Networking with company representatives. Fine dining in fancy restaurants. Are the days of free lunches, coffee chats, and extravagant recruiting dinners over? Given the changing nature of MBAs’ job searches, are MBA career centers now dinosaurs? Yes—and no. They are evolving. What previously was dubbed the “career office” is now called “career services,” the “career development office,” or “career management” to reflect the subtle and not-so-subtle changes in their function.
At the Stanford GSB, while 91% of 2020 graduates had landed jobs within three months of graduation, only 51% found employment through school-facilitated activities. Other top-20 schools have posted similar numbers. So, where are these grads finding their jobs? At Stanford, a whopping 18% of 2020 grads were entrepreneurs who started their own businesses. Others found employment through their own contacts and legwork, while some were sponsored, went to work for family businesses, or pursued higher degrees. When composing your list of target schools, it is important to look at what industries and companies recruit at your schools AND how many students eventually go to work in those industries or companies. As of now, more than half of students at most schools still do use career offices for their job search—but look beyond how they can help you in your job search.
Schools now offer career coaches or advisors, industry specialists, peer advisors, and relationship managers to help students define and refine their search, whether they’re seeking a more traditional consulting/marketing/finance job they or they’re an entrepreneur looking for partners. Additionally, career centers offer online career guides that are essential for almost every type of search: S&P Capital IQ, Plunkett, PitchBook for PE, Vault Guides, and D&B Business Sense. Yes, students can use these resources to connect with potential employers, meet with alums, and get information on recruiters, but career offices add so much additional value.
When was the last time you really updated your resume? Sticking a description of a recent promotion on the resume you created in college doesn’t count. What about job interviews? Has it been a while since you had one? How about cover letters? Many companies still require them. All major schools provide resume and cover letter writing guidance and workshops as well as mock interviews to help prepare their students for any type of job search. Even nontraditional companies often use traditional recruiting techniques.
Although the traditional career office may have gone the way of the traditional job search, don’t overlook the importance career development services can have on your job search and hence your list of target schools.