CA: What kind of role do alumni play in Sloan’s recruiting process? How integral are they to your office’s success? Is alumni participation a major part of your placement platform?
SK: They are critical. Alumni come back to campus to interview for their organizations, as well as conducting office hours for students so they may learn more about their companies in an informal setting. Alumni are frequently on campus to participate in club activities and they regularly provide us with terrific job opportunities for our current students.
CA: Do you have any advice for prospective applicants in terms of what they might do in advance of the MBA program to be better prepared for the job search process? In your experience, do you find that students who have done x, y or z before arriving on campus have a more successful experience with career services and the job search as a whole?
SK: I recommend spending time reflecting on what you hope to get out of business school and talking to people who are doing the kind of work you aspire to. There is so much going on at MIT Sloan at any one time. Coming in with perspective allows you to better focus on how you want to spend your time here. Stay open minded on how best to reach your goals and use all the resources of the school.
CA: What about students who hope to pursue entrepreneurial paths straight out of school? What particular opportunities/challenges do they present for your team? Are there special resources in place through CDO, or do those students primarily draw support from the Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship?
SK: There is a rich ecosystem and tradition of entrepreneurship here. Students interested in entrepreneurship take advantage of our Entrepreneurship and Innovation track, as well as resources available through the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Our office is involved with students exploring both traditional career paths and entrepreneurship as well.
CA: There’s been a huge shift toward greater hiring by tech firms in recent years at many MBA programs. How has this impacted your overall career services offerings? Are there specific programs, interview prep, etc. for students targeting tech jobs?
SK: As technology firms traditionally have been one of our top three hirers for the past 30 years—the other two being consulting and financial firms—we have not experienced a shift. Technology and finance firms, too, are creating new opportunities. We also see students interested in joining startup firms. Students’ interest in having a positive social impact in their work continues to play an important role. At MIT Sloan, we think of sustainability as the fundamental alignment between healthy environments, healthy societies and healthy businesses/organizations. In terms of employer trends, we see more small firms that are tech-enabled companies and more roles that require deep analytic skills.
We have not experienced any huge shifts in terms of the companies recruiting on campus. But there is a wider breadth of job postings than has been the case before. There are lots of ways for people to make connections. Part of what we do is ensure our students have the skills to network and connect with organizations whether it is through our office, club activities, treks or a company speaker in a class at MIT.
