Nov 29, 2012

CDO Insights: Recruiting support for off-campus recruiting and for international students

By Alice L. – T’14

One-third of our class is international and the Career Development Office (CDO) provides additional support for these students throughout the recruiting process:

• Bidding: A portion of interview slots for internship campus recruiting are to bidding using a points system. This provides an excellent opportunity to interview with companies of interest without having any prior relevant experience.
• The CDO hired Mathias Machado, who grew up in Germany and Latin America, to focus on training and support for international students. Some of his workshops include navigating alumni networks and phone conversations as an international student, as well as cover letter and resume reviews.
• An ESL language program is set up in preparation for interviews
• The CDO pushes recruiters to be open to all students and allows everyone to apply to all jobs
• International treks to HK, London and Singapore
• International alumni boards – currently one in Europe and one in Latin America – that help students from these regions get jobs. One is in the process of being set up in Asia.
• Stephen Pidgeon in the CDO is from Europe and is able to provide additional insight into this region
• The CDO is constantly working hard to connect students to more international opportunities

Although many Tuckies get their jobs through the formal on-campus recruiting process, many others do so through off-campus searches. The CDO also offers many resources for students taking this approach:

• Helps students get comfortable with networking and being able and willing to reach out to second years for advice
• Support in reaching out to alumni network database – CDO has expansive knowledge of people to connect to (either who have a desired job or have gone through something similar)
• CDO counselors are set up based on industries (some of which are more off-campus focused). Some industries represented include real estate, private equity, social enterprise, healthcare, investment banking, technology and consulting
• Helps pull all of Tuck’s resources to help with career search (ie. The Center for Business and Society, The Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship)
• On campus activities that help fund  off-campus internships (Tuck Gives, Maynard Entrepreneurship internship program)
• Interview forums – consortium of other schools in SF and Boston. In the spring, treks that bring students off-campus to explore jobs in these regions.
• Student-led treks – we have 16 planned for this year --  including Tech trek to San Francisco, General Management trek to Minneapolis, West Coast Trek, Marketing trek to NYC & Boston, Consulting trek to Boston, London Trek