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MARCH 2002 MBA JOURNAL: YEAR TWO Dana Kyles: Academics, the Placement Process, and More "For those who have accepted less-than-ideal jobs or who have no offers at all, life is not so grand. I see several uneasy faces in the Kelley School of Business and, without asking, I know why." This year the classes are specific and go into greater detail. They have fewer deliverables but the deliverables are more intense. Thus, I do not have many late nights but I have several long days. Each class lasts eight weeks, so within one semester (August - December) I have taken two sets of classes. I ended up with a good mix and am really excited about what I am learning. The main focus is finance, but in keeping with my original goal of being a more well-rounded professional, I have taken classes that touch every area of business. THE JOB SITUATION. Huh... do we have to talk about it? It ain't pretty! There has been a sharp decline in the number of companies and those recruiting are making fewer offers. It was not great before September 11, but the World Trade Center tragedy really halted recruiting efforts. I received word that Hewlett Packard will extend offers on a need-to-qualification basis. Although I would like to move back to Atlanta, I can not afford to hold my breath for that offer, especially since the group I worked for this summer no longer exists. My former co-workers extend support in keeping me informed but the selection process is automated so there isn't really much they can do. The mood amongst MBAs is quite mixed. Those with the offers they want are happily planning the future, buying houses, taking vacations, and looking forward to moving on to their new beginnings. For those who have accepted less-than-ideal jobs or who have no offers at all, life is not so grand. I see several uneasy faces in the Kelley School of Business and, without asking, I know why. They are not alone though. The faculty and staff are very supportive in assisting with self-directed job searches, collaborative school career fairs, outreach networking, and interview preparation. The question of the day, everyday, from all my peers, coworkers, friends, and family is "So, do you know where you are going?" The answer to that is, "Yes... no... kind of... a little bit... maybe..." I had a few successful interviews but not quite along the career path I want to travel. So what should I do? Temporarily sacrifice my career aspirations for a steady income or hold on to my goals and let go of reality? How much faith should I have that I can secure the job I want in the location I want before graduation? Is it worth it to keep looking? I do not know... But before leaping to the next stage of life, I will be certain. And of course, I will keep you posted. THE OTHER STUFF. My part-time job as an Admissions Counselor has turned out to be a true pleasure. Meeting perspective MBAs is usually the delight of my day. I remember being where they are in the admissions process and it makes me that much more energized to give careful and correct guidance. I know exactly what Kelley values in the application and I see things a little differently now that I am on the other side. I am also involved in intramural sports this year. I have never been the hardcore athletic type, so being a member of the team is tons of fun. The Stiff Joints is the name of my basketball team and I really enjoy playing. The team consists of all MBA women and we usually play against undergraduate and graduate women. So far, we have won two games. We play our third game tomorrow. Watch out now!!!!!  Get BusinessWeek directly on your desktop with our RSS feeds.  Add BusinessWeek news to your Web site with our headline feed. Click to buy an e-print or reprint of a BusinessWeek or BusinessWeek Online story or video. To subscribe online to BusinessWeek magazine, please click here. Learn more, go to the BusinessWeekOnline home page  | | MARCH Learn about your online education options |
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