Advice for MBA Applicants from a Recruiter’s Point of View

Use it! What is your social media footprint? Google yourself. As a recruiter, I can guarantee that I will view your various social media profiles. I will look to see what pictures you posted on Facebook. I will Google your name to see what search results are revealed. Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Is your profile 100% complete? Have you joined any LinkedIn groups? Do you actively participate in those groups? Do you have a Twitter account? What types of things do you tweet? Your social media activity follows you. I can’t stress enough – be mindful of what you post on social media.

You’ve heard it before – you are the CEO of ‘Brand You’. In today’s job landscape, it is imperative that you possess a strong personal brand. Creating that personal brand requires time and self-reflection. At this point, as an MBA applicant, you might be asking yourself what should be included in your personal brand statement. Imagine that you are a quilter assembling a quilt. A quilter has to gather patches of material and then stitch them together to create a finished tapestry. In many ways, you follow the same process to compose your brand statement.

Allow me to give you some points or patches of material to use. What are your strengths? Review past performance appraisals for ideas. What are your passions? Reflect on the things that are important to you – your values. What are your goals? It doesn’t stop with the mere creation of the statement. You must be able to articulate your personal brand statement to others…especially to a recruiter or hiring manager during an interview.

It is not a level playing field in the job market. Your MBA degree is just a small component of the total picture. Having an MBA degree does not unlock the door to guaranteed employment. Nor does it mean that you will earn a six-figure income. Job market competition is very real. You’re competing with a diverse population. The job market is full of people with bachelor’s degrees and lots of experience as well as those who hold PhDs. You can pick up any news periodical and read about the number of people that are either unemployed or underemployed. Take nothing for granted.

During an interview, it is crucial that you express your uniqueness. For any one position, I could receive up to 300 résumés. You must be able to sell yourself as an MBA applicant. I want to know what differentiates you from the other applicants. At the end of the day, I need to know why my company should hire you.

As a recruiter, I give higher marks to those applicants who have the ability to demonstrate their uniqueness throughout the interview. When conducting telephone screenings/interviews, there is nothing more boring than listening to MBA applicants who give the same canned, almost scripted responses. Be creative. Be prepared for behavioral questions. Practice answering questions using the STAR method – situation, task, action and result. Think outside the box. Show enthusiasm, especially about the position and the company. Take the time to research the company. I am still surprised at the number of MBA candidates who do not adequately research the company. Spend some time learning about the culture of the company. It is the ultimate win-win scenario when you and the company gel together.

About Starla Trigg

Starla holds a MBA degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.  She has spent her career working in various capacities for Fortune 250 companies.  In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering, learning new things, and playing golf.