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 up internships, taking extra courses, making sure he had real experience by the time he graduated from Hunter College. But even with 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 resumes 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. So he signed up for everything: career fairs, info sessions, mailing lists. He monitored his inbox for any opportunity to connect with professionals. That’s how he discovered The City Tutors.

What stood out wasn’t just the access to mentorship. I had the chance to choose a mentor aligned with his goals. That’s how he found Allison Siegel, an M&A advisory professional at PwC. Her 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 stayed in touch, planning to meet in person for coffee.

Today, Elias credits The City Tutors and Allison for helping him break into the industry, and for showing him the power of mentorship. “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.