Please briefly describe your background prior to Haas
I'm an international student from Taiwan. I double-majored in Ethnology and Economics during my undergraduate studies. Before coming to Haas, I first joined Citibank as a management associate, which is a 2-year rotational program, and then worked as a wealth management product manager for another 2 years.
What industries and functions did you recruit for and why?
In the beginning, I was more of an explorer. I attended almost every recruiting event, including those for investment banking, consulting, and the tech industry. Later on, I started to focus more on consulting and tech recruiting. However, this year the job market is pretty challenging for international students, so I realized it’s better to leverage my past experience, and fintech could be a good fit for me.
Briefly describe how you approached recruiting. Anything worked particularly well for you?
As a non-native speaker, I spent a lot of time practicing mock interviews. I found Amazon's 16 leadership principles helpful for getting a quick start. According to the question bank, I selected 6 principles that I think are frequently used in interviews. Then I prepared around 7-8 personal stories that are broad enough but also detailed enough to answer a wide range of behavioral questions. After that, I scheduled as many peer advisor, career coach, and industry specialist timeslots as possible to practice, ensuring that I'm not just memorizing the stories but can actually tell them in a comfortable and confident way.
Briefly introduce your internship company and your team
I interned at Visa's San Francisco office as a North American Merchant Sales and Acquiring MBA intern. My team consisted of account executives (AEs) who focus on restaurant and QSR (quick service restaurant) merchants, such as Starbucks, McDonald's, Subway, etc.
Briefly describe your summer project or job description
My project was to help Visa's restaurant and QSR vertical build a global account engagement plan and service model, which involved engaging with different regional account executives (AEs) in Europe, APAC, Canada, and Australia. It was a really interesting project that not only helped me gain deep knowledge about QSR dynamics but also allowed me to learn about cultural nuances and differences across regions.
Fun facts about the company
This summer, I participated in many interesting events organized by Visa. Visa is known for sponsoring various sports events, including the Olympic Games, and has been a Worldwide Olympic Partner for many years. Since this summer coincided with the Paris Olympics, we had the opportunity to watch the Olympic Games in the office with many colleagues, enjoying wine and cheese also sponsored by Visa. I also attended a soccer game at PayPal Park's Visa VIP lounge. Additionally, Visa just launched its brand new office at Mission Rock, where we can watch "free" baseball games from our own rooftop!
Thoughts / reflections on your internship
- Industry Knowledge:
Before I joined Visa, my understanding of the company was mainly limited to its role as a network company focused on payments. This summer, I discovered that Visa has hundreds of products and is continually innovating and developing new ones. This expanded my perspective on the company and highlighted the depth and breadth of Visa's contributions to the payments industry.
- Networking:
I learned the importance of networking. It not only helped me hit the ground running and connect with key stakeholders for my project, but it also helped me make a lot of like-minded friends along the way. Here are some tips to get started: (1) Connect with people who have similar backgrounds or interests. (2) Leverage Haas resources and alumni connections to expand your opportunities.
Closing thoughts or advice
Start early and be indomitable. As an international student, it can be frustrating when you realize that some job positions you thought would be a perfect fit do not sponsor you. However, keep working hard and keep trying; you will definitely find a place that is perfectly suited for you. If you feel down, reach out to people or to me! Everyone at Haas is friendly and happy to chat!