Nationwide Job Treks, Consulting Camp Highlight UVA Darden’s First Week of Dedicated Internship Prep

University of Virginia Darden School of Business First Year students experienced seven days of morning-to-evening recruiting opportunities across industries this fall, as the Career Development Center led the School’s first week of dedicated internship prep programming.

The week included Job Treks to industry hotbeds around the country, including visits with asset management leaders and alumni in Boston; venture capital and technology firms in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle; luxury retailers in New York City; every major bank in New York City via the 21st annual Week on Wall Street; investment banks in Charlotte, North Carolina; and an on-Grounds Consulting Camp in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“For the first time ever, every student in Darden’s First Year class was able to participate in career programming — whether on-Grounds or around the country — preparing the students to enter any major MBA hiring industry,” said Jeff McNish, assistant dean of career development. “Through close collaboration with Darden’s student-led clubs, network of alumni and recruiting partners, there truly was something for everyone.”

Visiting Luxury Retailers and the World’s Leading Banks in New York City

Senior Director of Investment Banking Careers Ed Yu led the Week on Wall Street, in partnership with the Darden Finance Club and the School’s strong recruiting network of investment banks. In five days, 47 First Years visited 16 investment banks to attend a series of office visits and networking receptions. Yu said the week allowed students to see bankers in their “natural habitat” and meet individuals who would be able to help during January recruiting.

“This is especially important as more banks are moving toward a group-specific hiring model,” said Yu.

In partnership with the Darden Retail and Luxury Goods Club and Darden Technology Club, Senior Director of General Management and Marketing Careers Casey Floyd (GEMBA ’17) led 53 students to explore firms and functions that included corporate finance at American Express; tech innovation at Google, Facebook and LinkedIn; luxury brand marketing at Tiffany & Co.; and general management at Anheuser-Busch.

“The trek provided opportunities for students to see companies and careers in the Big Apple that are not solely focused on investment banking,” Floyd said.

Alexa Diaz (Class of 2021)

After attending the New York trek, First Year Alexa Diaz felt enthusiastic about the opportunity to experience company culture firsthand.

“The trek gave me a better sense for what’s important to me as I connect with companies and think about my summer internship,” Diaz said. “I felt newfound energy and excitement, which gave me momentum heading into the busy recruiting season.”

Prepping for Case Interviews and Consulting Recruiting at Darden

Over 140 First Year students participated in the first-ever on-Grounds Consulting Camp. A new collaboration between the Consulting Club at Darden and CDC, the event provided over 16 hours of educational panels and workshops hosted by individuals such as Dean Scott Beardsley, Senior Director of Consulting Careers Christy Gunville, and Brendan Boler, Darden Ph.D candidate, UVA School of Data Science Presidential Fellow, and case interviewing expert.

Gunville called the event the “perfect kick-start” to the rigorous consulting interviewing process and believes the camp positioned students to “confidently jump in.”

“One of the great things about Darden is that students have numerous resources to support their journey — from responsive alumni and Second Years offering support, to the CDC acting as a holistic career advisor,” said consulting club president Allie Medack (Class of 2020).

Tapping Into Tech and Venture Capital on the West Coast

Organized by Senior Director of Technology Careers Jenny Zenner (MBA ’03) and Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Director of Strategic Initiatives Robyn Swift, the West Coast tech treks and Batten Connect program offered First Years a unique look inside technology companies, venture capital firms and early stage companies.

Zarina Khan (Class of 2021)

“Unlike investment banks, not all tech companies are eagerly opening their doors to 40-plus visitors. This time of year, recruiters are on the road doing their jobs at campuses, so by and large, we rely on our alumni to host us for trek visits. Fortunately, our alumni come through,” Zenner said. “My goal is to have meaningful visits. This year delivered.”

First Year Zarina Khan called the treks “pivotal” in affirming her desire to work in technology after graduation. “Hearing from Darden graduates at top tech companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft showed me how what I am learning via the case method and what I am gaining from being part of Darden’s vibrant community will contribute to my success for years to come.”

Exploring Private Equity, Investment Management and Banks in Boston and Charlotte

Six First Year students interested in asset management joined Senior Director of Financial Services Careers Paul Reeder (MBA ’98) on a trip to Boston to participate in an alumni-coordinated series of visits to private equity and investment management firms.

“Asset management can be a difficult field for recent MBA graduates to enter,” said Senior Director of Financial Services Paul Reeder (MBA ’98). “By strengthening our relationships with Darden alumni in private equity and investment management, we hope to increase students’ chance of success in these markets. Fortunately, Darden alumni go above and beyond, which is immensely beneficial for students interested in these careers.”

Andrea Kovacs (Class of 2021)

Just before kicking off Week on Wall Street, Yu led seven First Years to Charlotte to explore the southeastern city’s leading investment banks. Andrea Kovacs (Class of 2021), who hopes to intern in an investment bank this summer, joined Yu’s treks to both Charlotte and Wall Street and found both experiences “incredibly valuable” for her recruiting.

“After getting to know most of the firms during on-Grounds recruiting, it was a great experience to visit each office and gain a firsthand feel for their culture by meeting more of the team,” Kovacs said. “Attending the career treks is the best way to immerse yourself in the city you could be living in for the summer and explore what the day-to-day life of an investment banker looks like.”

Below, find the full list of companies participating in Darden’s week of cross-industry career programming.

Boston Financial Services Trek

• Bain Capital
• Eaton Vance
• HarbourVest
• Massachusetts Financial Services
• MedEquity Capital
• Polen Capital

Charlotte Investment Banking Trek

• Jefferies
• Piper Jaffray
• Wells Fargo

Consulting Camp in Charlottesville

• Boston Consulting Group
• Deloitte
• McKinsey
• PricewaterhouseCoopers

New York City General Management, Retail, Marketing and Tech Trek

• American Express
• Anheuser-Busch
• Facebook
• Google
• LinkedIn
• Marsh & McLennan
• Tiffany & Co.
• Zola

San Francisco Bay Area Tech Trek and Darden Connect

• Adobe
• Autodesk
• BlueRun Ventures
• DocuSign
• Electronic Arts
• Facebook
• Frisco Brandy
• Glynn Capital Management
• Glassdoor
• Google
• LendStreet
• LiveRamp
• Makena Capital Management
• Okta
• Playground Ventures
• Radar Partners
• Rakuten
• Rippleworks
• San Jose Sharks
• Satsuma Pharmaceuticals
• Square
• Uber
• VMware
• VSCO
• Walmart eCommerce
• Ziff Davis

Seattle Tech Trek

• Amazon
• Expedia
• Facebook
• Microsoft
• Qualtrics
• Starbucks
• Tableau
• T-Mobile

Week on Wall Street

• Bank of America
• Barclays
• Citi
• Credit Suisse
• Evercore
• Goldman Sachs
• Greentech Capital
• Harris Williams
• Houlihan Lokey
• Jefferies
• JPMorgan Chase
• Lazard
• Moelis & Company
• Morgan Stanley
• UBS
• Wells Fargo