Wednesday, February 02, 2005
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Recruiting is a funny time, filled with stressed out people and lots and lots of interview prep. Here are a couple of observations:
The Good - Everyone is really nice and chill right now regarding interviews. I haven't witnessed any shark-like behavior, and many people are assisting others in getting jobs with their former employers. In fact, just today I set up a meeting with a second year who worked at one of my target companies last summer. Also, people have been very friendly in swapping interview slots. I had to swap one of mine and found everyone very accommodating in sharing their schedule and trying to come to a good solution.
The Bad - The class attendance requirement at HBS is looking like more and more of a problem. Hypothetical situation: Let's say you get two second round interviews, and both companies invite you to their offices all day on Friday, February 11th. Now, both companies know that this is an open day, so if you try to reschedule with either one then they'll know that they are effectively #2 (or worse) on your list. There are only four open days aside from the 4 days that comprise the on-campus portion of Hell Week. Here's to hoping that I don't have to navigate any of these situations.
The Ugly - Despite the positive attitudes around here, people seem to be taking this on-campus recruiting thing way too seriously. The library was packed today when I went to print out a few things, and I've heard of students breaking down under the pressure and losing it. The summer internship isn't the end-all, be-all of the MBA experience, and just isn't worth ruining a semester over.
The Good - Everyone is really nice and chill right now regarding interviews. I haven't witnessed any shark-like behavior, and many people are assisting others in getting jobs with their former employers. In fact, just today I set up a meeting with a second year who worked at one of my target companies last summer. Also, people have been very friendly in swapping interview slots. I had to swap one of mine and found everyone very accommodating in sharing their schedule and trying to come to a good solution.
The Bad - The class attendance requirement at HBS is looking like more and more of a problem. Hypothetical situation: Let's say you get two second round interviews, and both companies invite you to their offices all day on Friday, February 11th. Now, both companies know that this is an open day, so if you try to reschedule with either one then they'll know that they are effectively #2 (or worse) on your list. There are only four open days aside from the 4 days that comprise the on-campus portion of Hell Week. Here's to hoping that I don't have to navigate any of these situations.
The Ugly - Despite the positive attitudes around here, people seem to be taking this on-campus recruiting thing way too seriously. The library was packed today when I went to print out a few things, and I've heard of students breaking down under the pressure and losing it. The summer internship isn't the end-all, be-all of the MBA experience, and just isn't worth ruining a semester over.
