I’m a junior at UNC. I have a 3.88 GPA and I’m studying finance and economics. Today right after an interview, they told me that because my resume said I “stock valuation” as a skill that they’d assumed I meant working at a real firm. When I told them it was just with my dad’s investment partnership and my personal inventing that I had experience they told me and I quote “Not to demean you or anything, but people who apply to high stakes fields like investment management or real estate have had multiple internships already, none of the stuff you’ve done is “real” and we don’t have use for someone like you”. I took it really hard and got choked up after I left. I never pursued internships before because I didn’t feel like I learned anything of value of warrant even applying to internships before now. What should I do? Am i screwed since I’m already so behind everyone else competing for careers in this field?
Internships and experience are so so important. Try to get involved in whatever you can before you graduate because, he’s right in that you’re competing with people who have had several internships. I’m not sure what an investment partnership is - is it a “real” thing that you don’t need to say is your father’s?
I wonder if the interviewer would have been less dismissive if they hadn’t felt your resume was “padded.” Putting down “stock evaluation” as a skill is a little bit of a stretch if you mean managing your own stock. As @rebeccar says, though, it’s unclear what you did with your dad.
Please don’t devalue yourself because some A-wipe felt the need to crush your spirit.
Jerks are jerks no matter where you go. As a young student, I would have felt like a piece of dirt and also gotten choked up. You were right in being honest and forthcoming. You did perform an internship; you did learn skills. You also learned a life lesson about how to treat people and how they feel when someone attempts to crush them. I know that was a hard lesson. Please don’t let one idiot ruin your outlook.
I hope, by now, that you’ve spoken to your father. He should be able to suggest and provide you with your next options. 
You really need to get some work experience, not related to your family, on your resume. Find something for this summer, even if it is for a small company and for little to no pay.
I know it seemed harsh what the interviewer told you but in a way, his/her honesty is actually helpful and informative. Better to know now than to be wondering why you aren’t getting job offers next year.\
Chin up! It’s not too late to get that experience.
I agree with @“aunt bea” and @doschicos, as odd as that might sound.
This person actually did you a favor by being blunt (though I would have been bothered by that too, especially at your age). Use it to your advantage!
Accept this negative experience as a positive. It showed you what some employers are looking for, and it also revealed to you that some employers (or their representatives) might not be worthy of your talents. But do try to obtain some internship-like experience as, these days, employers have come to expect it. Even describing to potential employers what you learned from some menial summer jobs could be a valuable asset of yours.
About 40 years ago I had one on-campus senior interview with a woman who – with loud, humored surprise in her voice – said to me “I see you as a male are on the college’s Commission On The Status of Women – how unusual!!”
I responded with a flat “well-yah” kind of reply, explaining that how the 50% male population behaves toward and responds to women is pretty important. She seemed a bit embarrassed and I clearly lost interest in what she had to say. It was a short job interview.
I agree that you should find an internship for this summer or next school year but it should be anything related to business – the interviewer is right that you don’t start with a top investment firm right off the bat. If your dad has an actual company, then you could try to arrange a real internship there with specific duties you can write about later. Sure, being hired by non-relatives is even better but the family connection is better than nothing. Perhaps “amateur investor” would be better than “stock valuation” as one of your interests.
Your interviewer was blunt but probably felt you had padded your resume. Juniors who seek a good internship in finance typically interview August-October for the next summer and have had at least one significant internship experience sophomore year.
They’re probably wondering what you were doing for the past summer and how come you’re 'waking up’about six months late.
Right now you need to take anything, preferably related to your field, but it may not be or it may be unpaid. You cannot take short cuts or work for your family (it may make them wary of nepotism, even if it was legitimate.)
Fix your resume and see if you can get an internship at your dad’s bank.
IMO, don’t get an internship related to your dad’s firm. I’m sure he has contacts elsewhere. Better to give off the impression of not riding on a parent’s coattails, even if you do use his contacts to secure a summer spot.
Wording is really key here. What you did with your dad’s firm is perfectly legitimate experience, it just needs to be framed differently. Nothing wrong with saying you have experience with the partnership heck, you could probably call it an internship- an unpaid one if they really pry. After all what can they do, call your dad?
