Conduct an informational interview with someone who is working in a field that interests you. You may choose to conduct these with Wesleyan alumni or other industry professionals. For tips on getting started, see the Gordon Career Center website or ask your career advisor. Include a reflection on your experience here.
I conducted an informational interview with Olivia Klein, a graduating senior, about her experience working at Holland & Knight’s Public Policy and Regulation internship. I found her on LinkedIn searching through the Wesleyan page then searching Holland & Knight, per the advice of Camille McGadney. Olivia was detailed and forthright in her answers and advice. It’s great talking to people far along in their careers, but I also appreciated the opportunity to talk to a Wes student who’s a little older than I am but still figuring it out and navigating these fields at more of an entry-level at the same time I am. She described Holland & Knight as a demanding, intense work environment. She loved her boss, which is good. Her work largely consisted of writing detailed memos about congressional hearings on policy that was of interest to Holland & Knight’s clients. Those clients were usually corporations. Even when the corporations were green energy companies or more sustainable lumber companies, the goal of Holland & Knight seemed to be to make them as much money as possible by influencing policy that would profit the companies. We need green energy and cleaner lumber and all that good stuff, but this corporate consulting world, even in relation to policy, is not really what I’m looking to be involved in at this point, or maybe ever. It’s no coincidince that Holland & Knight pays $20/hour and the League of United Latin American Citizens pays $0/hour. But I feel good about having my organization’s client being Latinos, rather than big companies, even ones that are more ethical. The work Olivia did was impressive and she even sent me some of the briefs she wrote. I applied to Holland & Knight. I did my best in the cover let to show my passion for helping their clients make money. I never heard back. I talked to my dad about it, and he was very opposed to my working there. He said “if you’re going to work in corporate consulting, at least make it for one of the best firms!” He basically said Holland & Knight would be worse for my resume than no additional entries for the fields I think I want to go into. After the conversation and thinking more about it, I decided that I wouldn’t work for Holland & Knight even if I got the position. I’m grateful that Olivia shared her time and experience with me, but maybe it’s for the best that I never heard back from that particular internship.
