Tech Grads Surge in New Northwestern Kellogg Employment Report
The Kellogg School of Management released new employment data and statistics from the Class of 2017. According to the school, 94 percent of Kellogg’s full-time MBA Class of 2017 received an offer within three months of graduation.
“Kellogg leaders take a multidisciplinary approach to solving complex business challenges,” said Matt Merrick, Associate Dean of MBA Operations. “The versatile skills they hone at Kellogg enable them to make an immediate impact across all types of organizations.”
MBAs were hired by a wide variety of companies across all disciplines and industries, shapes and sizes. Some of the top companies hiring Kellogg students include McKinsey & Company, The Boston Consulting Group, Amazon, Bain & Company, and Microsoft.
Employment data shows that the most popular industries were consulting (33 percent), technology (25 percent), finance (13 percent) and CPG (12 percent). The Kellogg Career Management Center helped students establish relationships with more than 50 technology companies in order to help secure these employment opportunities. Overall, the Career Management Center works with employers to create custom recruiting strategies, forging deep relationships with employers of all sizes, from all industries and regions.
According to our sister site Clear Admit, the 25 percent of Kellogg grads that landed jobs in the technology industry was a school record.
Jeanette Brown writes:
“Amazon hired 32 Kellogg grads, making it the third largest recruiter in 2017, behind only McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). But Amazon was far from the only tech firm to hire at the school. ‘It’s not only the big employers like Amazon, Apple, Google—but the small companies as well, the ones that hire just one to two MBAs,’ explains Liza Kirkpatrick, Senior Director of the full-time MBA program at Kellogg’s Career Management Center. ‘We had over 50 unique tech employers that hired our students this past year, which demonstrates that we really have that depth.’ Kirkpatrick further noted that the types of jobs for which tech firms are hiring Kellogg grads is widely varied, including product management, sales, marketing, business operations, supply chain, product development, and others.”
Kirkpatrick notes that the surge in tech jobs stems from a concerted effort from the business school, which was also reflected in the number of technology industry internships for the Class of 2018.
“‘We started developing relationships in the tech space many years ago,’ acknowledges Kirkpatrick. ‘It has taken a while for firms to recognize that when an MBA comes on board, it really adds value.’ But they certainly have, which can also be seen reflected in the number of tech firms that now take on summer interns. ‘They have really organized themselves to bring on an MBA class as interns as a result,’ Kirkpatrick adds. The most recent employment report reveals that 26 percent of the Class of 2018 interned at technology firms.”
In a press release from the school, Jodi Washington, a Program Manager for the Networking and Security Transformation team, said, “Kellogg’s curriculum builds leaders who are strong analytical thinkers and are confident collaborating across organizations. The Kellogg graduates we hire jump in on day one, but also continue to mature at Cisco.”
2017 statistics/photo courtesy of Northwestern Kellogg.
The statistics show that the number of Kellogg MBAs to accept job offers on the West Coast has also increased (31.4 percent) from last year, a direct correlation to uptick in tech hires. Meanwhile, 30 percent of 2017 MBAs stayed in the Midwest and 33 percent accepted jobs on the East Coast.
You can read more on Kellogg’s latest employment stats and the Clear Admit interview with Kellogg Senior Director of Career Management Liza Kirkpatrick here.
Georgetown McDonough MBA Career Center Releases 2017 Employment Stats
No surprise: Georgetown MBAs are making bank!
According to the most recent employment report from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, the average starting salary for graduates was $112,501, which is a 4 percent increase from the previous year.
“Every year, we deepen our commitment to applying a personalized approach to our students’ job searches, and every year, the results exceed our expectations,” Doreen Amorosa, associate dean and managing director of the MBA Career Center, said. “From the expanded and customized approaches to the job search in the MBA Career Center to curricular offerings like our Executive Challenge, our MBA students are prepared to excel in their careers.”
Additionally, the report stated that the average signing bonus of recent McDonough graduates were $28,516, a 13 percent increase from last year. Job offers accepted within three months of graduation also rose from 90 to 92 percent.
The report provide some addition, equally interesting information. For example, the top four industries of choice for Georgetown McDonough MBAs are financial services (33 percent), consulting (28 percent), technology (13 percent), and non-profit/social impact sector (7 percent).
MBA graduates in the consulting industry are the highest earners among recent McDonough alums, pulling in over $124,000 annually, followed closely by those employed in the healthcare industry, which earned nearly $121,000 per year. In all, McDonough MBA grads included in the report earned lucrative positions at well-known companies, like Amazon, Bank of America, Barclays, Citi Group, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, EY, Google, PwC, and Verizon.
