And what I really valued with Marshall as a whole, both in class and out of class, was the emphasis on exploration. I think it was a lot of information through those two sources that helped me figure out I want to try consulting. That happened probably at the end of my freshman year.

Alumni connected me to McKinsey and I started connecting with the recruiter. I was able to successfully recruit for their sophomore program, tried it out, and realized I really enjoyed it.

There’s a lot of support, both in the students as well as with faculty and staff in enabling exploration across these different paths.

How did Career Services help you secure your internships and figure out your professional direction?

NG: Career Services helped me in the beginning when I was a freshman and then post-offers. I didn’t know what a resume should look like or what a cover letter looked like, and Career Services was really good my freshman year, both through the peer career advisors (PCA) as well as workshops. When I was applying, I was ready.

Then I had multiple offers and I needed some questions answered. Claudia [Aguilar] was really instrumental … Claudia specifically helped me talk through why I’m doing certain things, what is the motivation to choose one company or the other, and then how to communicate that very respectfully to other companies in a way that I could prevent burning bridges.

How did the Trojan Family play a role in applying to the McKinsey internship and eventually securing a full-time job?

NG: The Trojan Family played a huge role in securing my internship, which led to a return offer for a full-time position.

When I first came to USC, I was [thinking], “Okay, yeah, the Trojan Family. Doesn’t every school have an alumni network?” I think [other networks] all pale in comparison to the willingness of Trojans to give back. For context, one of the organizations on campus brought in a panel of USC McKinsey alums my freshman year, and I followed up with one of them after the panel. She dedicated an hour of her time just to talk with me, just to help me understand what consulting is, what is her job, why she chose what she did.

I would argue that kind of connection to USC firm members is what helped me cement my understanding of the firm and be successful in recruiting. And then the recruiter connected me with a bunch of different Trojans. I probably only talked to USC alumni at McKinsey for networking before I got the job. They were all more than willing to help me understand [the job], but also in recruiting, casing, resume prep, or going through my cover letter prepping for McKinsey’s behavioral, which is quite unique, called the PEI (personal experience interview).

I don’t think I realized how much that meant until I went and did the job. They were doing this job and yet would get on the phone with me for 30 minutes or an hour. There was no need to invest their time in me in theory, but they were still willing to do it — that was super special. It makes me feel so welcomed and excited to start at the firm because I know immediately there’ll be a group of people who are willing to help me start my career.

I’ve also talked to my friends about this: We can’t wait until someone else from USC reaches out to us, and we can be helpful. And to me, what’s really cool and special about the Trojan Family is that they give to you, and it makes you feel so welcomed and it helps you astronomically. You can’t wait until you also give back.

What was the internship like and did you feel prepared for it when you went in there because of your education?

NG: It’s a 10-week internship. The first week was training, and then they really just treated me like an analyst.

I was able to pull from what I learned in school – from past experiences on case teams, classes, student organizations, and the projects I’ve worked on. The job itself is quite intense. As somebody who’s 20 or 21 years old, it’s different than anything you've ever faced.

How do you think your journey would’ve been different had you not gone to Marshall?

NG: If I went to a different university, I don’t think I would learn the lesson of networking relationships as impactfully. I think that’s a really important thing in business. It is a really powerful lesson that Marshall helped enforce.

Also, I don't think I would’ve been as globally learned. I’ll have gone to eight different countries with Marshall. I don’t know another university that has such an international program, particularly with business. Marshall’s focus on learning from other cultures and having that global mindset has been really special in bringing unique and creative ideas to the work that I do. That’ll set me up really well when I enter the workforce and work at McKinsey, because a lot of business now is extremely global.

What advice would you give to a younger student who’s coming to Marshall and trying to make the most out of the school’s career support, as well as their four years at USC?

NG: Get involved in whatever way that means to you. For me, it was student clubs, and it was the resources at Marshall.

Then go to the Career Services events. Just showing up, particularly when you’re a freshman, just being in the room is a win because in that stage it’s really knowledge and understanding that is so invaluable.

Also, make sure to stay connected with the people you meet in class, in student orgs, and at these sessions … Something that I would’ve loved to have learned quicker is building those relationships, both personally, that’s the most important part, and professionally. You never know who’s going to have the answer to your question or who’s going to be able to help you with something that you can’t do yourself.