By Rob Schickler
Rob Schickler
With most, if not all, MBA recruiting activities moving from an in-person to a virtual online format, recruitment this fall is going to look a little different than in years past. The good news is that this may give candidates even more opportunities to interact with school recruiters, since you won’t be limited to in-person events being held in your area. Here are some tips on how to be successful in this new virtual recruiting world.
Know what’s happening when.
The first step is to be aware of what virtual recruitment opportunities are happening and when. Schools will be hosting lots of events that will be specific just to their program(s), but many of us also participate in other groups, such as Inside the MBA or the Forté Foundation, that will host fairs with multiple schools in attendance. For any school(s) that you are interested in, you should go ahead and create a profile through their website or at least request information from them so you can get on their e-mail lists. Since most virtual events will not be city-specific this year, schools won’t be able to do as much targeted advertising to applicants about fairs in their hometowns. Instead, we will be sending more general e-mails to all candidates, regardless of their geography, about virtual events. It will be more important than ever to get listings from schools of all the dates and times that organizations are hosting events, then pick the specific date and time from the list that work best for you.
Do your homework.
When you register for a multi-school event, the website should list all the schools that will have representatives participating. Take a minute to read through that list, identify a few that you would like to interact with, and at least do some basic research on them, such as perusing their website. I am continually surprised at how many candidates would show up at in-person events knowing almost nothing about the schools in attendance or sometimes even what an MBA is. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with using fairs to do information gathering, it is also a missed opportunity to get valuable face time with recruiters. Candidates who demonstrate some level of knowledge of our program and ask insightful questions leave a hugely positive first impression that gets their candidacy off on the right foot.
Think about appearances.
Speaking of first impressions, you should treat participating in a virtual recruitment event the same as you would an in-person event, meaning you should think about your appearance and wardrobe. You can’t go wrong with business casual: a collared-shirt or nice blouse, maybe a blazer — and definitely wear pants. Ties aren’t necessary, though men should wear one for formal admission interviews. It’s perfectly fine to be joining the videoconference from home, but try to position your camera so there isn’t a lot behind you that will be distracting. Find a room with good light that will be quiet, and try to avoid having roommates, family members, or pets walking back and forth in the background as much as possible.
Get comfortable with the technology.
Most people know the protocol for an in-person MBA fair: you either wait until no other candidates are at the school’s table before you approach the recruiter, or you wait your turn in line for one-on-one time with the representative. Sometimes, if there is a crowd, the recruiter may open the circle up and speak to several candidates at once. This last option is how most virtual recruiting fairs are going to function.
Depending on the event, there may be some individual school presentations or panels at the beginning. Just like in-person events, however, the main activity is going to be the school fair. Depending on the platform (whether Zoom or Pathable or something else), candidates will have the opportunity to hop in and out of as many schools’ breakout rooms as they want or as time allows.
When you enter the school’s room, people will probably already be talking. Schools will likely have an admissions representative there, an alum or two, and perhaps a staff member from their career services or student programs offices. It’s perfectly okay to listen to the conversation for a while until there is a pause and a chance for you to ask any questions you may have. It would be a nice touch to briefly say your name and maybe where you’re joining from, but you probably don’t want to give your whole elevator pitch. Likewise, it’s okay to ask a question that may be specific to you (though remember everyone else will be able to hear it!), but try to ask about things that may be of interest to other candidates in the room. Very personal information should be discussed one-on-one directly with your recruiting manager or admissions counselor at another time. When you are ready to leave, wait for a break, then thank the reps for their time, and leave the room. Recruiters expect that candidates will be popping in and out of their rooms throughout the event, so don’t feel like you have the stay in one room the whole time or that you can’t join a room after the start time.
I know that I, and probably most other student recruiters, are disappointed not to be able to travel this fall to meet you in person. However, we look forward to meeting you virtually instead! Take advantage of the increased number of opportunities to interact with school representatives virtually, and be sure to talk to schools that may not have initially made your list: you never know when and where you might find the business school that’s perfect for you.