First year Tuck students have just finished their first final exams and are off to Boston and New York City for career treks so I thought I’d share some of the career-related activities from the first month of school– it’s been a busy start to a great year of recruiting at Tuck!
As a quick introduction, I am Director of the CDO and this is my 9th year working at Tuck in the CDO. I have an MBA and my professional background is in investment banking and entrepreneurship but my favorite job was coaching college sports, which brought me to Tuck to coach MBAs in their careers.
The first month of school is focused on career exploration by engaging resources including the CDO career coaches, classmates and alumni, and also the companies that recruit Tuck students.
One-on-one Meeting with Industry Expert Career Coach
There are five career coaches that work one-on-one with students – all with extensive experience in the industries Tuck students are exploring. The mission for my office during the first two weeks of classes is for us to meet with each of the students one-on-one to introduce the office, get to know the student’s career goals, and to share some insights and perspective on the job search. This is typically the first of a series of meetings throughout the two years at Tuck – students meet with multiple members of the team as they explore different career paths. For example, if they are interested in consulting they would meet with Stephen Pidgeon, a 2007 graduate of Tuck who worked for McKinsey for four years or if they are interested in working in technology they would meet with Mathias Machado, a 2009 Tuck graduate how has worked as a product manager in technology.
Meeting Classmates, Second Years and Alumni
I always encourage the students to speak with classmates, second year students and alumni throughout their career exploration – students can learn so much from other students and our alumni. The intimate nature of Tuck makes this easy to do – Tuck is a small school and we are in a rural location with a centralized campus hub which is the base for student activity. Reaching out to other students and alumni in industries and companies where students may want to work allows students to learn about careers while expanding their professional network. Tuck alumni are the most supportive alumni of any MBA program -- with more than 70% donating to the school each year, they are equality eager to support the careers of Tuck students. Also, some of the best ways to connect with other students is through clubs and activities – one of the most active and fun groups is Tripod Hockey, which is open to everyone!
Company Briefings and Networking Events
Students have been active participating in company briefings. A typical briefing includes a brief presentation, Q&A followed by informal networking between recruiters and students.
I anticipate about 130 companies visiting Tuck to recruit our students this year, a portion of the 900 activate recruiting relationships students have access to as students. Some of the companies that have visited Tuck in the past week or two include:
These companies also offer a range of networking events so they can meet the students and so that students get a chance to learn more about the companies in a less structured format – some examples of these events includes one-on-one office hours, small group dinners in Hanover, women’s breakfast, coffee chats, fireside chats, etc.
Industry Treks to New York and Boston: Consulting, Investment Banking and Marketing
Yesterday nearly 200 first year students packed into cars and buses and headed to Boston and New York City to participate in the three days of company visits for the annual consulting (12 firms in Boston), investment banking (9 banks in NYC) and marketing (6 firms in NYC) treks. It is a great time to continue to explore career goals, learn about companies and industries and have fun with classmates.
For more details on recruiting at Tuck, take a look at the 2012 Employment Report or feel free to reach out to myself or a member of the CDO team.
Jonathan Masland
Director, Tuck CDO