As an 11th grader, I’ve had my fair share of eye-opening experiences, but none were quite like Friday, April 5th – the day my classmates and I visited Blackstone as part of our internship seminar class. Including myself, many high schoolers often find ourselves uncertain about which career paths to pursue in the future. So, the opportunity for a tour of Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, with $1 trillion in Assets Under Management (AUM), was a great chance to learn about the corporate world and gain insights on professional growth as a student.
As an introverted student, having to converse with a stranger for a long period was a struggle. Thankfully, I had the pleasure of speaking with an individual who shared many qualities as me, which made our conversation very comfortable. Entering the Blackstone, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. Before attending the trip, I was informed by my parents about how important this opportunity was, and to seize the moments I had there by asking many questions, including improving my interviewing skills. Each student was put into groups of three to four where we participated in group conversations with multiple employees of the company and also in one-on-one conversations.
One major thing I learned from the conversation I had with the individual I was paired with was the Elevator Pitch. Essentially, an elevator pitch is a scenario where you have a short amount of time, typically the duration of an elevator ride, to capture someone’s attention and leave a memorable impression. We continuously practiced until near perfection. My partner shared inspiring stories about the struggles he faced in the past and how he got to where he is now.
Overall, the trip was exceptional – an incredible environment, enlightening speeches, and tour itself was a great chance for us students to see a future for ourselves beyond high school—one where we could work for a company like Blackstone, or take a completely different path.
