and starting to look at different companies to potentially apply to in my senior year. That summer, the SGC had an info session featuring Eve Stieglitz, a Stern alum who works in HR at Similarweb. At the end of the session, Eve mentioned that they had a few internship positions available and would love for YU students to get involved. I emailed Eve immediately and received a response seconds later － I had an interview the next day for the Business Strategy Intern position. The interview went well, and I was hired on the spot. Over the summer, I was exposed to various industries that Similarweb sells their products to, and what was trending in those areas. I was tasked with compiling my findings into a Google Doc explaining their relevance, and the Industry Consultant would write a report about it. I also helped create a website to assist new employees in understanding each industry. I had an amazing experience, and it made me realize that this was the place I wanted to work full time. During my senior year, [Executive Director of the SGC] Susan [Bauer] asked me if I wanted to become the Employer Relations Student Employee and assist with job postings, outreach to employers and creating flyers for events. I had multiple meetings with some of the career advisors in order to learn the best tactics when applying for jobs and interviewing. This helped me narrow down what companies I would be interested in and feel prepared for every interview. After my internship at Similarweb, I stayed in touch with my colleagues at the company and continued sending them information relevant to their roles in order to have my name constantly on their minds with the hopes of landing a job. I also kept in touch with Eve over the course of the year to see what entry-level positions were available at the company. In May 2021, I noticed a position as a Customer Success Analyst, a field I was interested in. I reached out to Eve to inquire about the position and see if it was a good fit for me. Turns out it was an experienced-level role; I was told to speak with another member of the HR team about their Sales Development Representative role. Although I never wanted to be in sales, I really wanted to work for Similarweb and was told multiple times in the meetings I had with the [SGC’s] career advisors and Susan that every position has transferable skills to other areas of interest in the future. I interviewed for the position and two weeks later, I received an offer! Advice: I am forever grateful to YU and the SGC for organizing the tech trip and giving me the opportunity; without that experience, I don't know where I would be today. I went into the trip with the goal of discovering companies I wanted to work for and to network with the presenters. In the end, I accomplished what I set out for. Name: Shlomo Aminsky Major: Marketing Graduation: May 2021 Story: After not knowing which direction I wanted to go in after graduating with a marketing degree, a friend of mine suggested I look into events management. Over time I began to research and consider switching my desired field. Eventually I decided it was time for a change and began to search for events coordinator jobs but I still believe that much of what I learned as a marketing major will have me prepared for my new field. I worked with an SGC advisor to edit my resume and realign my career experiences, in order to research new roles. As of this Fall I have accepted an offer as an events coordinator with Cardozo Law School. Name: Adina Mencer Major: Strategy & Entrepreneurship Graduation: May 2021 Story: When I decided I wanted to change my major from journalism to strategy and entrepreneurship, I was unsure what profession I wanted to pursue. After taking Principles of Strategy and realizing how much I enjoyed the subject, I reached out to the SGC to learn about my career options. It wasn’t until my junior year when someone suggested I look into pursuing a career in human resources. From there, I conducted my own research to learn more about the industry and professions in HR. After attending an SGC Career Fair and speaking with an alumnus, I was confident I wanted to pursue a career in human capital consulting. From that point on, I used LinkedIn to connect with human capital consultants and other HR professionals to learn as much as I could about the industry. When I approached the SGC for additional networking assistance, the SGC provided me with a list of contacts I could reach out to. To my surprise, people actually responded and were more than happy to speak with me. In the Spring semester of my senior year, I participated in the Women’s Professional Network (WPN) mentoring program. I was matched with a YU alumna working at one of the leading human capital consulting firms. During those few months, I was able to gain further insight into the industry and skills needed to succeed as a consultant. After emailing an HR consulting firm that caught my attention, I reached out to employees via LinkedIn. Ultimately, it was a VP at the firm who responded to my LinkedIn connection request and set up a time for us to meet. At the end of our conversation, I was encouraged to apply to the firm’s summer internship program, and was introduced to additional employees. My internship allowed me to gain necessary work experience and further solidified my interest in human capital consulting. Before the completion of my internship, I was offered a full-time position to continue working at the firm. Advice: My advice to current YU students is to take advantage of the services and events offered by the SGC, and to not be afraid to network with professionals. I’m thankful for all of the guidance I received during my years at YU, which enabled me to land a job in human capital consulting. Name: Anonymous Major: Finance Graduation: January 2021 Story: Thanks to the help of the SGC, I was able to adequately prepare for my interviews with three of the top four accounting firms, and secure offers from all three. Their help with editing my resume, working on my cover letters and conducting mock interviews was critical to my success. (They have also been instrumental in helping me with graduate school applications.) Thank you! Name: Chayim Mahgerefteh Major: Accounting Graduation: May 2020 Story: In the beginning of my senior year at YU, I applied to Grant Thornton for a tax internship for the summer after I would graduate. I had two back-to-back interviews, and was notified the following week that I received an offer for the internship. Before the interviews, I practiced mock interviews with the SGC, and I did research on the firm by speaking with GT employees and looking through their website. Before the internship, I was notified about the changes to the program due to the COVID-19 pandemic but in that same email, they extended a full-time offer to start the following year. After the internship, I began studying for the CPA. I studied from morning until evening, and had a plan on how much material I wanted to cover each day/week so that I was able to accurately schedule when I would be ready to take the tests. In ten months of full-time studying, I passed all four sections on my first attempt. I began working as a Tax Associate at Grant Thornton in August 2021. Advice: I am extremely grateful to Yeshiva University for providing me with so many opportunities and resources to learn about the recruitment process. I worked hard during my three years at YU. I went out of my comfort zone, and at times even embarrassed myself in order to become more educated about various professions. I attended every career fair, networking event and panel that I thought I had something to gain from. I followed up with [the] professionals I would meet to try and absorb their wise advice. As a result, I became a lot more professional in how I communicate with others. If there is anything I can do to help a current YU student or alumni, I would be happy to do so. SHARE YOUR STORY!
