Real World Fact #1: It's Who You Know
It is commonly understood that most jobseekers find jobs through personal and professional connections. Networking is consistently cited as the number one way to get a new job; some 60% of new hires come from a "hidden job market," where positions are not advertised but pass through word of mouth. Moreover, networking creates a virtuous cycle of influence, which produces business deals, board seats, etc., and propels the next generation into the same cycle. Most low-income students are shut outside of that cycle. Our mission is to help them enter it, so they can access the positions of influence for which their talents and abilities are well suited, and create the same for their next generations.

Real World Fact #2: Experience Breeds Experience
The first step in this virtuous cycle of network building is early resume credentials: real work experience laying the foundation for a track record of success. Most students who land the best jobs out of college have had early job and internship experiences in high school and college, attained through personal connections or job search resources found in their institutions. We are able to insert our students, with their solid academic performance, into the first stages of this virtuous cycle. These early internships afford tangible experience, which serves as a platform for attaining competitive jobs after college with progressively increasing responsibility.