Time to find a job

Back when I was reading these blogs and thinking about applying to LGO, I wondered why there weren't many posts about the full-time recruiting process. I get it now. It's tough to write about because it's a hectic time, it's a very personal decision and there are some sensitivities to consider, such as exploring non-partner company opportunities. That said, I wanted to provide some perspective on what it's like going through the process, both good and bad.

The good

First, we are incredibly well-positioned coming out of a program like this. It's easy to get caught up in the stress of the process and lose sight of what is going on. Next week is our official recruiting week, and most of us have several interviews lined up for great positions at great companies. With most of our partner companies, getting an interview is as easy as clicking a button to sign up for a slot. That's awesome.

Second, the support network is invaluable. Between Sloan's Career Development Office and LGO staff, there are a lot of people who have a vested interest in helping us find the right job. In addition, the Sloan and LGO alum networks are fantastic. It's been easy to reach out to people at the companies I'll be interviewing with to learn more about the opportunities. People are extremely responsive and have been very generous with their time, particularly LGO alums.

The bad
Being away from Boston on internship makes recruiting difficult, especially with non-partner companies. In addition to the logistics issues of scheduling interviews, we can't attend on-campus events such as company presentations and practice interviews. Perhaps more importantly, we're just not in the recruiting mindset like most of our Sloan classmates.

It's one thing to be able to attend events and meet company representatives, but I think being in the frenzied recruiting environment on campus has other benefits as well - for example, you might overhear interesting facts or news about particular companies, and you can learn through others' experiences with interviewers. In general, it's much easier to be prepared. That being said, I think the one good thing about being away is that you can probably think clearly and avoid getting caught up in group-think, or "the game" (as one LGO alum who recently spoke to us called it) of chasing after the hot companies or opportunities.

Anyway, it's an exciting time. Within the next few months we'll all (hopefully) have some certainty as to what we'll be doing in in life. I'll try to write more about the process as I continue to go through it.