TAMPA —Most career opportunities don’t begin with an application. They take root from the choices students make long before they’re searching for an internship.
For Suryashankaran Sundaresvaran, an undergraduate finance and accounting student in the University of South Florida Muma College of Business, he took intentional actions.
His bold choices included:
- Attending employer events and career fairs early and often
- Asking professionals for honest feedback on his resume
- Building relationships before he needed them
- Applying early when opportunities became available
- Continuing to network and learn even after securing internships
Those steps led to internships with MUFG Bank this summer and Cherry Bekaert for summer 2027, but more importantly, they gave him an approach he could rinse and repeat to be ready for future opportunities.
For Sundaresvaran, the key to his success in landing internships was consistently taking the next step. “You have to be bold and ask,” he said.
After meeting a professional working in investment banking, he didn’t simply introduce himself. He asked for feedback on his resume.
“The worst thing that can happen is they say no,” he said. “Most people are willing to help.”
That conversation led to feedback that strengthened his resume, increased his confidence, and reinforced a lesson that has guided his college experience: meaningful opportunities often begin with a simple question.
When an internship opportunity with MUFG Bank was shared through a Bellini Center newsletter, he was ready. And was able to apply quickly. During the interview process, he discovered just how valuable that timing had been.
“The interviewer actually told me that applying early was key,” he said.
Preparation, however, extended far beyond submitting an application.
Sundaresvaran credits his accounting and finance coursework with helping him navigate technical interview questions, while experiences outside the classroom, including professional development through the Bellini Center, strengthened the communication, networking, and interviewing skills employer swere looking for.
You have to be bold and ask. The worst thing that can happen is they say no. Most people are willing to help.
Suryashankaran Sundaresvaran
“People sometimes say that what you learn in class isn’t used in interviews,” he said. “I don’t think that’s true. The things we learned were actually very helpful.”
The same mindset carried into his search for a second internship.
After meeting representatives from Cherry Bekaert at a career fair, he stayed connected, visited the firm’s office, and continued learning about the organization long before submitting an application. By the time the internship opened, he had already built relationships and demonstrated genuine interest.
That preparation led to an internship offer for summer 2027.
Looking back, he doesn’t attribute his success to luck or perfect timing. He credits the intentional decisions he made throughout his college experience thus far through his engagement with employers, proactively seeking feedback, developing professionally, and consistently showing up.
Even with two internships secured, he still attends employer events.
“You never know who you’re going to meet,” he said.
His advice to other students is simple: “Don’t limit yourself. Consistency is key.”