Some industry clubs are centered on a function (like marketing, consulting, etc) and others are centered on an industry (health care, technology, etc.). And then there’s general management. It’s not really a single function and it’s definitely not an industry. It ends up being a catchall for a lot of post-MBA jobs, many of which overlap with some of those other industry clubs. For example, brand management for CPG companies is often considered a general management role, albeit with a strong focus on marketing. I’m personally spending my summer working for a health care company in a leadership development (i.e. general management) program.
While there is a lot of variety in the roles that fall into this club, there are also a lot of commonalities amongst them.
Two common types of roles coming out of school for those pursuing a general management path are leadership development programs and corporate strategy project-type roles. Here is a short, but hopefully representative, list of how some of my classmates interested in general management are spending their summers:
These are examples that fit nicely into the “general management” bucket, but as a club, we are really here to help fellow students get into whatever role or company they want. Fairly quickly after first year students arrive on campus, second-years begin helping them in the recruiting process, which starts by identifying the various opportunities out there and the differences between them. The General Management Club also organizes career treks to visit companies in cities of interest. As the recruiting process continues, we facilitate second-years helping out first-years with everything from resumes and cover letters through to interview prep and deciding which offer to take. I was someone that took advantage of my classmates a year ahead of me every step of the way and, without fail, they were extremely open and willing to help me out. So while many of these activities are probably not unique to Tuck, the way in which I had mentors and friends to help me all along the way was very much in line with what I hoped for from the Tuck community.
- 2014-15 Co-Chair, Isaac Ipson