What to do as a student if you want a VC career

Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #71 of VC Demystified🪄.

My name’s Nicole - I’m a Principal at an early stage venture fund, and I know firsthand that VC can often be a black box. Breaking into the industry may feel daunting and resources can seem scarce and inaccessible. I wanted to put together a newsletter to give others the playbook I wish I had when I first started.

Today’s deep dive: A tactical guide to the on-campus moves that set students apart in venture recruiting

^{My personal mission is to open as many doors as possible for other people and this newsletter is just one avenue to do that. As always, I will continue to post VC insights daily for free across my socials. This newsletter may contain paid partnerships or affiliate links.}

Read time: 4 minutes

A tactical guide to the on-campus moves that set students apart in venture recruiting

Breaking into venture is hard from anywhere but as a student, you actually have unique advantages if you know how to use them.

On-campus opportunities can be the best proving ground for showing VCs you can already think and act like an investor. Most people waste them. The ones who lean in are the ones who break in.

Here are 6 ways to get involved on-campus today:

1. Join (or Start) a Student Investment Club

• Why it matters: Student-run PE/VC clubs give you credibility, structure, and reps.

• How to stand out: Don’t just host coffee chats or publish generic newsletters. Run mock investment committees, source startups from your campus, and publish sector-specific deep dives.

• Pro tip: If your school doesn’t have one, start it. VCs love hustle.

2. Apply to Student VC Programs

National programs give you real sourcing and diligence experience and a brand to put on your resume.

Some well-known student funds / programs:

• Dorm Room Fund

• Contrary Capital

• Rough Draft Ventures (rebranded to GC Venture Fellowship now)

• Pear VC Fellows

Two years ago I created the below comparion table on Dorm Room Fund, Contrary Capital and Rough Draft Ventures. Though I haven’t updated since, most of the information on this table should still be relevant.

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