Student Perspectives: The Importance of Attention to Detail and Leveraging Your Network

MS Finance ‘25 student, Abhinav Jain, shared with the GCMC his internship experience at StepStone Group.

I interned at StepStone Group back in the summer of 2024 and am currently continuing my co-op during the spring semester. The most important thing I learned during the internship was attention to detail toward any project, regardless of its impact. As an intern, I was expected to quickly grasp the knowledge and make sure it was communicated precisely. As a public company, we were trained to reason about the dataset that we leveraged to form an investment decision, so it was important to pay attention to detail to make sure there was no inefficiency in the decision-making process. 

I previously worked in venture capital for about a year, which helped me build a great network. Instead of applying directly to the portal, I had coffee chats with a couple of analysts and associates to find out more about the company and tailor my resume accordingly. Further, I used their referral while applying for the role. 

My biggest contribution was the capstone project in the final week of the internship, where I sourced and pitched a growth-stage company that StepStone was not tracking yet. After my presentation and the revenue growth of the company, StepStone began to look for a potential investment in the upcoming round. 

Since this role is more focused on diligence, a few years later, I’d like to learn more about on-the-ground sourcing and building relationships with start-up founders and fellow investors. 

As an international student, it is tough to break into high finance roles. But I highly suggest everyone to leverage the Baruch network and take advantage of being in New York City. Apart from technical skills, I would also recommend building social skills by going to events, hosting cross-cultural meetups, and attending start-up pitches.