Breaking In Without a Network: How Mentorship Helped Elias Succeed

Breaking In Without a Network: How Mentorship Helped Elias Succeed

Elias Ismail wasn’t waiting for opportunity to come to him. He’d already put in the work—stacking internships, taking extra courses, and making sure he had real experience by the time he graduated from Hunter College. But even with all that preparation, breaking into the industry felt out of reach.

Like many first-generation CUNY graduates, Elias faced a familiar challenge: he had the credentials, the determination, the drive—but not the network. He knew sending out résumés wasn’t enough. “I treated job searching like a nine-to-five,” he recalls. “I was applying every day, but hearing nothing back.”

Elias knew he needed more than applications: he needed people. He went to career fairs, info sessions, and stayed plugged in to every resource available—including his Career Center, which regularly promoted The City Tutors’ opportunities. That’s how he discovered our mentorship program through an online posting and collaboration with his campus.

What stood out wasn’t just access to mentorship—it was the ability to choose a mentor aligned with his goals. That’s how he connected with Allison Siegel, an M&A advisory professional at PwC whose work blended strategy, analytics, and communication—the exact niche Elias had been seeking. “She wasn’t just in a role I aspired to,” Elias says. “She’d already navigated the path I wanted.”

They began meeting virtually every other week. Allison became a sounding board, a coach, a steady presence. She helped Elias refine his interview skills, sharpen his story, and—most importantly—reminded him not to internalize rejection. “Sometimes it really is a numbers game,” she told him, helping him stay confident through the silences.

With Allison’s support, Elias landed a role as a private equity data analyst at Chronograph, a fintech firm. Their conversations prepared him to walk into interviews with clarity and composure. Even after securing the role, they’ve stayed in touch, planning to meet in person for coffee.

Today, Elias credits both his mentors and the resources he accessed through The City Tutors and his Career Center for helping him break into the industry. “Just having someone a few steps ahead of you, willing to share what they’ve learned—it makes all the difference.”

And as he builds his career, Elias is already thinking about how he can one day pay that support forward.