As far as internship data goes, 99 percent of first-year students secured an internship, with 85 percent of those paid positions. The average monthly compensation for internships was $6,501. Perhaps most impressive was that 81 percent of these internships were facilitated by the MBA Career Center, which is up 13 percent from 2016.
The Georgetown McDonough MBA Career Center is home to student organizations, Career Days and Treks, and on and off-campus networking events. The center partners with McDonough School of Business alumni to connect the future business leaders of America with today’s movers and shakers.
“We have invested in numerous strategic initiatives in recent years, including customizable search technologies, alumni mentoring tools, and offerings designed to individualize each student’s career outcomes,” Amorosa added in the press release. “Those, combined with our staff of certified career coaches and career curriculum that begins the summer before students arrive on campus, we equip our students with the strategies and experiences to be successful in their search.”
Our Favorite MBA Recruiters: Facebook
These days, it seems like everyone and their mother is on Facebook—no, really, your mom sent me a friend request last week. Your family vacation looked like a blast! As more and more people subscribe to the undisputed king of social media, Facebook seems to hire more and more MBAs to continue to move the company forward into the future. Continue reading…
Return on Investment: Getting Your Money’s Worth in Washington DC
Earning an MBA is a big commitment in terms of both time and financial resources. Attending school in Washington, D.C. will open students up to a wealth of job and internship opportunities. However, with the cost of living and education in the financial capitals of the US rising at an alarming rate, choosing a school that will leave you with the smallest debt for the best job prospects is paramount to not being saddled with debt for the next 30 years of your life.
Though a price can’t be put on the value of the stellar education and business acumen you’re sure to get in business school, we can certainly try. Below, we’ve worked out the schools that guarantee the best return on investment in Washington DC metro.
Washington DC MBAs That Offer the Best Return on Investment
University of Maryland R.H. Smith School of Business
At the University of Maryland’s R.H. Smith School of Business, students can earn their degree just eight miles from the White House. Tuition at UMD Smith comes to about $47,004 for in-state residents per year and $56,184 for those from out-of-state. Though the business school’s MBA program may not be considered “cheap,” the average starting salary for MBA’s from the class of 2016 was $95,600—nearly double the annual tuition cost for both in and out-of-state students. This incredibly high average starting salary makes Smith well worth the price. In the past, Smith alumni have landed internships and full-time positions at companies like Amazon, Marriott, and Google. Thus far, majority of Smith MBA grads have gone on to pursue careers in marketing or consulting.
According to the recently released Forbes list of the best MBA programs in the U.S., UMD Smith (46th overall) MBA grads now expect a net-gain of $45,000 five years after graduation, when taking into account the average salary increase, cost of the program, and more.
Perdue School of Business—Salisbury University
Though it is closer to Baltimore than DC, Perdue School of Business MBA students are sure to see a significant return on investment for their education. The tuition is only about about $11,760 for in-state residents and $23,850 for out-of-state applicants. Not to mention the average alumni salary is $56,500, which essentially means the average alum sees a significant return on investment in less than a year. The year-long program is delivered in a hybrid format, so students only need to meet on campus one night per week. Students looking for even greater flexibility can also choose to take 100 percent of courses online. Additionally, students who wish to move at a slower pace can take classes part time and choose their own schedules.
Howard University School of Business
The Howard University School of Business MBA program was the first DC university to earn AACSB International accreditation. Annual tuition for the full-time MBA program per year is a reported $33,996. The total for the two-year program comes to around $70,968. Considering U.S. News puts the average MBA starting salary at $91,084, the return on investment is undeniable. Howard also offers a variety of dual degree programs, including JD/MBA, MD/MBA, BSE/MBA, and more. One unique feature of Howard is its Global Trilateral MBA (GTMBA), which gives students international consulting experience in places like China and South Africa.
The Top 5 Reasons Diversity MBA Conferences Should Be on Your Recruiting Calendar
Pictured above: Tuck second-year MBA students Bianca Goins, Sadé Lawrence, and Jodine Gordon.
More than 10,000 MBA students, business school representatives, recruiters, and business executives filled the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia late last month for one of the largest career conferences serving minority professionals. The conference has been around since 1970, but for the first time this year the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) and Prospanica, the association of Hispanic professionals, joined forces to present it. The result was an incredible opportunity for attendees to network with companies and each other, take advantage of career development programming, and interview for and secure job offers from hundreds of companies spanning multiple industries.
