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MAY 2003 MBA JOURNAL: INTERNSHIP INTERVIEWS Tonya Harris: Navigating the Process "It is not about what you know, but instead, who you know get as many contacts as you can and use them. Keep in touch with friends, call alumni, build your network." FYI, the rumor in business school circles is that it's all downhill after the first semester. I'm not sure what schools the folks who say this went to, but I feel exactly the opposite -- like I am dragging a huge boulder up a mountain. There is so much to do, with so little time, and it is definitely holding me down. But, it all seems to go by so quickly. In my opinion, this semester has been tremendously more difficult because of the structure of Columbia's program. First-year students, at this juncture, are not only involved in classes, but also totally immersed in the job search. The interview schedule, which starts near the end of winter break, and is still taking place, is constantly on everyone's minds. Each day, the halls are filled with statements of jubilation or declarations of disappointment. "Do you have a job, yet?" "What are you doing for the summer?" "I got rejected by voicemail before I even got home from the interview." "I got a job!!!" There is so much hope, fright, sadness, relief, and happiness, all in one place. This is an extremely emotional time for us all. On top of all of that, we have so much coursework to do! During the second semester, Columbia still has a very structured core, with one elective. The core consists of the following courses: Decision Models, Marketing Management, Managerial Accounting, Macroeconomics, Leadership, and last but definitely not least, Operations Management. My cluster has the distinct honor of having Columbia Business School's Assistant Dean, Safwan Masri, as our professor. Safwan is a truly interesting man. He is extremely energetic and personable, and always the consummate administrator, even in front of the class. He selects one first year cluster each year to teach, because he likes being in the classroom. And, I have to say, you will never be bored in his class. He is extremely suave and debonair, very hands on with the students. He definitely lifts our energy levels...and he is, by far, the best dressed professor that I have ever had! My elective for the semester is Film Marketing, with an Adjunct Professor, Reed Martin. Like Safwan, he is extremely energetic and personable, but in a different way. He is very excitable, speaks very quickly, thinking so much faster than he can possibly speak. It is extremely interesting to observe. His knowledge of films, his contacts in the industry, his passion for the course...all of these things are amazing. We had the producer of Boy's Don't Cry in class a few weeks ago, and on Monday, the Executive producer of Monster's Ball will be joining us. This class is definitely my favorite for the semester because all the useless knowledge I have carried in my head about movies, television, actors, etc. over the years, finally has a use. The culmination of the semester is to create a film marketing plan for my own project. Wow! I can't wait to take more media electives next semester. Now, what everyone is waiting for: Details of the job search. I will first discuss my experience, and then the experiences of the banking and financial services individuals (which are quite different). First of all, as you all may know, the market is extremely difficult right now, in every industry. Potential employers are coming to campuses, interviewing over 50 people for one internship spot. It is not pretty out there at all. Besides on-campus recruiting, there is also a great deal of customized, personal job searches. The companies that come to Columbia's campus are often the traditional guys: Banks, consulting firms, and some brand management firms. If you are interested in more non-traditional fields, like media, non-profit, or real estate, much of your search has to be self-initiated. That's difficult. In a market like our current one it becomes all about who you know, not what you know. And if you don't know anyone, then you'd better be superior. Some people do get lucky, but overall, it is really rough out there. When we first stepped on campus, career services began to provide us with numerous sessions on the job search, resume presentation, interview skills, and networking. Additionally, second-year students made themselves available for mock interviews to help us prepare, and to know what to expect. Fellow first-year students were willing to share information about companies and positions, particularly within industry clubs, like the Marketing Management Association or the Media Management Association. The campus also has a few first-year career counselors to help with moral support, resume review, and advice. Overall, I found everyone to be pretty helpful. My personal job search was a little non-traditional because I was interested in media, a non-traditional field. So, I worked through our career services, but I also did a personalized job search by trying to expand my network. This process involved meeting with people to find out about their industries, discover what they do, and seek their advice. This is called an informational interview, or an informational. I was able to get quite a few informational interviews with individuals in media, entertainment, and marketing, thanks to my wonderful friend, Jessica, who works in media. She put me in touch with quite a few people, who gave me great advice on how to be a career switcher, and enter media and entertainment through my desired function, marketing. On top of the informational interviews, I spent a great deal of time selecting target companies in media and marketing, and sending them resumes. I also applied for positions I found on Web sites, like Entertainmentjobs.net, Monster.com, Columbia's Web site, and the career sites of my alma maters, Duke and University of Virginia. I got lots, and I do mean lots, of rejection from these efforts, mainly because of my lack of experience in the entertainment industry, or in the marketing function. In a down economy, many companies are not willing to take a risk on an unknown talent. So, I decided that I needed to get some relevant experience. In addition to looking for a summer position, I also spent a great deal of time looking for a spring, unpaid, indentured servant position. I was lucky enough to get a position with a small company, which is located off of Times Square (It is amazing, no matter how many times I see the lights, I am still in awe, I have such a tourist mentality).
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