As company internship recruitment begins earlier every year, students find themselves searching for opportunities prior to the start of a semester. Daniel Hoover, the president of Berkeley ABA, the largest and oldest Haas School of Business sponsored organization, noted that getting a head start gives students time to understand “which role, firm, and industry suits [their] skills or interests.”
In addition to the campus hosting multiple career fairs, student organizations are also helping their peers find personal and professional development opportunities through information sessions, weekly workshops, speaker panels, and more. One such example is the annual Nexus: Creating Connections event, a professional networking dinner co-hosted by ABA and Berkeley’s Future Business Leaders of America–Phi Beta Lambda, the nation’s largest career student business organization.
Nearly 90 undergraduate students had the opportunity to dine and network with representatives from over 20 companies, including Deloitte, Ernst & Young, LinkedIn, and Bank of the West, the official bank of UC Berkeley. “Having networking dinners like Nexus provides a platform where students can cultivate these strong relationships with recruiters and reach out for later opportunities,” explained Neha Burli, the professional chair of ABA.
Events like Nexus are also beneficial to companies looking to recruit UC Berkeley students. Burli added, “by seeking out students on campus, companies get a wide array of motivated individuals who share true passion for wanting to join the company.” When connecting with students on a more personal level, companies can encourage students to reach out and take advantage of more opportunities.
Bank of the West Recruiting Manager Elijah Padua emphasized how student interns “provide fresh perspectives and new ideas to the bank,” creating a mutually beneficial relationship for both the bank and the university. Last summer, Bank of the West hosted 29 interns, 11 of which were Berkeley students. When asked about their greatest takeaways, Berkeley students Amy Pham and Max Brimlow shared how their internships provided them opportunities for personal growth. In both cases, the students expressed their appreciation to Bank of the West, UC Berkeley, and their internship experience for allowing them to realize their potential.