Zoe Cantor - Stern ‘23
Where are you from? Woodbridge, CT
What was your background before Stern? Before Stern, I spent three years with PwC in their Transfer Pricing practice performing economic analysis, industry research, corporate functional analysis, comparable benchmarking studies, and valuation services for multinational corporations. I attended Brandeis University where I studied economics and sociology.
Why did you choose to pursue an MBA? Why Stern? I chose to pursue an MBA for two primary reasons. Firstly, I was looking to make a career pivot into corporate sustainability and knew that an MBA would provide me with an incredible network and exposure to a variety of different career paths within the space. Secondly, I wanted to further develop my business skills in an academic setting.
What did you do to explore careers in your first year and what was most helpful? I used a variety of resources to explore career opportunities in my first year. The most helpful resource was probably speaking with the MBA2s in SISA about their internship experiences and goals for full-time positions. The Center for Sustainable Business also connected me with a number of alumni who were working in roles and companies I was interested in. In general, I tried to attend as many corporate presentations and club events as possible to get a better understanding of various roles, industries, and companies.
What do you wish you’d done differently / what advice do you have for MBA1s or prospective students? I wish I utilized the Stern network even more than I did. There are so many alumni and others affiliated with the school pursuing such interesting careers. I mainly focused on networking with people who were in specific roles or companies I was interested in applying to, rather than having more informal conversations out of curiosity. The Stern and broader NYU community are so generous with their time and such an invaluable resource!
What was your internship recruiting process like? I was interested in social impact/sustainability related roles as well as general corporate strategy roles. I knew that my preferred industries were either CPG or retail, but cast a pretty wide net in the companies I looked at outside of these industries. I attended a ton of corporate presentations in the fall to get a better sense of what specific roles and companies were like, even if I didn’t end up applying to the jobs. I applied to a variety of internships I found through Career Account, the CSB Job Board, and independently through LinkedIn and other job sites. Ultimately, the internship I took was through the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps fellowship, which recruited on campus. The application process is somewhat unique, as EDF conducts the whole interview process before matching you with a host organization. Luckily, I ended up being matched with PepsiCo, which aligned perfectly with my interest in the CPG industry.
Tell us a little bit about where you interned and the work you did over the summer. What skills were most helpful? What did you learn? This summer, I interned at PepsiCo as an EDF Climate Corps Fellow. EDF is an environmental advocacy nonprofit that runs a fellowship program to train and place graduate students with companies and public institutions determined to meet their climate and energy goals. Through the fellowship, I was placed at PepsiCo to develop a global framework and roadmap to leverage public and private sustainability in order to unlock and amplify current organizational sustainability investments. In working on such a cross-functional project, I found communication and collaboration to be the most important skills. Working with so many different individuals gave me great insight into the world of corporate sustainability and all of the different roles it takes to implement such massive changes to an organization.
What are your goals for post-MBA? Post-MBA I am hoping to work in a strategy role within corporate sustainability at a CPG or retail company.
What have been your favorite classes at Stern (sisa focused or otherwise)? Sustainability for Competitive Advantage, Leadership in Organizations, Global Strategy, and Becoming You.
How has SISA played a role in your Stern experience? SISA has played a huge role in my Stern experience. Right when I got to campus, SISA was my primary resource for connecting with MBA2s and fellow MBA1s who had experience or were interested in the social impact and sustainability space. The club has continued to be my go-to for all kinds of recruiting support, interview prep, industry connections, and friends with common interests!
What would you say to a prospective student who is interested in exploring careers in social impact or sustainability? My biggest advice to MBA1s interested in the social impact and sustainability space is to have patience in the process. The recruiting landscape looks very different from consulting or banking, which can actually be beneficial, but naturally intimidating when your peers are interviewing and accepting internship offers months before you. If you know you’re interested in the space, don’t let the recruiting timeline intimidate you!
