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5 key takeaways from Anatoly's invaluable story:

• Bentley Investment Group and Bentley Business Bowl were particularly helpful. With those activities on campus, don't be scared to seek advice or ask questions - so many people at Bentley will help you in some way that will make it easier for you to get on the right path.
• The most important thing is to show your "insatiable desire to learn more, move forward, ask meaningful questions and keep challenging the status quo" during interviews.
• "Keep your options open and be up for a challenge".
• Don't think of informational meetings and meet-ups as tools of securing an interview, but "think of them as opportunities to build relationships".
• "Don't be lazy or shy to stop by your professor's office and catch up on something if you are passing by, or talk to somebody in your class who you haven't seen before".
• Send a thank you note and follow-up emails after your interview.

Any networking (ex. conferences, on-campus career events, professors) experience that have helped through the journey of job searching?

Bentley offers a myriad of great opportunities to learn about different jobs and meet with recruiters, professionals and even executives of many companies across the spectrum. And don't only consider graduate events. There is also huge world of undergrad life that we tend to overlook.

1. Bentley Investment Group

Getting involved at Bentley Investment Group could be an immense push both in terms of your actual knowledge and hands-on experience. I met a lot of great bright people while being a Lead Analyst at Financial Sector, and got an exciting line on my resume that many interviewers have asked me about.

2. Bentley Business Bowl

Another big success for me was Bentley Business Bowl. This case competition gave me a chance to work on a real-life problem of an actual business and present findings to a panel of judges who actually work daily on solving this issue.

And of course I can't stress enough how grateful I am for all the help and support that I got throughout my journey from Audra Boni, Steven Wasserman, Claude Cicchetti and Jay Sultan, who all are absolute rock stars. Don't be scared to seek advice or ask questions - so many people at Bentley will help you in some way that will make it easier for you to get on the right path.

For those who don't have a lot of experience before coming to Bentley, what advice do you have?

To be honest, I feel like comparing work experiences of different people side by side is not really a great way to assess your chances of landing a job. I would put it this way - Bentley graduates are fit to be competent for 95% of the jobs out there regardless of your previous background. I have been convinced time and time again listening to my friends' stories and looking back at my experience that the technical skills you need for most jobs are pretty basic - it is usually just Excel believe it or not (you'd be shocked how many multi-million dollar deals get produced straight out of a simple spreadsheet).

Employers are very well aware that they are hiring fresh graduates that are not gurus in some specific field. They know it and they want it, because they can shape you and teach you the things that you need. That's why don't get stuck up thinking too much about how well-versed you are in a particular statistical software or programming language, because you will most likely start completely fresh once you come into your job.

What is absolutely important is to have this insatiable desire to learn more, move forward, ask meaningful questions and keep challenging the status quo. That's what employers look for.

And that's what they ultimately want to see in your prior internship or work experiences. Yes, you might have worked at a fancy investment bank, kudos to you, that will add a few points to your total.

However, what is more important, is no matter where you worked, you need to show those examples of a curious young leader who can't wait to take on the challenges, who is willing to learn, who can be persuasive and who is not afraid to ask questions and speak in front of people.

In all seriousness, at my interview I spoke for a good amount of time not about the cool project that I did for CFA Institute or my summer finance internship at Plymouth Rock, but about my work at the pizza restaurant. I felt like the initiatives I started there could help better reveal my leadership and project management skills. And guess what, it resonated a lot with my interviewers, and helped me to connect with them on a better level. In the end of the day, nobody really wants to dive deep in the intricacies of your projects or work responsibilities. Your future employer wants see the examples that will convince them that you actually have the skills and work ethic that will help you be successful in your future job.

What suggestions do you have for students that are looking for an opportunity?

One very good piece of advice that I heard during one of the networking events on campus was an answer to a question of "How do you get your foot in the door?" And the answer is "any way you can". There is no one magic formula that will work for everybody and will yield you the desirable result. Everybody has their own path. Just keep your options open and be up for a challenge.

Also, don't try to set up those informational meetings and dive straight to asking for a job interview. Don't think of those meet-ups as a tool of securing an interview. Think of them as an opportunity to build relationships. Think about a simple question - why would somebody refer you to their boss if they have known you only for 15 minutes? They still don't know you well, and therefore, have no reason to vouch for you and put their reputation on the line in front of their boss. Instead, you need to take time, and just get to know people better, give them time to see value in you.

Usually, the opportunity will arise naturally, without you actually scouring for it. If you are being pro-active, intellectually curious and sociable, it will not be long until your skills or your wit will be noticed and will be appreciated by your fellow classmates or your professors. Just don't be lazy or shy to stop by your professor's office and catch up on something if you are passing by, or talk to somebody in your class who you haven't seen before. It sounds like a simple thing but it can go a long way for you in life in anything you do.

I understand it is hard to shift your mind away from a constant looming idea that you need to get a job no matter what, especially if you are an international student. Though it is important to stay on top of your goals, it is also crucial to just live your life, explore the city, go to conferences outside of Bentley, sign up to a running club, meet people, and your opportunity will find you.

Your advice for interview preparations?

You would be surprised that only few people do the right things when it comes to interview. It is so easy to stand out from the pool of applicants if you just send a thank you note after your interview and follow-up after a couple of weeks if there is no decision made.

You can try to meet with another person from the team through informational meetings or at events before interviews, and then tell your potential manager how you got a chance to connect with a fellow team member. From this, you can learn some specific details that make you believe that you could be a great fit for the role. Highlighting specific things that you talked about during an interview is a great way to show your true interest for position.