30+ Diversity & Career Discovery Programs for Finance, Consulting, Tech and More

Career Fellow David Zhao ’21 shares his story of how career discovery programs can help you explore top companies in career fields like finance, consulting, and tech.

As an underclassman, there are few opportunities to engage with companies, especially prestigious firms like Goldman Sachs, Google, or Microsoft. Most firms don’t target freshmen and sophomores for internships, so what can you do realistically? I recall being in this exact spot three years ago as a freshman. I had no idea what I wanted to do and to be honest, I didn’t believe that I was capable of working at the likes of such prestigious companies. Fortunately, an upperclassman who was far more knowledgeable encouraged me to apply to Early ID programs, and because of her, I later attended Goldman Sachs’s Undergraduate Bootcamp as a sophomore. In retrospect, I can say without a doubt that my decision to attend the conference changed my undergraduate career for the better. It facilitated my career development, boosted my resume, and most importantly, demonstrated that I had a place at the firm.

There are dozens of early engagement programs across numerous industries. Regardless of your interest, there will likely be a program that matches what you’re searching for, from Goldman Sachs to HubSpot and even general development programs like SEO and O4U. When I initially discovered that these programs existed, I unintentionally limited my search to only finance and consulting conferences because that was my interest at the time. With the benefit of hindsight, I now recognize just how big a mistake that was. The process is the same as choosing a major or picking classes. There’s no harm in venturing past your comfort zone, and who knows — maybe it’ll lead you to a career path you never thought possible.

Acceptances to these programs significantly improve your candidacy. I attended the Goldman Sachs Undergraduate Conference in February of my Sophomore year. On a company-level, these programs are the greatest indications that you want to work there. I felt nervous about the recruiting process because I didn’t have referrals or extensive experience preparing for a career in finance. I had only discovered an interest in companies like Goldman during my sophomore year. Attending the conference was a ticket that would eventually propel me into a junior internship at Goldman Sachs.

Early ID programs are pipelines. When I applied to Microsoft’s finance program as a senior, I realized just how much of an impact these programs had on the recruiting process. General applications opened up in August, yet roles for interns and new grads filled up immediately. After some research into accepted candidates, I realized that nearly half the students previously attended Microsoft’s Finance Leaders in Technology Workshop. For them, interviews began in May, three months before applications even opened for the general public. These programs aren’t just a fun experience for you to explore your interests; they’re also early recruiting pipelines. 

Here’s a list of programs to start looking into! Many target students who are underrepresented in these career fields; visit the websites for deadlines and eligibility requirements.

Company Program Industry Applicant Class Year
Bain & Co. BEL (Building Entrepreneurial Leaders Program) Consulting Sophomore
Bank of America Sophomore Global Banking & Markets Finance Sophomore
Bank of America Elevate Diversity Finance Freshmen/Sophomore
Bank of America Emerging Women Finance Freshmen/Sophomore
Bank of America Spring Diversity & Inclusion Forums Finance Freshmen/Sophomore
Barclays Sophomore Springboard Finance Sophomore
Blackstone Diverse Leaders Finance Freshmen/Sophomore
Blackstone Future Women Leaders Finance Freshmen/Sophomore
Charles B Rangel Summer Enrichment Program Government Sophomore/Junior
Citi Sophomore Leadership Program Finance Sophomore
Credit Suisse Sophomore Diversity Program Finance Sophomore
Credit Suisse Women’s Mentor Program Finance Sophomore
Deloitte Discovery Internship Consulting Sophomore
Deustche Bank dbAchieve Finance Sophomore
Evercore Women’s Sophomore Symposium Finance Sophomore
EY Discover EY/Launch Consulting Freshmen/Sophomore
Facebook Facebook University Tech Sophomore
Girls Who Invest GWI Summer Intensive Program Finance Sophomore
Goldman Sachs Student Programs Finance Varies by program
Google BOLD Tech Junior
JP Morgan Early Advantage Finance Freshmen
Lazard Sophomore Diversity Day Finance Sophomore
Lazard Sophomore Women’s Event Finance Sophomore
McKinsey Sophomore Diversity Leaders Consulting Sophomore
Microsoft Explore Tech Freshmen/Sophomore
Microsoft Finance Leaders in Technology Tech Sophomore
MLT Management Leadership for Tomorrow Business Sophomore
Moelis Young Leaders Diversity Program Finance Sophomore
Morgan Stanley Career Discovery Day Finance Freshmen/Sophomore
Morgan Stanley Freshmen Enhancement Finance Freshmen/Sophomore
Perella Weinberg Women’s Advisory Prep Finance Sophomore
SEO Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Finance Freshmen/Sophomore/Junior
Twitter Twitter Academy Tech Sophomore
Wells Fargo Investment Banking Diversity Forum Finance Sophomore