By Brett Sanchez (’19)
Pay it forward: I’m sure most have heard the expression. Thanks to Wikipedia (my undergraduate professors would shudder to know I’m citing a wiki), I found out we may be able to trace the concept back to Ben Franklin, at least:
I do not pretend to give such a deed; I only lend it to you. When you ... meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him.
There are many reasons why I chose to come to Anderson; but while I was working on my application, I don’t think that I fully grasped the importance of the pay it forward attitude here. Throughout the last year, I have been paid immeasurable “Sums” from my fellow Andersonians in the form of help and guidance. This tendency is seen in the admissions process and from Bridge Week to learning teams to the sheer number of Anderson alumni who have returned to take jobs in the UCLA Anderson administration.
However, the pay it forward vibe resonated strongest for me during my internship search. Three things greatly surpassed my expectations: the Parker Career Management Center’s Anderson Career Teams (ACT), how helpful my classmates were and the Anderson network.
The helpfulness of the ACT program cannot be overstated. Each year, around 70 second-year Anderson students volunteer to coach first-year students (grouped by industry and functional interest) on every aspect of the internship search. ACT groups meet for at least an hour each week, and coaches develop and follow a highly tailored job-search curriculum. One of the most up-to-date and relevant career resources I have ever encountered, these weekly sessions are just one component of the ACT program. Coaches also host etiquette sessions, review resumes and cover letters, and conduct mock interviews throughout the quarter.
My fellow first-year classmates were equally as supportive during my internship search. As I think back to when I was applying to business school, I remember conversations I had with students about the Anderson culture. They shared with me how collaborative the internship-search process is at Anderson. Honestly, I was skeptical. Now that I am on the other side of the process, I realize what those students told me couldn’t have been truer. A job search should be competitive, yet at the drop of a hat my classmates were ready to practice “technicals” with me, to share tips and tricks, to make introductions ― there is an almost inexplicable collective drive to make sure that everyone secures a great internship. And it worked: My classmates landed at bulge bracket and “elite boutique” investment banks in Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco.
This type of mentality ― a collaborative approach to the job search ― is not born overnight. It is clear to me that this has been a key part of the Anderson culture for a long time. I know this, because I talked to a lot of alumni during my internship search. From the associate level (the typical post-MBA role) all the way to senior managing directors, people were always willing to give advice, to talk about industry trends, even to help me decide which spring break trek I should join (I ended up in Japan with 170 classmates ― I highly recommend that trip!). At nearly every firm I visited during Days on the Job (DOJ) field trips, Anderson alumni made up a large portion of the office, and the pay it forward mentality was a constant, regardless of their employer or the year they graduated.
Thinking back on the last year, I find it really incredible how much help I got from Anderson community members who were paying it forward. Rest assured, though, that these people were only lending me those good deeds, to paraphrase Franklin. And I am excited to have many more opportunities to pay forward the favors as I go into my second year.
Brett Sanchez spent his 2018 summer internship as an investment banking associate at Moelis & Company in Los Angeles. Read his original post on the UCLA Anderson MBA Insider’s blog.
Hi, thanks for giving updates on Anderson Career Teams (ACT), it is very helpful for my classmates and the Anderson network
Posted by: FRSC | 09/16/2018 at 01:45 AM