MBA Recruiter Interview: FedEx

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While many people might think of FedEx as one company, it’s actually made up of several companies including FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Services. Its FedEx Express unit is the world’s largest express transportation provider, delivering about 3.5 million packages to over 220 countries on a daily basis.  

While FedEx employs almost 400,000 people, its director of human resources, compensation and recruitment, JT Schneider, says the company also has the kind of close-knit work environment you find at small businesses. In this interview, Schneider discusses the variety of job roles FedEx has to offer MBAs as well as what the company looks for when hiring business school graduates.

What are some common job roles for MBAs at FedEx?

With an MBA degree there are a wide range of possibilities at FedEx! Some of our typical career paths include: Sales; marketing; IT; corporate security; legal; and finance functions including tax, treasury, accounting, audit and investor relations. While the aforementioned are broad functional areas, we are always seeking highly skilled and talented MBA students in emerging skillset areas, such as cyber security, digital marketing, revenue science, systems architecture, decision science and data analytics.

What do you look for when evaluating a candidate’s résumé and work experience?

We look for roles and responsibilities the MBA candidates have held in previous positions along with leadership experience held at any level. If an MBA candidate does not have salary or exempt-level work experience, that is okay! We will look for relevant courses and project work from their graduate school experience.  

Do MBAs need to have an operations background in order to work for FedEx?

Not at all. We hire MBAs for many different roles at FedEx and operations is just one of the many facets to our global organization.

Could you please provide an overview of FedEx’s MBA recruitment and hiring process?

FedEx recruits across the globe for well-qualified MBA students and graduates. We have numerous FedEx offices across the US and recruit for all positions accordingly. You will find us participating in many of the largest career fair conferences such as People Living with Disabilities, National Black MBA, military events such as Hiring our Heroes, college and university events, business associations and outreach programs within our communities.

Which business schools does FedEx recruit from?

We do not set out to recruit from specific business schools for our positions. However, FedEx has had great success in hiring from various MBA programs. We are always open and looking for new and innovative ways to advance our partnerships with colleges and universities nationwide.

What steps should MBAs take in order to make a good impression? Conversely, what are some common mistakes MBAs should avoid when contacting recruiters?

To make a good impression, we recommend researching and knowing as much about the positions and companies you are most interested in. Ask good questions to evaluate whether it’s a good match in terms of core values and career opportunities. We welcome and encourage questions concerning our benefits, growth and learning opportunities, our many locations, community involvement and our company culture. 

On the other hand, some common mistakes are when candidates don’t openly share what they are looking for with their recruiter or are not open to exploring all opportunities within the company. It may be that the position that they were originally interested in isn’t the best fit. If the recruiter has a realistic and honest view as to what the candidate wants and is passionate about, they can best direct them to the opportunities that are most suitable.

What does FedEx expect from its new hires? What can they do to increase their chances for advancement down the road?

FedEx expects new hires to become fully immersed in our culture by doing the very best that they can to be open and engaged with their leadership and teams to deliver the best work product possible. We encourage taking advantage of all growth and learning opportunities as well as being open to new challenges and professional experiences that will increase chances for advancement down the road.

What are some of the top reasons MBAs choose to work at FedEx?

We want potential MBA applicants to know that our team members come first. By putting our people first in all we do, we strengthen our commitment to connect customers and possibilities.

What are the biggest misconceptions MBAs have about working at FedEx?

The biggest misconception is that FedEx is one company. Many candidates that we engage with only see the planes and trucks. We actually have several different operating companies – FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight and FedEx Services. We have a great deal to offer in the way of progressive and innovative career opportunities across all our operating companies. We are consistently recognized as one of the most admired companies in the world. Some of our recent accolades include – Fortune 'World’s Most Admired Companies' (2016, global), Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s '100 Best Corporate Citizens' (2016, US-wide), the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s 'America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises' (2016, US-wide), and Black Enterprise’s '40 Best Companies for Diversity' (2015, US-wide).

Is there anything I did not ask about that you think MBAs should know before applying to jobs at FedEx?

While FedEx has the reach of a major global corporation, we have the closeness of a small business. At FedEx, we care about our team members and the communities in which we live and operate. We would also highlight that FedEx has an environment that provides MBAs opportunities that will utilize their critical thinking skills as well as challenge them to solve complex problems.