1:26 p.m., Jan. 12, 2011----Lia de Affonseca, a senior business major in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware, started 2011 off on the right foot. After attending a competitive event hosted by Goldman Sachs and undergoing a rigorous interview schedule last fall, she learned over the winter break that she will become a Goldman Sachs new analyst in the company's services division on June 1.

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De Affonseca attended the Federation Women and Diversity Conference hosted by Goldman Sachs in Jersey City, N.J., last November. The event, one of many recruiting efforts the company holds to find the brightest and most diverse students to join their team, welcomed only 100 students out of 400 applicants to participate in the search for Goldman Sachs' latest batch of new analysts and summer interns.

Jill Panté, assistant director of the Lerner College satellite Career Services Center, worked with de Affonseca throughout the process to review her resume and sharpen her interviewing skills. Panté also worked with Goldman Sachs, a company that doesn't recruit on campus regularly, to cultivate a partnership that put UD as a top school that they could reach out to for this type of leadership event.

Although a job in the financial services sector was not in de Affonseca's initial career plan, notice of the conference invitation from Panté and the center prompted her to investigate the opportunity.

Upon learning about the Goldman Sachs services division and the agenda for the conference, de Affonseca decided to broaden her horizons.

“At the conference I was able to learn in more detail the role each division in the company plays as well as the overall sustainability of the firm,” said de Affonseca.

“I learned that Goldman Sachs actually has a flat organizational structure where movement among departments, divisions and global offices is fairly easy to do, and all assignments and projects are accomplished through teamwork, which creates a great learning environment and open communication between employees.”

Conference participants also learned about the company's community engagement initiatives and commitment to diversity in education, but de Affonseca was especially appreciative of the opportunity to get an inside look at the company culture during the conference.

“It was a great way to gain in-depth knowledge about the firm and to get a firsthand look at the Goldman Sachs culture and values,” said de Affonseca. “It was also clear that they valued our perspectives, which I think is a great way to attract new employees. Overall, it was a very positive experience and a great way to meet exceptional students from all over the country.”

De Affonseca plans to graduate in spring 2011 with a degree in international business studies and a minor in Spanish studies.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (Goldman Sachs) is a bank holding and a global investment banking securities and investment management company that provides a range of financial services to corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in New York with offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers around the world.

Article by Kathryn A. Marrone