It’s that time of year again, prospective MBAs: Back to school time at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. At Smith, incoming full-time MBAs don’t even have to wait long to meet employers and learn what kind of talent they want to hire — in fact, they get to do it before the books even open.
According to a press release on the Smith website, a panel of corporate recruiters, including four Smith MBA alumni, shared career advice and answered questions during Smith orientation. The panel is “part of a career kickoff designed to help the 99 students in the class of 2017 add clarity to their job searches early in the MBA experience.” Smith’s Office of Career Services organized other orientation activities as well, including seminars on personal branding, social media strategy, communication, and critical thinking.
“Our commitment is to tailor our coaching to you,” Jeffrey Kudisch, assistant dean of corporate relations and managing director of the Office of Career Services, told the students. “We won’t treat you all the same.”
Smith is also committed to international students — a population that makes up one-third of incoming full-time MBA students. Julie Neill will serve in the Office of Career Services as an ombudsman for international students, hosting Google Hangouts on Fridays to help international students adjust to U.S. culture and the discussion of issues related to work permits and visa sponsorships.
“This is the best full-time MBA community that there is,” Smith Professor Joe Bailey told the students during another orientation activity. “There really is something special about Smith. We’re all here to learn, and we’re all here to help each other learn.”