Also I know job hunting is horrible and frustrating. I’m sorry the process is not going better for you. I was not good with networking and finally found a government job. It ended up being a good jumping off point. Depending on the type of government job -you often have contact with non-government people and sometimes that can land you a better job. (Also lots of vacation days -which seems minor when you are young, but is really nice!)
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You’ve probably checked that already but throwing this in just in case:
Might there be something in your resume that trips an AI?
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I get my resume checked through ATS machine software to see how it is interpreted usually! Not sure whats been going on lol
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I really can’t see anything wrong with your process.
Do alumni have any ideas leading to positions? Or at least paid internships?
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I connect with alum quite often on LinkedIn. Unfortunately, most business school alum will not help out unless I personally know them or was in a specific workshop. The alum outside of the business school tend to be kinder and have offered to refer me for positions. I typically have 1-2 networking meetings a week.
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Pinker- are these undergrad business grads or grads? If it’s grad- it’s understandable. If it’s undergrad- this is feedback you should give to your U’s career services team.
My own alma mater has an “opt in” system. So graduates who are willing to be a resource for current students and other alums designate that in the alumni directory. Willing to network? provide career advice and coaching? help with leads? You actively choose if you want to be contacted for this kind of help.
If your own alumni network isn’t helpful, the university ought to know that. One of the big selling points is always “our alumni are always available to help fellow alums”- and there are ways to make the system work better (among them- the opt in system I just described).
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This is GREAT advice from @blossom , @momofboiler1 , @ali-ice and others.
I want to echo an earlier comment: Many young graduates think they can walk into high paying jobs. You have internship experience, but you don’t have good actual work experience for the jobs you are applying for.
Consider primarily entry level jobs, and broadening your search. Manufacturing and other unglamorous sectors mentioned previously can pay extremely well and offer opportunites. As an example, my eldest was offered a very lucrative job in manufacturing. She didn’t end up at that job, but the other new hires were from tippy top universities. I know you want to work in finance, but there are other options for you. Maybe you will thrive in a career path you haven’t considered yet.
I also suggest you hire a professional career coach because it seems the alum network you are using isn’t helpful in your case. Look for someone with a lot of strong reviews. It seems that you are spinning your wheels a bit and you need to shake up whatever it is you have been doing. The money will be worth it.
My son was a recruiter for the finance industry. He contacted people with specific keywords in their profiles. I don’t know what those words are, but a professional can help you with that.
Good luck to you OP. You have certainly been putting in a lot of effort and I suspect you will have a job before long if you can get some targeted advice.
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OP, you have received a lot of good advice. Maybe I can add some more unconventional input.
I might have missed it, but are you working now? If not, or if in an unrelated bridge job, you could check out places such as Parker Dewey, they offer so-called micro internships. All their projects are remote and often with attractive companies. They are paid, but probably not much. It’s something relevant to put on your resume and it gets you experience. Then there is Forage, they offer virtual work experience programs. This is not as good as Parker Dewey, because theirs are smaller tasks and they are unpaid. But they work with big name companies. Again, while far from ideal, it can keep your skills sharp and it can be packaged to be put on a resume for relevant experience.
Last but not least, see if your city has a local job club or job search networking group. These can be beneficial as well.
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If you have poor grades in accounting, then audit positions are unlikely to result in a job offer–especially for one with no prior auditing experience.
Do you understand the primary benefits of belonging to any of the specific workshops ?
Are you willing to share your three business majors ?
P.S. You are wise to pursue the CFA designation.
P.P.S. Not sure whether or not you are doing anything wrong. The economy & uncertainty regarding world events are making employers nervous & cautious.
It may be that you are not a typical fit for some of the positions that you are seeking.
Up-thread you mentioned PwC. FWIW Significant number of layoffs are now being processed.
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As others have said, it doesn’t sound as though you’re doing anything “wrong.” But, reading this reminded me a bit of this scene from A Beautiful Mind where a grad student mathematician realizes that when everyone goes for the prime opportunity (in the movie, a particularly beautiful girl, but in this situation an alum with a primo position) that everyone ends up blocking each other and that nobody will get the prime opportunity. Whereas when the grad students go for attractive, but not prime, options (i.e. the non-business alums), they win.
It sounds like you may already be doing this, but reach out to alums who are at companies with related work. Maybe it’s smaller, local firms doing finance and consulting. Maybe it’s someone in an unrelated field at a finance-type company in a less popular location (like Omaha or Charlotte rather than NYC or Boston). Also, reach out to alums who are in locations where there aren’t many other alums. For instance, if many graduates end up staying in one or two regions, the alumni in a different part of the country might get significantly more excited to be reached out to by another alum because they don’t come across them nearly as often.
Additionally, are you still in contact with faculty? Your advisor or favorite profs/those who know you well? They may be able to send an email introducing you to particular alums, bypassing Linkedin. I imagine that if I was a graduate from a large, popular business program and was in a highly desired specialty/company, I might not have the bandwidth to help out all the alums reaching out to me via Linkedin, but that it would get my attention if it was being sent by someone I knew (i.e. a former professor).
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UPDATE! I got a job in banking on the west coast! 
I got the first interview one month after applying and the entire process only took 3 weeks. Some stats to share as of today:
- 900+ total applications
- 521+ no response since submission
- 315+ rejections (more may come soon)
- 39 applications visibly reviewed but no rejection
- 9 unanswered interviews
- 13 jobs I was a finalist but not chosen
- Full time search started in June 2023 and ended November 2024 (17 months) and received an offer 6 months after graduating college
Primary industries I applied to: financial services, retail, hospitality/tourism, consulting, CPG, advertising/marketing
Thank you to everyone for the motivation and advice during the past few months. I’m more than happy to answer any questions or provide advice if you went through the same situation.
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Congratulations! And thank you for letting us know!
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So happy for you! Congratulations
I hope you’re happy with the location and the position 
and that the salary is enough to live on, pay loans, and have a little fun 
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Congratulations…now…go and rock that first job!!
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