MBA Insider: Careers Q&A August 27, 2007, 4:01PM EST

Columbia Redefines Its Careers Office

The managing director of the newly rechristened Career Management Center talks about the resources and support students can expect

Regina Resnick
Columbia Business School

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After a decade as an administrator at Columbia Business School, Regina Resnick is leading the school's Career Management Center into a new era this year. The office recently changed its name from the Office of MBA Career Services, aligning itself with a number of leading B-school career offices that have changed their name to more accurately reflect their mission, says Resnick, assistant dean and managing director of the office since 1999.

Resnick is attuned to the needs of the school's 1,400 full-time and 600 executive MBAs. Over the years, she has helped students navigate the job market, from the "hyper-boom " market of the 1990s to the subsequent burst of the dot-com bubble and the challenging business climate following September 11. Today, she says she is "pleased that things have reversed themselves." Eight-six percent of the class of 2006 received employment offers by graduation, and 94% reported having jobs three months later. The median starting salary last year for B-school graduates was $95,000, according to the office. Data from 2007 are not yet available.

Resnick is using the new name as an excuse to expand the services the school offers its EMBA students and reorganize the department. She recently discussed the ramped-up offerings with BusinessWeek reporter Alison Damast. The following is an edited excerpt of their conversation:

Why did you change the name of the school from the Office of MBA Career Services Center to the Career Management Center?
Career services sounded much more transaction-based than the way we see our mission. About 20 years ago, it was called services because then it was more about placement and career services. We thought we should talk more about this new name because it reflects the partnership at the business school between students and our office in terms of managing their careers. It's not just about our facilitating introductions to companies or helping to facilitate events on campus. It's a much broader definition, so it seemed appropriate to change our name.

What are some of the top companies that recruit on campus?
McKinsey, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Deloitte are some of the top consulting firms we see. General Electric (GE), Honeywell (HON), Unilever (UL), Google (GOOG), and Kraft Foods (KFT) are some of the companies that have been recruiting Columbia MBAs recently. Of course, Wall Street is well represented on campus, too. Among our top employers are firms such as Citi (C) and Goldman Sachs (GS). We're really lucky; it's a Who's Who of Wall Street firms. I feel the students are very privileged with some of the opportunities they have.

How will services offered to the school's EMBAs differ under this new structure?
Previously we had somebody who was assigned to work with them, but we didn't have a full menu of services. It was decided, after talking the last couple of years, that it was time to broaden our services to them. In fact, in January of last year we ended up opening up access to the office to all EMBAs, including those sponsored by companies. If those who are fully sponsored choose to access on-campus recruiting or other job sites, we ask that they make sure that their sponsoring company is aware that they are getting support.