After finishing her first semester at USC Marshall, Sophia Rendon (USC Marshall, ‘22) began recruiting for internships. While she and her classmates faced unique challenges with virtual recruiting and interviewing, Sophia was able to land a summer internship at Salesforce. During this interview, Sophia reflected on her first year internship recruiting journey, and shared her advice to other MBA students.
MBASchooled: What was the virtual recruiting process like for you?
I started the recruitment process by taking advantage of the virtual element and attending every single company event I was interested in. I quickly learned that even though virtual recruiting allows you to attend more events than you would be able to in person, it doesn’t mean you should. After doing more research and connecting with alumni, I narrowed my focus to a select number of target companies in tech and consulting.
I didn’t want to spread myself out too thin and I felt strongly about my top companies. At the end of the day it’s all about finding the right opportunity at the right time, recognizing it’s a good fit and executing during the interview.
MBASchooled: What did you like about it? What were some of the challenging parts with it?
I have a lot of respect for anyone in virtual school right now – it’s not easy! When it comes to virtual interviewing, the benefits are you can really control your brand and pull new levers to help yourself stand out against the competition. I had a separate spot in my WFH setup that was solely dedicated to interviews and made sure to be comfortable with my virtual greeting.
A virtual interview can easily become a Q&A session so it’s important to feel engaged and create a genuine connection with your interviewer. I was told to always look at the camera but for me it felt more natural to look at the interviewer.
The most challenging part was the technology. I remember being on an informational right before one of my interviews and luckily the person I was talking with told me my audio was cutting in and out. I whipped out my heavy-duty headphones. It wasn’t necessarily the “brand” I was going for but it fixed my audio problem.
MBASchooled: How did you end up at the company where you accepted an offer?
I accepted my offer at Salesforce on the Business Value Services team in New York. It’s the perfect balance of leveraging skills from my previous roles while letting me expand on what I’m learning in business school. Salesforce’s culture and core values definitely stood out to me. I care about staying at the forefront of digital transformation and working in a fast-paced environment.
Most importantly I believe in their products. As someone who has often felt bogged down by data, I appreciate the fact that Salesforce efficiently consolidates and visualizes disparate data. Ultimately I believe that everyone within an organization should be freed of administrative tasks and given the opportunity to think at a higher level, not just the people at the top.
MBASchooled: What was your most difficult interview, and what was hard about it?
My most challenging interview was when I was asked to create a presentation for a company on their own product. Interviews can be intimidating enough and nobody knew these products better than the panel I was presenting to. What made it even more difficult was that I was in the middle of finals. I kept clinging to the advice I heard at the beginning of business school from an ex-consultant. He said that down the line in 5-10 years you won’t be reminiscing about your grades, but you will care about what job you ended up with.
MBASchooled: Even though you did not get to meet companies in person, did you feel like you got to know them well? If so, what were the most helpful methods you used to do this?
Luckily the companies I pursued had a strong virtual presence. I was able to attend company events surrounding female empowerment, network with alumni and learn about different teams through speaker series. In addition to attending all the company-sponsored events, I also made an effort to work with my recruiters throughout the process.
They were extremely responsive with any questions about upcoming opportunities. It was also helpful to do thorough research on the companies themselves. I found the most enjoyment from reading books about certain companies. It was inspiring to see how some of these massive organizations were truly built from the ground up.
MBASchooled: How did you prepare? What were the most effective ways to prepare?
I focused on understanding the company’s vision and connecting how my experiences would fit into the job position and the company’s overarching vision. I reached out to alumni at my target company and networked with 2nd year MBA students to get their advice throughout the interview process.
I read different blogs from well-respected leaders in the industry, watched YouTube videos of annual conferences, read cases that were published online and made sure I knew everything about the company. The most effective way to prepare my stories was writing them down on a piece of paper and then saying it out loud until I was comfortable with how it sounded.
MBASchooled: What did you learn from the interviewing process?
It sounds cliché but it really does take a tribe. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help and treat every interaction like a mini-interview. The more intense networking stage really starts once you receive an interview but it’s always ideal to have an advocate at the company who can campaign for you. Also, know how to tell a good story to keep your interviewer’s interest. Your story is powerful so make sure it’s easy to understand and makes sense with the role you’re applying to.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for others who are trying to navigate the virtual recruiting process?
An easy way to stand out is to always come prepared and do your homework. If there’s a company you really like then follow the CEO on Twitter, read a book they wrote, or dig into some research about the company’s story. If you know the name of the person interviewing you then come in with questions specific to that person’s experience or interests.
Also, I think interviewing with someone you’ve never met is a little uncomfortable for everyone involved. Get over that by authentically connecting with the interviewer in the first few minutes and be enthusiastic about the role. Articulate why you’re so excited with concrete examples and bring the interviewer on that journey with you. Stay true to yourself and remember that the interviewer and recruiter both want you to do well… it makes their job easier!