Job hunt turns hot as companies invade campus

Autumn is a good season for senior egos. With prestigious companies like Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, and Proctor & Gamble staging elaborate recruiting sessions at settings like the Colony Inn and the Graduate Club, fourth-year Yalies can't help feeling in great demand.

Yet these presentations are more than just information sessions. Behind the scenes, both recruiters and students try to impress each other--and determine if they have found a compatible match.

"The only way to get a sense of a firm's culture is to meet the people who work there and get a sense of what they're like," Jay Philip, BR '98, said. Philip interned for McKinsey & Company last summer and has already received a job offer from them for next year. "There are many consulting firms, but what distinguishes them is their culture," he said.

Meanwhile, recruiters try to gauge students' personalities. According to Taimur Khan, TC '97, who now does the recruiting for the Mitchell Madison Group, personal impressions are very important in the application process. As a business analyst for the Mitchell Madison Group, he returned to Yale on Wed., Oct. 8, to recruit for his new employer.

"If I were looking through 50 resumés and I remembered meeting [one of the applicants] at the presentation, I'd get a better sense of what they're like," Khan explained. "You don't have to try to impress the recruiters with your resumé--just talk to them."

Many Yale graduates who are now employed at these firms say they gained important insights from these sessions. Michelle Baden, MC '97, is another Mitchell Madison Group business analyst. The most important feature of the company, she learned from its presentation, was its straightforward attitude. "They were honest about what the company was like," she recalled. "They admitted they were a bit disorganized, because they had just been formed three years ago by partners who had left McKinsey & Co."

The recruiting sessions typically follow a standard pattern. They begin with an introduction to the history of the firm and its industry, and then proceed to describe the positions it has to offer, and the firm's criteria in selecting its employees. Usually, Yale alumni who work for the company also speak about what they have gained from their work experiences so far. At the end of the presentation, the applicants are invited to speak with alumni and recruiters one-on-one.

With the economy humming at a healthy rate, Yalies have been attending the sessions in droves. Some, like Damien Forbes, TC '99, are using this time to plan their job searches well in advance. "I'm attending the presentations to compare the companies and find out which ones I fit best with," Forbes explained. "I'm trying to find out what they have to offer and what they're all about."

Recruiters state that they encourage Yalies from a wide variety of disciplines to apply for positions. "[The companies] are looking for motivated, bright people who are interested in the company and in the industry," Khan said. "I don't think they're looking for something specific, like an economics or electrical engineering background."

McKinsey & Company states that the most important characteristics it looks for in applicants are "a high level of academic achievement, strong interpersonal and com-munication skills, a demonstrated record of teamwork and leadership, and a high level of drive and intellectual curiosity."

The next step for prospective job applicants is to start submitting resumés and cover letters--but for now, many seniors are still considering whether they are ready to dive into the professional world next year. Sagar Kabadia, JE '98, attended the McKinsey & Company presentation, but still is not sure whether he wants to apply for a job after graduation. "I came to the presentation to see if I'm interested," Kabadia explained. "I just want to make sure there isn't an option I haven't looked at."

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