Cornell’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management had a group of approximately 55 students attend, a mix of first-year and second-year students, according to Cynthia Saunders-Cheatham, Executive Director of Johnson’s Career Management Center.
“It was double what we have had in recent years, and perhaps the largest attendance we ever had for an MBA diversity conference,” she said. “Having a joint NBMBAA/Prospanica conference, in addition to the Philadelphia location that was driving distance away [from Ithaca, NY, where Johnson is located], helped to drive attendance.” The connections that students made while there have already resulted in multiple job offers, she added.
While securing a job or internship is a primary reason many MBA students choose to attend the National Black/Prospanica conference and others like it, that’s just one of many potential benefits events like this offer. Given that this most recent conference was right here in our hometown of Philadelphia, we went to check things out for ourselves. Through conversations with attendees, school representatives, and recruiters, we’ve compiled the following list of reasons why this year’s crop of applicants should be sure to add diversity MBA conferences to their recruiting calendar next summer and fall.
1. Unparalleled Recruiter Access—Including Many That Don’t Come to Campus
The Career Expo, which took place on the last two days of the five-day National Black/Prospanica conference, filled a cavernous hall in the Convention Center and included booths from close to 300 companies spanning dozens of industries. Among them were coveted post-MBA tech employers like Google and Amazon, consulting industry leaders including Bain & Company and Accenture, and financial services firms such as BlackRock, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley. There was a continuous gaggle at the Google booth, and one of its MBA internship recruiters, Tanya Choudhury, had to resort to wearing a sign by the second day explaining that she’d lost her voice.
Big pharma and healthcare were also well represented, with booths attended by recruiting representatives from drug maker AstraZeneca to medical products and equipment company Zimmer Biomet and many in between. Leading consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms including PepsiCo, General Mills, and Proctor & Gamble were also there, as were oil and gas giants like BP, Chevron, and Exxon.
Morgan Stanley was one of almost 300 exibitors in the conference’s packed Career Expo.
But there were also plenty of organizations that are perhaps less top of mind as potential MBA recruiters—the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Department of State, Teach for America, and USAID, for example—who were just as eager to share how highly they value the MBA skillset. Dozens of leading business schools also had booths, largely to provide support and serve as gathering places for students who were attending, but also with an eye out for promising diverse talent. For example, Roberto Martinez, a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant for Dartmouth College—home to the Tuck School of Business—was eagerly distributing glossy handouts touting the school’s varied career opportunities, commitment to diverse hiring practices, and excellent benefits. “We’re here not only to support students but also to hire more diverse staff to campus,” he said.
For Tuck second-year MBA student Bianca Goins, the breadth of companies at the expo was a big part of the draw. “I wanted a diverse group of companies to look at in a single spot,” she said. “There are so many companies here, and as second-year you can really come and pick and choose the experiences you want to have.”
Tiffany Anderson, a second-year student at Emory’s Goizueta Business School, was also impressed by the sheer number of companies present. A self-proclaimed conference veteran, she also attended National Black last year, as well as conferences presented by the Forté Foundation, the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and JumpStart. “Out of all the diversity conferences, I would certainly say this is the flagship,” she said. “Wow! There are A LOT of companies here,” she recalled thinking to herself as she walked in. More so than last year, before National Black and Prospanica teamed up, she added.
“I have seen the most people—students from many different schools and recruiters from many different functional areas of interest,” she continued. “It seems to be the most diverse in terms of attendees, degree of programming, and companies in attendance. For the majority of people, this is going to be one of the best to attend.” Anderson estimates that there were probably 30 or so Goizueta students there, a mix of first- and second-years.
2. Multiple Touch Points and Opportunities for Face Time
For some students, certainly, the primary purpose in attending the conference is to land a job. Second-year IU Kelley School of Business MBA student Henrique Barbosa, a native of Brazil pursuing travel hospitality, had a simple answer when asked why he was there: “To get a job!” He acknowledged that most of the firms he was interested in only conduct first-round interviews at the conference followed by second-round interviews on site, which lessened the likelihood of his leaving with an offer in hand. “But it would be great if it happened,” he said.
But several other students were less interested in job or internship offers—or even in early round interviews. For Jodine Gordon (Tuck ’18), the biggest factor in her decision to attend was hearing success stories from Tuck grads whose higher-level touch points with conference recruiters later helped them secure offers. “I have a couple companies on my list, but really I just want to meet as many people as possible so they can get to know me and I can get face time,” she said.
