Spring Break
Welcome to the fall 2001 edition of Access - the RC's guidebook to a smooth and sane journey through the recruiting process. In addition to the myriad of resources available to HBS students, company presentations, a comprehensive website done by the career services group, and a weekly update inserted in the Harbus, the Access serves a special purpose - it aims to show you that your concerns about recruiting are shared by many others.
As EC students sent in their resumes to apply for on-campus job interviews in October, the mood was dour. The news coming from the Career Services "Market Update" did little to brighten their spirits. Rather than sugarcoating the facts, Ron Peracchio, Acting Director of MBA Career Services, and Tim Butler, Director of MBA Career Development, provided a realistic assessment of the job market for this year's graduating class.
An article in the October 27 edition of The Economist contained detailed information about both last year's and this year's recruiting process. The magazine claimed that Dean Kim Clark banned two companies from recruiting on campus for two years as a result of the offer retractions.
Harvard Business School students commonly cite the extensive HBS Network as a primary motivator in their school selection. Indeed, MBA graduates report that, in retrospect, networking was the most important part of their job-search activity. Stacey Kessel, HBS Associate Director of MBA Career Services, points out that even those who found jobs via on-campus recruiting strengthened their cause by networking in several ways: meeting with faculty, consulting with HBS classmates who have been employed at specific companies, and contacting alumni before job interviews.
I am a terrible schmoozer. When I saw that there was a career fair during Cyberposium, I knew I had to go. After all, this was MY career fair, not investment bankers or VC guys or gals, this was the career fair where I might actually be considered a desirable candidate.
The Envy Test The HBS Doctoral Programs welcomes Dolly Chugh, MBA '94, back on campus for the PhD program in Organizational Behavior as one of the two students admitted this year. Dolly has a total of nine years of work experience, primarily in investment banking, marketing, and consulting, but is now looking forward to a career as a professor.
For the last two years, providing more resources and support for international job searches has been one of the top ten issues on the agenda of the Student Association. International job searches include any students looking for work outside the U.S. or any international students searching inside the U.
Given the recent economic downturn in the U.S., the global job market has plummeted to record lows in recent years. Asia, being one of the most popular geographical preferences among HBS grads, following closely behind the U.S. and Europe, is facing considerable challenges in holding up its headcount and salary packages.
It is easy to conjure up negative thoughts during these challenging economic times of the 2001-2002 recruiting season, particularly as you question your decision to attend one of the most expensive schools out there in HBS. From the mouth of Denzel Washington during his chilling portrayal of Malcolm X, you may think that you were "had, took, lied to, bamboozled, hoodwinked.
The recruiting process is probably the biggest cause of stress for most HBS students and for international students it can be doubly stressful. Hopefully the following advice will help. It is generally targeted at international students wishing to work in the United States, but could also be useful if you are searching for a job internationally.
Like nearly every other student interviewing for a job on February 9, the first day of Hell Week, I scanned the Wall Street Journal first thing in the morning to make sure I was up-to-date on the top stories. Unlike most students, I found my own name on Page 1 of the Marketplace section, under the headline "On Wall Street, a New Push to Recruit Gay Students.
"Easy double," my financial advisor said 18 months ago, predicting what my money would do if I put it in the market instead of joining the HBS Class of 2002. He was one of many who helped convince me to actually reject Harvard Business School last year. While he could not have been more wrong about the stock market, I am glad that I did say no to HBS at the time, because of the experiences I've had over the past year.
It was 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night in May, only eleven hours before my last final of the first year. I had just received a phone call from the company with whom I thought I would be working for the summer, and suddenly I was unemployed. So like any veteran first-year student faced with a crisis, I headed to ABP for a beer.
During my first year I got involved with the Volunteer Consulting Organization - something I highly recommend to anyone interested in nonprofit, consulting, or just a good team-based experience (shameless plug #1). The satisfaction I derived from that experience was different than in for-profit consulting.
After spending two weeks in Peru with a group of HBS classmates and my family, I embarked into what would be my home for the rest of the summer: Singapore. The secret of how a small island the size of Boston with no natural resources (even the water is imported from Malaysia!) has been transformed into the world's fourth wealthiest country (if we measure "wealth" as income per capita) is still a mystery for many countries that seek development.
She had been called the most powerful woman in the world. To us summer interns, she was the boss. And although we hadn't met her ourselves, Susan Chen (OA), Beth Howe (OC) and I were undeniably moved when Katharine Graham died on July 17. For several reasons, we felt as though we had known the legendary owner of The Washington Post.
Crystal clear 80 degree water, fruity rum drinks, and an easy-going way of life. These are the thoughts that come to mind when one thinks of the US Virgin Islands. I was fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of these accoutrements as I completed a cost accounting and business planning project for Virgin Islands National Park on St.
by Ben Gordon (MBA '00) It was 1:30 on a Friday afternoon in rainy New Haven, and I was excited. Not because the week was over, and not because of the weather, but because I was about to enter my very first full-time job interview. A prestigious Wall Street firm had called to invite me to interview with them.
Not sure if a career in marketing is in the cards for you? Well, here's my Top 10 list of "How to tell if you're right for a Marketing Career" 10. You love brands! (and free products!)–Come on admit it. We saw you at Battle of the Brands. You did the Coke/Pepsi taste test.
How I could possibly be excited about the prospect of selling toothpaste, barbecue sauce, or toilet bowl cleaner day in and day out? Ask a number of my HBS friends. For me, the decision is easy—regardless of the product, I will be responsible for running my own business; making decisions about marketing, price points, trade promotions, product positioning, budgets, and forecasts.
So what exactly is venture capital and private equity? Venture capital and private equity are, in the most general terms, organizations that take in money from investors (pension funds, governments, insurance companies, wealthy individuals) and use that money to buy equity stakes in privately held companies.
Healthcare in the United States is a trillion-dollar business. Its vast complexity and breadth of scope has fascinated many business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors. Over 15% of students at HBS have some type of work experience in healthcare, including biotechnology, health services, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals.
Despite the down market, the high-tech industry remains an enticing career option, providing a combination of attributes that many Harvard Business School MBAs still find irresistible: autonomy, fast pace, variety, intellectual challenge, potential for financial upside, and the chance to have a significant impact not just on a company, but on entire industries.
Elevator Pitch (aka. Why media/entertainment?) You need to know exactly why you want to work in this business. You need to be passionate about the biz and/or about the product, otherwise you will not differentiate yourself. And if you don't differentiate yourself, you will struggle to get that dream job.
Consulting, ubiquitous as it might seem at HBS, is not a career to approach lightly. While you might sometimes get the impression that everyone has either done it before or is going to do it after school, this in itself is not a good reason to take the plunge.
Interviewing with management consulting firms has become one of the standard practices for HBS students. Most people seem to do it at least one—either because they actually want to work for a consulting company, or because they feel they should at least interview with one.
What is investment banking? Depending on who you ask (including i-bankers themselves), you will get somewhat different answers. Broadly speaking, investment banks provide a gamut of financial and advisory services to corporations, institutions (both private and public) and even individuals (usually high-net-worth ones…very high).
This piece is based on experiences gained over the last few weeks, during the official EC Hell Week process. It is clouded by the current job search environment. In the event that the economy turns around, most of these tips will not be essential, but still useful.
Would you like a job that would give you a great deal of responsibility, superb advancement opportunities, access to entrepreneurs who are truly passionate about their mission, and the opportunity to make a difference in the world? If the answer is 'yes', you may want to consider a job in the social enterprise sector.
