Job Hunting Tips

(page 2 of 3)

Katie Volz
Stern School of Business
New York University

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FrancescaBW: Here's a question from someone who could not join us today: "I'm a second-year student at Chicago GSB, and my friends and I have been discussing the ethical ramifications of looking for a job after accepting an offer. Many of us are trying to enter Wall Street, and under normal circumstances we would never consider looking for a job after having signed. But these are extenuating circumstances. Can you comment?"

TrudyNYU: This is certainly an unusual time for students. At the Wasserman Center, we never endorse looking for a job after you have accepted an offer. The industry tends to be smaller than you think, and recruiters move within the industry to different firms. In other words, people talk, and you could hurt your future prospects if employers think you are being unprofessional.

KatieVolzNYU: I echo Trudy's comments. Looking for a job after having accepted an offer—known as reneging—is rarely the right course of action. The business world is small; Wall Street in particular is very small. If it should ever become known that you reneged on an offer, it could not only damage your reputation with the firm you pulled the offer from, but also down the road at other firms, as people often move around.

123115: Is it just the investment banking/financial sector getting hit hard? What about the marketing students? Are they having a tough time finding jobs?

TrudyNYU: Certain banks within the investment banking sector are getting hit hard. With regard to marketing and other sectors we haven't seen as much impact. However, I think we are at the beginnings of this economic situation, and all the impact isn't known yet.

FrancescaBW: Here's another question that came from someone who is unable to join us today: "How do employers view online degrees? And which online schools would you recommend for a degree in business management?"

KatieVolzNYU: Online degrees are typically not as highly valued as the traditional degree. As a former recruiter at an investment bank, I recognized that there is a unique experience one obtains from going through a traditional business school program, [and] that was valued by the bank. I am not familiar with the online programs in this market.

FrancescaBW: Here's yet another question from someone who could not join us: "What is the recommended course of action [at Stern] if one graduates without an attractive offer? Is the student able to utilize on-campus recruiting post-graduation, should this situation occur?"

TrudyNYU: On the undergraduate side, once a student has gone through a full cycle of on-campus recruiting, he cannot continue to utilize the on-campus recruiting service post-graduation. However, the Wasserman Center for Career Development will allow the student/graduate to utilize all of its other resources until he has secured an offer of employment with which he is happy.

KatieVolzNYU: On the MBA side, on-campus recruitment services are open to students currently enrolled in the program. Our two-year career curriculum equips students to be proactive and engage in a successful job search pre- and post-graduation. We also offer alumni lifelong career services through our Career Center for Working Professionals.