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Kelley School of Business Indiana University Bloomington
Full-Time +Flex MBA Program

How To Turn Your Internship Into a Full-Time Offer

Posted on by Kelley School

Written based on the expertise of Eric Johnson, Executive Director of Graduate Career Services. For the full version of Eric’s talk, click here. 

With the stress and pressure involved in finding the right internship, it can feel like the war has been won when you finally hear that you got the offer. Truth be told, the hard work is just getting started. There are two primary objectives for your summer: #1 to obtain an offer and #2 to gain experience that translates well for a full-time job search while leaving a favorable impression on those you worked with throughout the summer. One major point to highlight here – even if this isn’t your dream company, do not throw in the towel for the summer saying, “It doesn’t matter if I get an offer. I don’t want to work here anyway.” Full-time recruiters will be asking whether or not you received an offer, and there’s no sense in wasting a summer because you’re not exactly where you want to be.

A few things to note from a career standpoint; you should be practicing interviewing all summer long and making it a point to meet one new person each week. We’d recommend contacting the alumni chapter for the city you’re in. It’s a great chance to expand your network and connect with people outside of your company. You should also be in touch with recruiters from companies you’re interested in for full-time opportunities. You’ve laid the groundwork during your first year, but don’t let those connections fade over the summer. Let them know where you’ll be spending the summer, and check in throughout the summer. Keep in mind not to share any sensitive information – violating a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a huge red flag for what could be a potential employer. (more…)

5 Questions All International MBAs Have Right Now (and the Answers to Them)

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When families look back on the generations who came before, it’s always a particular point of pride for a member of the older generation to say, “I was the first person in my family to attend college.” In a world where a master’s degree is the new college degree equivalent, what is holding students back from being able to make this particular claim for themselves?
 
For many domestic students, the hold-up comes from a financial perspective. For those who’ve grown up outside the US, one very real fear in their mind right now has to do with the prospective employment environment waiting for them on the other side of the degree. Eric Johnson, Director of GCS, addressed some of these fears in a recent webinar, and we wanted to share the answers our office has when it comes to some of the most common questions international students have right now.

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Not Your Average Networking Post

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Written based on the expertise of Cindy Hosea, Associate Director of Graduate Accounting Program and Information Systems Graduate Program – Kelley Graduate Career Services.
 
Cindy Hosea
Jane* conducted her job search like just about most other college students. She applied to jobs that fell within her scope, showed up for career fairs, and went to nearly every company-hosted event on campus. Which is why she was left confused and discouraged when she was approaching graduation without a job or even the prospect of an offer.
 
When she approached her career coach, it wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened. Jane had been showing up to the right events, but she hadn’t been engaged. Fortunately, she made another right choice in showing up to career services. Her coach explained that companies weren’t hiring her because they didn’t know her – there was no one advocating on her behalf. The session that happened in Cindy’s office that afternoon was a breakthrough, both for Jane’s immediate job search and the rest of her professional career. Their plan of action first set out to tackle the self-limiting thoughts that were holding Jane back from networking from the start.

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Don’t Sell Yourself Short: 5 Things to Do Before Signing on the Dotted Line

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Written based on the expertise of Kendell Brown, Associate Director of Alumni Relations – Kelley Graduate Career Services.
 
You’ve had your eye out for this job for months, endured multiple rounds of interviews, and waited weeks in agonizing silence to hear your fate. The day has finally come where the silence has broken and the offer is yours!
 
After going through this long and arduous process, the temptation to sign on the dotted line and make it official is attractive. But this is 2017. You owe it to yourself to take a long hard look at the deal in front of you and open up discussions for negotiations. According to a 2013 CareerBuilder survey, nearly half of workers accept the first offer given to them. Linda Babcock of Carnegie Mellon University asserts that by not negotiating, employees are costing themselves anywhere from $1 million to $1.5 million over a lifetime.
 
With so much at stake, why is half the population so hesitant to even bring up the conversation? The most obvious reason that comes to mind is the fear that the offer will be rescinded. The probability of an offer being taken back is extremely low, especially if the discussion is done in a respectful manner. Negotiations are an extremely normal part of business, and there’s no reason to feel bad to engage in one. That being said, we do have a few words of advice for when the time comes.

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Secrets to Interview Success from a Former HR Professional

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Written based on the expertise of Nicolette Johnson, Associate Director of Consumer Marketing – Kelley Graduate Career Services.
 
Is it the things you said or the things you didn’t say in an interview that come back to haunt you? As a former HR professional who has sat through 200+ interviews, Johnson would point to the latter. She made the transition from the employer side of the table to the person coaching the interviewee two years ago, and she has advice for applicants when it comes to what they miss.
They don’t explain their unique value to interviewers.

In order to describe what they bring to the table, candidates must understand three very important and connected pieces of the story. First and foremost, successful applicants understand who they are. They know their brand and can confidently communicate that to an employer. Secondly, they point to what sets them apart. 
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2 Keys to a Successful Job Search

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When deciding on a business school, the quality of companies who choose to recruit on campus makes up a large part of the criteria students evaluate. The Kelley Corporate Relations Team pulls through in big ways, bringing in names like 3M, Bain, and Amazon that most students will end up working for. It’s an ideal situation: these companies are looking for potential employees with a certain skillset, and these students are looking for companies of the highest caliber with meaningful work.
 
