Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Job Advice for New MBA Students

A first-year Tuck student recently posted a message on the Tuck School of Business admissions blog giving career advice to new Tuck (and all MBA) admits.

The student, Natasha V., writes:

When I was admitted to Tuck (a happy day!), I started asking more-detailed questions about the curriculum, community, housing… the list goes on. But one area I overlooked was finding out real information about what my job search would like for my desired career. Truthfully, I put these questions off, since I had some idea of what I wanted to do, and I told myself that I had two years to find a job.

The reality is, first-years are already in full-swing of applying for internships, which should (hopefully) lead to full-time jobs next year. So, my two-year deadline turned out to be more like four months... two very different timelines! Looking back, I wish that I had asked more questions about what my job search would look like at Tuck. It would have helped me get grounded before coming to school, and better understand how and when to apply for internships.


Natasha then goes on to share a few key questions that a newly admitted business school students should ask the school's career office:

  1. For your desired career, which companies recruit on-campus for internships and full-time positions?

  2. For your desired career, how many students find internships or jobs through on-campus recruiting?

  3. For your desired career, how many students interned or accepted full-time jobs in that area?



It often surprises us how often students DON'T ask these questions until they are deep into the summer internship search in their first year. By all means, it is your responsibility to know what your job prospects will be in your chosen field at a given school. Make sure to take this into consideration when you choose a business school to attend, and even when you're deciding the MBA programs to which you want to apply.