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Employment Prospects Survey |
| Full-time MBA program |
On-campus recruiting is a huge endeavor at business school, especially for those
interested in careers in finance or consulting. During the fall term, companies
come to campus to give presenations or hold lunches. Basically there is a short
song-and-dance and then the real action starts: networking. The entire goal of
networking is to be invited to the closed interviews held during the spring term
for summer internships and the end of fall term for full time positions.
Students mingle around, competing for the attention of potential employers in the
hopes of getting a business card and contact information. The number of
on-campus presentations can be overwhelming at times especially when there are
projects to be done and chapters to be read.
After the on-campus presentation, students beging networking with the people
they met and whose business cards they have won. Again, for finance and
consulting focused people this is highly amplified and important. Successful
attempts will then land you an "informational interview" with your contacts. For
finance and consutling, don't let the first word fool you- this is a screening
interiew that will go towards determining whether you will be invited to their
closed list. In many ways, the process becomes like a sorority or fraternity
rush. It's all talking with as many "brothers" or "sisters" as possible, getting
invited to events, showeing your dedication to the group, and trying to make it
on their bid lists.
Many top companies recruit at Columbia- with a large percentage of them being
banks and consulting firms. Yet there are a variety of other industries that are
represented as well, such as pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and manufacuturing.
The career services office is extremely helpful in preparing the students for
the process that they will encounter. They have mandantory interview skills
workshops and provide multiple sessions on topics like resume preparation,
networking skills, and off-campus job search. Career counselors are available
for students who need help identifying career options or bettering their chances
for making a career swithc. For those students who want to explore other careers
outside of the on-campus recruiting, the career services center is excellent at
offering advice. Columbia has a fantastic alumni database which provides
information on graduates including company and contact information.
The job outlook seems to be picking up for this summer. Columbia has a great
presence in the New York business community and is well respected by employers.
If you have the dedication and don't mind a little groveling here and there, jobs
are available.
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Columbia Business School Admission & Application Surveys