Sadé Lawrence, also a second-year student at Tuck, was likewise attracted by the opportunity to get in front of recruiters in person. “For a lot of opportunities you might be interested in, you start online at a website, applying through data base,” she said. “But coming here they now have a face with your name, and there are all kinds of organic connections that can happen,” she added. “It’s kind of amazing that you are able to build connections with people even at such a big conference, but you are. You make contacts and get lots of face time—so much more so than you can blindly through a website,” she continued. “What I have heard more of is people have an interaction with a recruiter here that leads to an interview later—here is more about entering the pipeline.”
Tuck’s Goins has taken the opportunity to network with recruiters who don’t make it to Tuck’s campus, but also those who do. “With every interaction, you are getting a more nuanced understanding of the company and can take that information and use it in subsequent interactions.”
3. Valuable Chances to Network with Peers
Goizueta’s Anderson interned in operations at Google over the summer—an opportunity she got through another diversity conference—and has been offered a full-time position on the tech giant’s Mountain View campus after she graduates. Despite having that full-time offer in hand, attending the conference still made lots of sense.
Kelley School second-year student Luis Vilchez Kupres, a native of Peru, also converted his summer internship—in supply chain operations at Cummins—into a full-time offer. So his reasons for attending the conference were not to get a job. ”I am here to support fellow Kelley first- and second-years and network a little more,” he said. He also gets to reconvene with students from other schools he met at last year’s Prospanica conference. “Often, you connect with somebody and they will help you connect with someone else,” he said. “Networking definitely helps—even among other MBA students.”
Tiffany Anderson, Goizueta MBA ’18, a diversity MBA conference veteran
For the Google-bound Anderson, the value of peer networking can’t be stressed enough. Being able to connect with students from other schools is the part she finds most enjoyable—but it’s also strategic. “When candidates are selecting a school they like to look at the size of the network they are going to get—and that’s great,” she said. “But the way I see it, I don’t have to be at Stanford or Wharton because I have friends at Stanford and Wharton. So in a way that’s kind of my network, too.”
“You have that domino effect,” she continued. If she’s trying to connect with someone at a company where she doesn’t have a contact or her classmates don’t have contacts, she can reach out to a friend at another school to see if there’s someone in their network. “Some might say, ‘Well, they’re a peer, they’re not an employer, they’re not going to get me a job.’ But there is so much more benefit to expanding your network. I don’t think everyone understands that.”
Of course, peer networking can be a two-way street. “My motivation to expand my network comes from wanting to help others as well,” Anderson said. “When you are part of these diversity networks, one of the great things is you are going to have a friend who says, ‘Do you know someone who can help me with this?’ And I can say, ‘Well, I met someone at a conference who does that very thing and I’m happy to put y’all in touch.’”
Wharton Professor Barbara Kahn Examines Walmart/Google Partnership
Wharton School marketing professor Barbara Kahn shared her insight on the brand new partnership between Walmart and Google on Wharton Business Radio. Kahn was generally positive about the partnership, asserting that it was necessary for Walmart to acquire a tech platform to keep up with online competitors like Amazon.
“People feel competing against Amazon is a very tough proposition, and I want to see competition there,” Kahn said. She was optimistic about the partnership, particularly because Walmart is committed to having a multitude of items available for voice shopping with Google Assistant. According to Kahn, “The firm that owns the shopping list is the firm that has a big advantage…In the future, as the home becomes more connected and people become more used to talking to Alexa or Siri in building their shopping lists, you really need to be in that game. It’s forward thinking.”
Kahn debated with Mark A. Cohen, Director of Retail Studies at Columbia Business School, who favored a much less hopeful outcome for the partnership.
“It is a positive step, but it’s a baby step that I would say doesn’t necessarily lead anywhere,” Cohen said, “The intersection of Walmart’s customer base and Google’s users is so small that this is likely to be insignificant.” Cohen also mentioned that Google Express in itself has yet to develop a sizable customer base, so may not be particularly useful in helping Walmart compete with online platforms.
As far as increasing e-commerce sales, Walmart has been steadily improving its track record. In fact, the company posted a 60 percent growth in this area for the July-ending quarter. This trend is due to its recent purchases of online retailers like Jet.com.
Though Kahn agreed with some of Cohen’s concerns about the partnership, she held that Walmart’s prices can compete with Amazon’s, and there are a considerable number of people who are shopping using platforms like Google Assistant.
