Why I Coach—Jeremy Hardy

When I was a junior in college, I landed my dream internship with a Fortune 100 company. In addition to successfully founding a student club, I had studied hard to keep my grades up and bolster my resume. I felt like my diligence had paid off.

During the internship, I often worked in the evenings to stay ahead, especially while preparing for my final presentation which would have a significant bearing on my prospects for a return offer. The company felt like the right fit for me, and after performing fairly well on my presentation (at least, so I thought), I anxiously awaited the phone call when I’d receive my full-time offer.

One month later, when that phone call finally came ... no offer.

I felt several emotions over the next week: shame, for not being able to "seal the deal"; confusion, for not receiving a clear explanation of the offer decision; and fear, of not being able to recover and confidently portray myself in front of recruiters during the upcoming on-campus career fair.

At that low point in my life, I was so grateful to have friends, club mates, and others who guided and coached me in recruiting for management consulting, a career path with which I was mostly unfamiliar. The night before a final round of interviews, I received additional coaching and advice that made a notable difference in my interviews the following morning. Less than 36 hours later, a phone call came, this time with a full-time job offer. Shortly thereafter, I started my work at McKinsey.

In earning that job at McKinsey, I truly learned the power of coaching. Since then, I’ve spent dozens of hours coaching candidates in management consulting recruiting. I received similar help when applying to business schools — I was lucky enough to interview at all four programs to which I applied, and ended up accepting a spot at Wharton — and have since helped others through the MBA application process.

I can’t stress how important it is for MBA applicants to get feedback from others, especially those who have been through the process. I certainly wouldn’t have been accepted to Wharton without help from colleagues who assisted me in crafting my narrative and refining my application.

This, then, is why I coach -— to lift others out of doubt and uncertainty, and to help them present the best version of themselves. Together, we can do this!

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