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Student-led Mentorship Program Prepares Finance-Focused Undergraduates for Competitive Recruiting Process

Student-led Mentorship Program Prepares Finance-Focused Undergraduates for Competitive Recruiting Process

The Peer Career Advising (PCA) program, provides specialized mentorship from exceptional business students with firsthand experience of the interview process at top firms.

by: Alexander Bernard
05.29.26
peer career advisors with Lauren Irwin

Peer career advisors with Hub program director, Lauren Irwin (center).

[Photo courtesy of Irwin]

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USC Marshall’s Finance Peer Career Advising (PCA) Program has doubled in size. Since moving under the Financial Services Career Hub (Hub) in 2025, the student-led career mentorship program has increased the number of advisors from five to 10. Once focusing exclusively on investment banking, advisors now also offer mentorship in buy-side and wealth management.

These changes have already had a major impact. In fall 2025 alone, over 200 students attended PCA workshops on investment banking and buy-side, and advisors assisted undergraduates in 672 individual appointments, an increase of 250 students compared to 2024. In addition to Marshall and Leventhal undergraduate business majors, the Hub has expanded to support over 500 business finance minors across USC disciplines.

While the application process can be daunting, especially for undergraduates, Lauren Irwin, the Hub’s program director, believes the PCA program helps steer first- and second-year undergraduate applicants through an unfamiliar internship process.

“The reason that these peer career advisors are so impactful is that recruiting for finance happens so early — before [students] have even taken a lot of the courses where they would be learning the technical components and how to be effective in interviews,” Irwin said. “This finance PCA program supplements that and helps to provide that training and support to students outside of the classroom.”

All advisors are seniors who have previously secured summer analyst internships in their respective fields. PCAs offer a wide range of resources, including networking opportunities, job search strategies, resume review, interview preparation, and one-on-one mentorship.

Irwin says the program’s success can be attributed to the quality of the PCA cohort, who have a collective 3.94 GPA and have all accepted full-time offers in the finance sector. Because of their past experience, these advisors can offer specialized support undergraduates may not find elsewhere.

“These are students that just went through the process,” Irwin said. “A lot of these finance PCAs held multiple offers. They went through multiple interviews with different very competitive firms, so they can speak to their real firsthand experiences. It’s very fresh in their minds.”

The benefit of peer advising extends beyond students’ undergraduate years and internship applications. According to Irwin the PCA program is building the foundation for long-term industry connections.

I feel like the Trojan Network really wants to build their pipeline of Trojans at their firms.

— Lauren Irwin

Program Director, Financial Services Career Hub

“A lot of times these students, when they graduate and they go into their full-time analyst roles, they’re involved in the recruiting process,” she explained. “They’re the ones that are screening candidates. They’re the ones coming to campus and hosting info sessions.”

Irwin also provides invaluable expertise for students. From 2014 to 2021, she worked in Marshall’s undergraduate career services office, overseeing career advising, organizing employer events, and leading the Career Advantage Program (CAP), Marshall’s flagship alumni mentorship initiative. She later led university recruiting initiatives at Oracle and served as the early talent program manager at Cushman & Wakefield, where she onboarded more than 450 interns and new graduates.

As program director, Irwin uses that experience to give Marshall students an edge in the marketplace.

“It’s been so helpful being on the employer side,” Irwin said. “For one, I partnered with many schools, not just USC. I was able to see how other schools were preparing students: What were other schools doing to develop their talent and to present them to employers to make them competitive? I better understood how the campus recruiting team works with the hiring managers.”

According to Irwin, one factor setting USC apart is the university’s vast alumni base, with many working at major finance firms. The Hub itself was founded in 2024 with generous support from Trojan alumni Tim Coleman MBA ’79 and Sharon Kilmer ’80, MBA ’82.

Even at her previous positions, the program director saw how alumni went out of their way to recruit fellow Trojans.

“That Trojan Network is not a joke,” Irwin said. “Even working at Oracle, there were USC employees that said, ‘I really want to help and give back. I want to partner with the campus recruiting team.’ I feel like the Trojan Network really wants to build their pipeline of Trojans at their firms.”

Looking ahead, Irwin and her team plan to continue PCA expansion into areas outside of investment banking. She also sees the program deepening ties in major cities around the country — Chicago, Houston, and Boston — and developing international connections in places like China, Japan, Australia, and India.

Ultimately, for Irwin and the student advisors, the goal is simple: Support Trojan success.

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