Jessai Flores
An almost ethereal shift occurs as sophomore year begins. Schedules become packed, your once inseparable first-year friend group begins to dissolve, and you find yourself drowning in a flood of “let’s grab a meal” invitations that often go unanswered. More unsettling is the wave that sweeps away a considerable chunk of your peers: the recruiting season.
The carefree spirit of first year, when you’re encouraged by myriad mentors—including FroCos, deans, and other officials—to delve into every intellectual venture Yale offers, gradually diminishes, overtaken by the seductive pull of finance recruiting.
It’s widely recognized that careers in finance infiltrate nearly every academic major here. As an HSHM major, I’ve often joked with friends about my supposed lack of job prospects. They invariably respond, “Why not go into banking? Goldman Sachs is always hiring.”
If you’re still unfamiliar with the process, here’s a typical breakdown.
Freshman Spring: After completing a semester at Yale, students receive invites to information sessions offered by various firms. Yale is deemed a “target school,” boasting a robust alumni network that has thrived in the finance sector. Alumni return to engage with eager prospective hires and host gatherings at places like the Omni.
Sophomore Fall: the dreaded phase of “networking.” Those currently involved in recruiting describe it as a relentless pursuit due to the countless hours spent emailing cold contacts and customizing resumes for bankers, all in hopes of securing a “coffee chat.”
Despite its amicable title, coffee chats aren’t the leisurely catch-ups one might enjoy at Atticus. Instead, they refer to 15-20 minute phone calls where hopeful candidates attempt to forge a genuine connection with someone at the firm, who might assist them in gaining entry.
Sophomore Winter Break: the “crucible” phase. While some of us relax at home, enjoying time with family and friends, wannabe bankers are tensely glued to their screens, poring over materials for technical interviews and polishing their resumes. Applications for the upcoming summer internships (yes, junior summer) are now open. May the most proficient ECON 115 student prevail.
Sophomore Spring: Hirevues, or AI-driven video interviews where candidates film themselves responding to questions, begin to take place. By February, those who manage to articulate themselves effectively on camera receive invites to “Superdays”: back-to-back interviews at firms with the aim of securing an offer. By March, the fortunate few will have clinched an offer from a top-tier or elite firm, while others may find themselves vying for consulting roles instead.
One of my peers undergoing this journey compared it to college admissions—emotionally draining and rife with trade-offs between the time invested in recruiting versus, say, nurturing friendships.
Despite the challenges, they noted it’s also rewarding, as the experience fosters resilience in facing rejection and offers a broader perspective on Yale.
I observe a campus filled with motivated individuals from whom I learn daily, yet it’s disheartening to witness a waning curiosity for the liberal arts amid such a demanding process.
Personally, while I have HSHM responsibilities, the ever-looming specter of the challenging job market, exacerbated by recent funding and hiring freezes for public health internships, is always at the back of my mind.