But for others, the big names either don’t hold as much allure, or they have their hearts set on something else. Whichever the case, some students find themselves recruiting off campus in a situation that more accurately replicates a job search, outside the bubble of Kelley recruiting.
 
Sumedha Makker, MBA ’17, came to Kelley with a desire to change careers and a passion for fitness. When she decided to get her MBA, combining the two was non-negotiable. She landed her dream internship with Glanbia Performance Nutrition and had an incredible summer working in an environment she loved… so how did she do it? At the core, there were two things Sumedha did that made her efforts a success.

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Stop Tripping – 5 Actionable Steps to Get Out of Your Own Way

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Based on the expertise of Christina Schmidt, Associate Director of Business Marketing – Kelley Graduate Career Services
 
Getting a full-time MBA requires a lot of sacrifice, but you already know that. If you’re uprooting your life and taking two full years off of work, I bet you’re willing to do everything within your power that will help you succeed. No matter how great your academics are, how many extracurriculars you participate in, or even how many people you meet, the one thing that will sabotage your efforts (if you’re not conscious) is you. Take a look at the following list and make a note to be mindful: these are things coaches see happen on a regular basis.
 
Not saying thank you. Kelley career coaches cite this as the number one blunder students commit. As incredibly simple as it sounds (and the minimal effort it requires), not saying thank you is one of the most foolish and quickest ways to make people turn away. It doesn’t matter if it was “only” an informational interview; anytime someone willingly gives up their time in an effort to help you, a small gesture like a thank you goes a long way in communicating what you think about them. If you want to take it a step further, The Muse has three tips on writing a thank-you note people won’t forget.

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Pack your Bags and your Briefcase: Six Essentials you can’t Afford to Forget

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Based on the expertise of Megan Alwine, Associate Director – Kelley Graduate Career Services
 
Have you ever packed for a road trip, loaded up the car, driven away, and then remembered all of the things you forgot to bring? Networking can be like that, too. “We had a good conversation. I sent a LinkedIn invitation. We’re getting together for coffee next week… Uh oh! Did I send a thank you?” So many times, it is easy to forget the little things when it comes to networking. And these are the little things that can go a LONG way. Here’s what should be on your mental “do not forget” checklist.
Things you might forget:
 
#1. Toothpaste: Talk to everyone
Forgetting your toothpaste can make you shy away from any conversation. Unfortunately, that timidity, when not from a lack of brushing, can yield missed opportunities. If you’re at a networking night, and [company] is only recruiting for their marketing department, do not write them off. This particular person might work in the marketing department but might know a good contact in the department you are interested in. If you make a good impression, they’ll probably pass your name on. In other words, you are always making an impression, so make it a good one.

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A Job Seeker’s Guide to Dealing with Rejection

Posted on by Kelley School

Based on the expertise of Christina Schmidt, Associate Director of Business Marketing – Kelley Graduate Career Services

 

Clichés like, “It’ll all work out”, or “Everything happens for a reason” are a whole lot easier to say than to hear, aren’t they? But at some point or another, failure is inevitable, and you won’t get exactly what you had hoped for. The supportive, caring people in your life will listen, sympathize, and then throw out something along those lines intending to cheer you up. Often those phrases can have the opposite intended effect, but don’t let a bitter reaction tarnish the truth in those words. Remember, you always have a choice – even when those choices aren’t about which job opportunity to pursue. When your only choice is how you’ll respond, consider the following before reacting.

You’ve built a network. This is extremely valuable, so work to maintain it. Maybe there was someone just *slightly* more qualified for that job. But what about your dream job they’re just about to post? Chances are, employees have inside knowledge of roles coming open before everyone else. By working to maintain your network, your internal contact might be able to 1) tell you about the position before it’s made public, or 2) say they know someone who would be a great match for the role. (more…)

MBA Talk: Why Kelley?

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Each year, aspiring business leaders from all over the world choose Kelley for their MBA. We asked them why.

Six current Kelleys from the Class of 2017—Lauren Maggion, Aaron Millicans, Guillermo Kalen, Erica Smith, Paul Carlson and Ryan Bradley—reveal what clinched it for Kelley in their MBA search.

Support at all Stages:

Lauren Maggion

“I initially stumbled on Kelley when I moved my friend to Bloomington for her Ph.D. I emailed the MBA program office to see if anyone was around, and they immediately responded that they would be happy to visit with me even during the summer! The visit to campus was great and solidified my interest in certain program aspects – the core, the small class size, and the post-grad opportunities. Once I applied, the outreach I received from current students was awesome. I was able to meet with alumni in New York City, and a lot of them reminded me that it is totally possible to be on the East or West Coast despite going to school in the Midwest. I visited Kelley once more during experience weekend and really decided to attend because of the fit of the Kelley Family. From everyone I spoke with, there was an innate sense of collaboration, and people that wanted to help me succeed.” –Lauren (more…)

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