Story Details - Alumni - Harvard Business School

21 Oct 2010

Hell? Maybe Not.

Re: Kristen Fitzpatrick (MBA 2003); Veena Ramaswamy (MBA 2011)

Topics: Human Resources-Recruitment Career-Career Planning Competency and Skills-Talent and Talent Management Communication-Interactive Communication Education-Campus Life Jobs-Job Interviews

MBA Recruiting Twitter feed

Some students call it “hell week,” but the serene second floor of the Doubletree Guest Suites in Cambridge reveals none of the angst associated with the job interviews taking place. When I arrive midmorning, there are still a few yogurt parfaits and an excellent breakfast buffet available in the recruiters’ lounge (the students have a space of their own, stocked with the quantity and variety of snacks and caffeinated beverages such a situation demands).

I’m curious about this annual ritual, which represents months and months of coordination and cultivation on the part of the 25 employees of MBA Career and Professional Development. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation,” says Director of Employer Relations Kristen Fitzpatrick (MBA ’03). Logistics and prepping aside, the week represents a prime opportunity to connect with former students now sitting on the other (more comfortable) side of the desk: 75 percent of recruiters are HBS alumni. “It’s nice to see that relationship come full circle,” says Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick wants to dispel the myth that only large companies making multiple hires can participate in the HBS recruiting process. In fact, some companies expect only one or two hires to come out of the process. “Our team works hard to provide a seamless experience, and we manage all the logistics and details at no cost to the employer,” Fitzpatrick points out. On the student side, the School offers multiple opportunities to network and to bone up on interviewing, etiquette, and, for those seeking positions in finance, analytical skills. Ultimately, about half of graduating MBAs will receive a job offer through an organized interview process, with the other half leveraging their personal networks—greatly aided by HBS faculty, alumni, and staff, of course — to secure positions.

When I catch up with Veena Ramaswamy (HBS ’11) in the student lounge, she’s between interviews for a position in finance. (Word is that this sector, and professional services in general, are coming back after the economic downturn of 2008, with health care making a particularly strong showing.) For Ramaswamy, prepping has involved reading up on market activity, putting in time at the Bloomberg terminals, and asking sectionmates to help talk her through tricky interview questions.

“It doesn’t feel like hell,” Ramaswamy says, with two interviews down and one to go. “But Career Services has really set our expectations. About 30 percent of students will get a job offer from this week, so I don’t feel like I’ll be that out of place if it doesn’t work out this time around.”

What has your experience been with the interview process? Any tips or good stories to pass along? If you’re prepping for an interview yourself, you might want to check out this popular article at HBS Working Knowledge about faculty member Amy Cuddy’s research on the positive effects of “power posing.” Who knows, it may be the secret weapon that puts you over the top for that new gig.