From NY to LA, The Traveling Involved with OCR
/One weekend in DC, one weekend in St. Louis, three weekends in New York, and one weekend in Los Angeles. This semester, I spent more time carrying tiny suitcases, studying in train stations and airports, and meeting new friends from Penn and schools all over the country than I ever could have imagined.
At the University of Pennsylvania, students find full time and internship opportunities through many different ways. One of which is On Campus Recruiting (affectionately known as OCR), where companies travel to campus to hold information sessions, coffee chats, and interviews regarding the positions they have available. Most of the time, the interviews on campus are followed by interviews at the company headquarters to expose students to other employees, potential new hires, and the company culture.
While these interviews can be stressful and time consuming, I am actually very grateful to have had them be a part of my Penn experience. Besides the benefits to finding great internships, full-time positions, and travelling for free through this process, I have also had the ability to connect with so many new people. One of my favorite moments was spending a relaxing post-interview day at Venice Beach with two new Penn friends, and a new friend from Duke. I loved laughing and grabbing dinner with a group of 7 students in the St. Louis airport, after a long day of interviews. I won’t forget walking with a new friend to Times Square, and watching her awe at seeing New York City for the first time ever.
On campus recruiting is not for everyone, and people at Penn will find their post-college path in their own ways. However, it ended up being the perfect way to find a job for me, my senior year. Throughout the process, there was not a single company that I travelled to, where I did not have another Penn student there for support. Most of the time, Penn alumni, who worked at the company, reached out for support and to see if there was any questions that they could answer for me. I am so grateful to attend a university that has such a strong Career Services Center, and legacy of alumni that OCR was all possible for me. If OCR is the best path for you too, take advantage of the travel, and the new people around you. You never know what cities, companies, or new friends you may encounter throughout the process