I don’t see an issue working for your Dad, assuming it’s some sort of legit firm, not a sideline. But you’d need to get a title (describing an intern role, appropriate for a college kid,) and properly describe responsibilities and actual experiences. From the way you put it here, it sounds like they gave you a place to sit, let you tinker on your own. That’s not learning, nor doing.
And, it sounds like, when they asked you, you minimized. “…just with my dad’s investment partnership and my personal inventing”
It will help to learn better ways to present your experience. That may take some thinking. In general, resist words like “just.”
So, you have a chance to approach this fresh.
I disagree with @doschicos …get an internship at your dad’s bank if you can. Employers won’t know it is your Dad’s bank. My dad got me a summer job at AT&T where he works and nobody would know that.
“my dad’s investment partnership”
The above implies it is unlikely to be an organization as large as AT&T and therefore easier to make a connection.
No, I said his dad’s bank. Where dad has a banking relationship. Different from the investment firm dad operates. That way you will get to work with people not related to you. Go in and work your butt off as though your next meal depends on it so that you can show a strong work ethic.
Get yourself to your schools career center TODAY. Bring your resume and ask for help in crafting a better version. They can help you frame your work with your dad’s company into a more polished experience.
Career center should have resources for internships, although since you are starting so late in the game for this summer your choices may be limited. You may have to relocate for the summer, and this may end up being an expensive internship. But you have to do whatever it takes to beef up your resume.
Practice interviewing with the career center and with people who do not know you. Come up with a 60 second pitch of who you are, why you care about finance, and why someone should hire you.
If your resume is weaker than your competition, you need to excel in presentation, personality, and politeness.
I do agree with the post about improving your resume to indicate pertinent work experiences. On the other hand, I would take exception to getting called useless. I would not respond to that comment at the time. Instead, ask yourself if you are lacking in experience. If so, find opportunities to improve your skills. If your resume doesn’t reflect your experiences, fix it. Actually, getting going on you resume and then edit it with time helps keep track of dates and experiences. Sometimes, the best opportunities are found late, making hitting the print button immediately wonderful. Finally, some potential bosses are rude. If you are satisfied with your personal and paper presentations are good, then celebrate you escaped.
Agree with the advice to ask for help with your resume.
This may not work, but…I see that you transferred from another college. Pick out a lot of places–nationwide–where you want to work. Then use whatever sources you can get your hands on to find people who went to either of your colleges who work at them. Check out their profiles on Linked In or elsewhere. (I just found a few UNC grads in investment banking type jobs myself in about 2 minutes using Google.) Or you can approach this from a different angle. If there’s a directory for UNC-CH grads use that.Write a personalized letter to each of them along the lines of “Dear , I am Class of 2018 at University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) studying business administration with a concentration in finance. I am trying to obtain an internship for this summer in __, but thus far have been unsuccessful, so I’m reaching out to employers directly instead of limiting myself to on campus interviewing. In researching the __________ department at [firm name] I saw your bio and noted that you are a graduate of Chapel Hill [and also concentrated in finance. ] I’d really appreciate any help or advice you can give me in getting a summer internship. I’ve enclosed a copy of my resume. Please feel free to give it to anybody you think might be able to help. I’d also appreciate any advice you may have regarding anything else I can do to get a summer position. My email is ___ and my phone number is ___ if you have any questions or can give any advice. [Professors _____ Smith [email and phone] and Jones [email and phone] have agreed to be references for me, so you can also contact them.] Thank you.”
Note this is NOT actual wording you should use; I’m just suggesting an approach.
If you are able to find a lot of alumni of interest, focus on those who work for companies that do NOT interview on campus at UNC. Send as many letters as you can.
My kid is older but had one of these summer jobs way back when. There was only one kid in the program who attended a college where the company didn’t recruit. He used this approach and wrote to a senior executive at the company who, believe it or not, had never had anyone from his alma mater contact him asking for help. He called the student and grilled him for a while, without making any promises. Then he asked the head of the summer program to make room for one more.
It is a long shot and you should regard it as such, but at this point you’ve got nothing to lose.
Handwritten thank you notes are your new best friend. You can outshine your competitors with a well written card that arrives through the post office. Doesn’t mean you can’t also email a quick note immediately, but the lasting impression of a thoughtful card can sometimes get you sorted to the top of the prospects pile.
It won’t get you hired, you still need to get internship experience, but it might get you noticed.