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Let the MBA Games Begin

Some of people at business school come with a very precise idea of what they want to do. They know what they want to recruit for. They know what function they want to work in for the long run. And they know exactly what clubs they want to join. On the other hand, when others show up on campus, they do not have such a clear idea of what they are interested in. Well, next week, people are going to have to start making decisions fast. First years will have to sign up for clubs and leadership positions. Second years will have to start talking with firms on campus about full time employment. Let the games begin!

Next week, many firms will finally be coming to campus. Dinners with people at investment banks. Coffee chats with folks from consulting firms. And discussions with club leaders so you can take over the reigns the following year. At management consulting firms like McKinsey or Bain, there will be long lines to chat with the employees. Students that can’t wait to start practicing cases for a shot to interview and work at the firm. They learns the mechanics of what to so. Practice calculating market sizes. And work on delivering the final summary of the case.

Likewise, students will also be lined up for firms like Proctor and Gamble, brand management company that makes products. After all, Kellogg is king when it comes to marketing. These students will be studying their favorite brands, thinking about commercials, and practicing calculating break event points.

This is all understandable, given we’re second years now and that we’re all finally searching for our full time jobs after graduation. But it’s just tricky given it all starts the moment we get back to campus and the first day of classes. It means that you don’t actually get much time to think about what you really want to do.  But instead you have to have a good sense and get ready to take action early.

For those that don’t have a good sense, then they have to take action on multiple industries until they do decide, at which point they can narrow down what they’re working on. The problem here is that time is limited and that it’s impossible to recruit for too many things effectively. Alternatively, another option is to resist taking action until you do figure out what you want to do. But the risk here is that you miss the opportunity to work at certain companies or in certain industries.

In the end, there’s no right way to approach it. Do the best you can to change industries, take the path of least resistance, recruit for the most common industries, or recruit on your ow terms. All valid options depending on who you are.

Either way, as the pre-term class is coming to the end and as the weekend approaches, second year students will be thinking about this a bit more this weekend. It will be interesting to see what everyone here decides