Yasmin is graduating from Georgetown University this May after an exciting journey of self-discovery. Find out how the British student, who grew up in Dubai, sought out great mentors on her DC campus, secured brilliant internships, and discovered how majoring in economics can lead to an impactful business career. In September, she will start working for one of the most sought-after companies in the United States.
IO: It seems hard to believe that you graduated from ASD four years ago and will graduate from Georgetown this May. Congratulations! What’s next for you?
Yasmin: Thank you – I can’t believe I’m graduating in less than a month! I’ll leave Georgetown with a B.A. in Economics, minors in Business Studies and Environmental Studies, and a Sustainable Business Fellowship. After graduation, I’ll start a career in management consulting at Bain & Company in Washington, DC. I interned at Bain last summer and absolutely loved the environment, so I’m excited to return full-time in September. Before then, I plan to do something I’ve always wanted to do: I’ve applied to the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program, where I can volunteer while spending more time in nature. Of course, I’m also looking forward to traveling with friends, spending time with family, and, of course, going to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour with my mum and sisters!
IO: You were so active in high school and had a fantastic student resume. How did you decide which activities to participate in at Georgetown, and what made your college resume stand out?
Yasmin: By senior year at ASD, I’d figured out that my interests centered around business, impact, and sustainability, and I crafted my narrative around them for college admissions. My work in these spaces during high school focused on volunteering; however, at college, I wanted to think about the strategic questions of creating impact on a larger scale. I was initially overwhelmed by the number of clubs and organizations at Georgetown. They’re highly selective, and once you’re in, it’s more than a pre-professional experience – it’s social too; people compare Georgetown’s “club culture” to Greek Life, so it felt like an important decision.
I ended up applying to a student-run social impact club called Innovo Consulting and was accepted as a freshman. Our work is pro bono, and we’ve helped small non-profits as well as big corporations on CSR projects. I learned key skills through our training program, gained consulting experience, and spent two years leading training and mentorship for our freshmen. I’ve made some of my closest friends and met mentors who helped me assess career options and manage the recruitment process; now I’m doing the same for my mentees!
IO: Where else have you been involved on campus?
Yasmin: I joined other clubs related to environmental work or social impact and held a research job under a professor at Georgetown’s Earth Commons Institute (ECI). At ECI, I examined food waste reduction policies at higher education institutions and helped create Georgetown’s M.S. in Environment and Sustainability, which was a great experience. This year, I’ve been enjoying fun campus opportunities now that I’ve figured out my post-graduation plan! Last fall, I joined Rangila, a South Asian dance showcase, and I currently work part-time at Hoya Kids, an on-campus daycare for the children of Georgetown employees, which I thoroughly enjoy.
IO: Tell us about the job search process. How did you find your job and what helped you secure the position?
Yasmin: In sophomore year, I started attending information sessions and coffee chats when firms came to campus. You don’t need to network excessively for consulting recruiting, but building a relationship with someone at each firm is still important. I noted all the application deadlines and worked on my resume and cover letter well ahead of time. I also got valuable help from the seniors in Innovo who read my resume, gave me feedback, and provided great advice about the recruiting cycle.
The most significant part of consulting recruiting is the case interview, so for a month I did mock interviews nightly and spent the weekends doing math drills and reading casing books. It was intense, but I knew the assessment really mattered! Interning at Bain the summer before made a difference too. While there, I asked a lot of questions and built strong relationships with mentors in the company. I realized that the way to stand out was not only by producing high-quality work but also by demonstrating what I could add to the team environment.
IO: Did you have any other interesting internships?
Yasmin: For international students on an F-1 visa, it’s feasible to intern each summer and work part-time during the semester under the USA’s CPT and OPT training programs and limits; however, you need to plan out the paperwork in advance with your employer and university. The summer after freshman year, I participated in the Georgetown Startup Interns Program, where I worked with a startup while taking a Georgetown course. This also earned me my Sustainability Analyst certification, which opened up my sustainability network.
The following summer, I interned for Lafayette Square, a firm that seeks to make an impact through investments. I actually brought the company’s founders to Georgetown for a panel discussion, which I moderated because I wanted to share all the cool stuff I learned from my internship! I think I landed these experiences by listening to what was going on around me. I heard about Georgetown Startup Interns from a class in freshman year and saw the Lafayette Square internship posting in an email from the career center. My biggest piece of advice in the internship search is to listen to people around you and look into every opportunity, no matter how small!
