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When life gives you a lemon, you make lemonade — or coffee, depending on the time of day.
That’s what Michael Penn, 23, is doing to land a career in banking.
The Fordham graduate student has opened up a beverage and donut stand outside Goldman Sachs’ HQ downtown to get his name and résumé in front of the managers at the white-shoe firm.
But Penn doesn’t want 25 cents for a drink or treat — he wants a job.
And showing that he knows his target audience, Penn brings along several female friends to hand out his credentials to passersby.
“Sex sells. I needed attraction to draw them to the coffee and lemonade,” he says. “It’s an unconventional investment in my job hunt. My unique form of networking. This reflects my true character and is the way I differentiate myself.”
Penn has applied for jobs at all of the major banks and hedge funds in the city, and he says his friends are struggling just as much as he is with landing work post-graduation.
“It’s the economy,” he says. “If you don’t have previous intern experience, these banks won’t even look at you.”
Penn says he plans to continue his promotion outside the bank until he lands a job. In the meantime, let’s hope the bigwigs at Goldman drink up and give him a call.