Back when I was applying to universities, recruiting was never something that really crossed my mind. Partly because back then, I was quite set on grad school and in other part, because I was satisfied with the schools promoting that a good proportion of graduates seemed to find a job.
Such a mindset didn’t last very long in business school. For most people, summer jobs become pursued, and by the senior years, finding a full-time job is certainly a priority. Last year, I wrote a brief post about how recruiting is different between 1st and 2nd year. Well, 3rd year is a HUGE jump. Now every recruiter takes you seriously.
This year was also different in that all the consulting firms moved up summer recruiting to September/October to join the likes of pretty much every other recruiting category (industry and summer vs full-time), the only exception being finance summer recruiting. There was a noticeable buzz around Goodes Hall and Gordon Hall as you saw a disproportionate number of your peers walking around in suits with a black portfolio in hand. And it’s hard to ignore when this is the case every day for several weeks straight. It’s definitely an exciting time of the year and something to look forward in the junior years of the program.
The final thing I’d like to share is the camaraderie and support that comes out during recruiting season. For many industries, there’s not necessarily a set quota with which the recruiters come to campus. Rather, there’s a “bar” or “hurdle” to pass. When this is the case, you’re not competing with your classmates for spots. This is especially true in consulting recruiting, where practising cases with peers is essential – the mindset that practising would be helping the “competition” won’t get very far. Consequently, you see more of a joint effort amongst everyone where the ultimate goal is to see as many people have offers as possible.
I’ve refrained from writing anything recruiting related until I was completely done interviewing. Looking back at the past few weeks, it’s been a (stressful) blast and a very positive overall experience. For prospective students, I would encourage a deeper dive into the recruiting element when considering schools. For junior students, I would advise keeping your mind open and not narrowing yourselves into a specific industry too early. For senior students, I wish the best of luck to anyone who’s still wrapping things up or getting reading for the winter recruiting season.
Zeya Yang ‘13