IO: How did you decide between pursuing an Economics and a Business major at Georgetown – and how would you guide others who are facing this choice?
Yasmin: I came to Georgetown planning to study Economics, but there was a brief moment when I thought about transferring to the business school. Ultimately, I decided against it. Many people wonder about the differences between studying economics and business; the short answer is that economics is more theoretical and business is more practical. For example, I’m currently taking an economics course called Theory of Financial Markets where I’m learning how to price assets, design a portfolio, and measure its risk.
My friends in the business school are learning similar things, but they focus on doing this work in Excel and completing portfolio design projects where they analyze real-world data. Rather than plugging formulas into spreadsheets, my economics class teaches us to derive a formula for expected return by hand and explain why it works as a good measure. I’ve taken lots of business classes through my minor and have enjoyed the engaging, hands-on teaching; however, since it’s possible to gain practical skills through internships and extracurriculars, I wanted to build my theoretical understanding through my major.
I recommend that students think about what’s important to them when learning. Do you want to understand why things work as they do through deeper theoretical knowledge, or do you want to apply concepts using projects and case studies? I’ve done many long proofs that have taught me something, but I probably won’t use them in practice. There’s no right answer! But one myth I’ll bust is that you must be a business major to pursue careers like finance or consulting – you can see that from my experience.
IO: What is one significant lesson you learned at Georgetown?
Yasmin: I learned about the importance of relationships with different mentors. One of the biggest missed opportunities is not getting to know the adults in your life at college. At Georgetown, I’ve been that student who goes to office hours every week – not to ask questions but to get to know my professors personally. They love it when students chat with them; none of them ever made me feel like I was wasting their time! These relationships also made my experience in their classes more meaningful, and it was nice to have adults looking out for me when I was far from home. I’ve recently grabbed coffee with many of my old professors, and we’ve chatted about their work as well as my post-graduation plans. They’ve advised me where to live in DC next year and how to spend my summer. I’m leaving campus with amazing mentors who are genuinely invested in my journey and I can call if I ever need advice.
IO: Now that you’re graduating, what do you think has been the true value of your college education?
Yasmin: Oh, that’s a hard question. Although I’ve gained coding skills and utilized fancy formulas, the most valuable part has been learning more about myself. College is absolutely transformative, and I tried to take advantage of everything it had to offer. Initially, I was homesick during my first semester on campus and wondered if Georgetown had been the right choice. That experience taught me how to pick myself up and build a life I enjoy. I also learned about self-confidence; during freshman year, I constantly wondered if I was smart enough to be at Georgetown. Now, I definitely don’t think I’m the smartest person in the room, but I’m confident about what I can bring to the table, which has helped me enjoy and excel at different opportunities.
IO: What advice would you give current juniors who are beginning to write about themselves and their ambitions as they draft their essays?
Yasmin: Think about crafting a narrative. I learned this from Ivy Options (so thank you!), but I’ve perfected it as I’ve gone through college. Instead of giving your schools a long list of extracurriculars, try crafting a cohesive story about yourself. As someone who has reviewed many applications for Innovo, where we select a cohort of 16 from 250-300 applicants, I can tell you that applicants who stand out are the ones who tell us a story about themselves. Everyone has cool experiences, but how you share them matters. If you’re intentional about your narrative and reasoning for what and where you want to study, you’ll write better applications and know where to get involved when you get to college!
IO: Finally, what advice would you give seniors heading to college in the fall?
Yasmin: Be kind to yourself! Heading to college means juggling academics, social life, and lots of pressures. It takes time to figure out how it all fits together, so don’t expect everything to fall magically into place your first semester. You might meet the best group of friends but struggle with your academic coursework. You might excel at finding the perfect internship but take time to find your friend group. There’s nothing wrong with either situation! It took me a year to feel settled and even more time to feel confident in my academic abilities. And you’ll find your priorities change each semester because you simply can’t do everything! You will eventually work out how to craft a life for yourself, but it doesn’t happen overnight. I’m a senior and feel like I’ve only recently learned to juggle everything – but that will all change again when I graduate.