Breaking Barriers: How enterN Helped a Rutgers Finance Student In Her Job Search for Internships

Background

Esmerelda, a senior at Rutgers University majoring in Finance, found herself in a situation all too familiar to many college students. Despite applying to 182 internships throughout her junior year and into her senior year, her efforts had yielded disappointing results: just one phone call that ultimately led to being ghosted by the employer. Like many students approaching graduation, Esmerelda was seeking opportunities that aligned with her career interests in analytical roles within Fintech, Crypto, and Blockchain sectors. She was ready to take a new approach to her job search for internships.

The Challenge

Traditional job application processes had failed Esmerelda. Despite her qualifications and dedication, the resume-based recruitment system wasn't working in her favor. The frustration of sending applications into what seemed like a void was taking its toll on her confidence and career prospects.

The enterN Solution

Motivated by her disappointing experiences, Esmerelda agreed to participate in a pre-development pilot of the enterN process, offering a fundamentally different approach:

1. Preference-Based Profiles: Jobseekers complete profiles using binary statement sliders to indicate their preferences.

2. Double Opt-In Matching: Both employers and candidates "swipe" to indicate interest, creating matches only when mutual interest exists.

3. Anonymized Screening: Candidate profiles hide personal information like name and contact details until a match is made, reducing bias.

4. Culture-Focused Matching: The system emphasizes workplace culture and environment compatibility.

The Process | A New Job Search for Internships

Using Google Forms (as this was a pre-development pilot), Esmerelda completed her enterN Jobseeker Profile. She described this process as "eye-opening" – a journey of self-discovery that prompted her to consider aspects of employment she had previously overlooked, such as:

• Management styles she would thrive under

• Office environments that would suit her working style

• Company cultures that aligned with her values

This structured reflection helped Esmerelda articulate preferences she hadn't previously considered, allowing her to make more informed decisions about which organizations aligned with her goals and values.

Results

Esmerelda's profile with the 13 employers she selected, and four expressed interest in her profile - a significant improvement over her previous efforts. These matches led to meaningful discussions with all four employers, and resulted in an internship offer which Esmerelda accepted.

Perhaps most significantly, the Career Center at Rutgers later informed the enterN team that Esmerelda was the first female ever selected by this particular organization for an internship. This outcome validated enterN's core premise that anonymized profiles can effectively eliminate bias from the screening process, opening doors that might otherwise remain closed due to unconscious biases.

Key Takeaways

1. Self-Discovery Value: The enterN profile creation process itself proved valuable, helping Esmerelda clarify her professional preferences and priorities.

2. Efficiency: After 182 traditional applications yielded virtually no results, enterN created meaningful connections with 4 out of 13 targeted employers.

3. Bias Reduction: The anonymized profile approach demonstrably helped overcome hiring biases, creating opportunities for qualified candidates regardless of gender or other personal characteristics.

4. Quality Matches: By focusing on cultural and professional alignment rather than resume keywords, enterN created connections based on substantive compatibility.

Conclusion

Esmerelda's experience with enterN demonstrates the potential for innovation in early talent recruitment. By reimagining the application process and leveraging technology to reduce bias while enhancing compatibility-based matching, enterN helped a frustrated job seeker break through barriers and find a meaningful professional opportunity aligned with her career goals.