Summary
First-generation student Shayna Kaypour shares how she landed a consulting internship in New York City by simplifying the recruiting process and focusing on what makes candidates memorable.
Watch the full story here.
TL;DR:
After navigating recruiting as a first-generation college student, Penn State junior Shayna Kaypour secured a consulting internship with Alpha FMC in New York City. Instead of trying to follow a “perfect” recruiting playbook, she leaned into her own story, learned how to translate her campus experiences into professional skills, and simplified the application process so she could focus on interviews. By applying smarter and focusing on connection rather than perfection, she turned a stressful recruiting cycle into real momentum and ultimately an offer.
If you’re in college right now, recruiting can feel overwhelming.
You do what you’re told to do. Apply on LinkedIn. Apply on company websites. Go to career fairs. Maybe send a few networking messages.
And still, sometimes nothing happens.
No interviews. No replies. Just the feeling that everyone around you is somehow moving forward while you’re stuck refreshing your inbox.
For Shayna Kaypour, a finance student at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, that uncertainty was something she had to navigate largely on her own.
As a first-generation college student, she didn’t grow up around people who had gone through consulting recruiting pipelines or corporate internship programs. Many of the unwritten rules of recruiting were things she had to learn along the way.
Instead of letting that slow her down, she leaned into building community, gaining experience, and helping other students who were figuring things out too.
By the end of her recruiting cycle, Shayna secured a consulting internship with Alpha FMC in New York City.
What changed wasn’t luck.
It was how she approached the process.
The starting point: navigating recruiting as a first-gen student
For many first-generation students, recruiting can feel like trying to solve a puzzle without instructions.
There are dozens of expectations that aren’t always explained clearly:
How to present yourself at career fairs.
How to answer “Tell me about yourself.”
How to translate campus experiences into professional skills.
Shayna saw these challenges up close, not just as a student, but also through the work she was doing on campus.
She became involved with FIRST@Smeal, a program that supports first-generation students at Penn State’s business school. The organization focuses on mentorship, professional development, and helping students navigate career paths that may feel unfamiliar.
She also works as a Business Career Center Intern, where she helps students with resume reviews, interview preparation, and career development guidance.
Ironically, while helping other students prepare for recruiting, she was still navigating the process herself.
That experience gave her a unique perspective on what students actually struggle with.
And the answer usually wasn’t qualifications.
It was confidence.
The challenge most students face: standing out
One question Shayna hears constantly from students is simple:
“How do I stand out?”
Many students assume the answer is a higher GPA or more technical skills.
But Shayna noticed that the real challenge often happens in conversations.
Students struggle to explain who they are beyond their resumes.
For example, when recruiters ask “Tell me about yourself,” many students simply repeat the bullet points from their resume.
That rarely makes someone memorable.
Through her work mentoring students and preparing for her own interviews, Shayna realized that standing out often comes down to something much simpler:
telling a clear story about who you are.
That story doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be authentic.
Learning how to translate experiences into skills
Another thing Shayna noticed while working with students is that many people underestimate their own experiences.
Students often assume their experiences don’t “count” unless they’re directly related to the job.
But many of the skills companies look for are developed through things like:
campus organizations
leadership roles
team projects
extracurricular activities
For Shayna, one of the experiences she often talked about was her involvement in acappella at Penn State.
At first glance, that might not sound like something that connects to consulting.
But the experience helped her build skills in:
communication
presentation
teamwork
collaboration
Those are exactly the kinds of skills consulting firms look for when evaluating candidates.
Instead of hiding those experiences, Shayna learned how to connect them to the professional environment.
That shift made her interviews feel more natural and authentic.
Reducing the stress of the application process
One of the biggest challenges students face during recruiting isn’t motivation.
It’s time.
Students are balancing classes, campus involvement, networking, and part-time work all at once.
On top of that, every job application requires:
a tailored resume
a cover letter
multiple application steps
Shayna described the process as one of the most stressful parts of recruiting.
“Applying to jobs is already stressful,” she said. “You’re balancing school, activities, and recruiting all at the same time.”
That’s when she started using Sprout.
Instead of managing applications across multiple platforms, Sprout helped keep everything in one place while generating tailored applications faster.
For Shayna, the biggest benefit wasn’t just speed.
It was reducing the mental load of the recruiting process.
Once the application side became simpler, she could focus more energy on preparing for interviews and connecting with people.
What happened once interviews started coming in
After simplifying the application process, Shayna began receiving interview opportunities.
And once interviews started, she focused on the part she cared about most: connecting with people.
Instead of memorizing scripted answers or repeating her resume word-for-word, she focused on telling a clear story about who she was, what she cared about, and how her experiences shaped her perspective.
As a first-generation college student, much of Shayna’s college experience had been about learning how to navigate unfamiliar systems, advocating for herself, and building community with other students figuring things out along the way.
Those experiences naturally translated into the kinds of qualities consulting firms value: communication, leadership, adaptability, and empathy.
When she spoke with interviewers, she leaned into that story.
That approach resonated.
Eventually, Shayna secured a consulting internship with Alpha FMC in New York City.
Her advice for students navigating recruiting
Because Shayna now works with students through Penn State’s Business Career Center, she sees the same struggles many students face when they begin recruiting.
For many students, especially first-generation students, the hardest part isn’t ability.
It’s confidence.
Students often believe they need the perfect resume or the perfect answer before they can stand out.
Shayna’s advice is much simpler.
Don’t try to sound perfect.
Focus on telling a story that helps recruiters understand who you are and what motivates you.
Find the experiences that make you unique. Sometimes those experiences come from internships, but often they come from things like campus involvement, leadership roles, or community work.
The key is learning how to connect those experiences to the role you’re pursuing.
Most importantly, she reminds students that recruiting is a process.
Even strong candidates face rejection or silence along the way.
Her mindset is simple:
Keep showing up.
Keep applying.
Keep improving.
The bottom line
Shayna didn’t succeed in recruiting because she had the perfect background.
She succeeded because she learned how to turn her experiences into a story that resonated with employers.
As a first-generation student, she leaned into the perspective and resilience that came from navigating college without a built-in roadmap. At the same time, she became deeply involved in mentoring other students and helping them navigate the same challenges she once faced.
Through that process, she was able to:
embrace her first-generation story rather than hide it
translate campus experiences into professional skills
simplify the application process so she could focus on interviews and relationships
Those shifts helped her turn a stressful recruiting cycle into a consulting internship opportunity in New York City.
If you’re navigating recruiting right now, the goal isn’t perfection, but rather a system that helps you stay in the game long enough for the right opportunity to land.And sometimes, the experiences that make you feel different are exactly the ones that help you stand out.
Sprout helps students and early-career professionals apply to jobs faster while generating tailored applications automatically. Instead of spending hours on repetitive application tasks, you can focus on what actually matters: landing interviews.
Start applying smarter today.
