MBA Careers Q&A: Texas A&M’s Mays Business School

Student preparation for the post-MBA career search at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School begins early with “an online career prep course in the summer before students enroll,” says Kim Austin, director of the school’s Career Management Center.

In this interview Q&A, Austin also explains that her team’s outreach extends beyond graduation in the shape of an “alumni mentoring platform” which allows the school’s alumni and current students to connect. Find out more about the ways in which the careers center at Mays seeks to help its MBAs achieve their career ambitions below!

When do on-campus corporate recruitment events and interviews typically take place at Mays Business School?

Fall (autumn) semester recruiting events occur between September and November, while spring semester events happen between January and March.

Are there particular skills that career services helps students to accentuate during job fairs and recruiting?

Personal brand messaging and communicating value proposition to employers (are two areas we focus on in our work with students).

How does the career center help MBA students prepare for recruitment events? In what ways does the career center help match students with companies that will be a good cultural fit for them?

We offer an online career prep course in the summer before students enroll in our program. We also have designated career prep days during orientation. In the fall semester of the first year of the MBA, we have mandated ‘career core’ programming for students that is designed to prepare them for the job search. The ‘career core’ includes sessions on researching companies/employers and identifying fit with a student’s interests and values.

Are there any new companies recruiting on campus? Have you seen a change in industries?

Yes, we have several new companies recruiting our MBAs. In particular, we see more interest from companies in the technology industry than in the past. (Editor’s note: 40% of graduates in 2015 joined firms in the technology industry, according to Mays’ latest MBA employment statistics, with HP and Dell listed among its list of top recruiters.)

Are there any changes to the way in which companies are recruiting?

We have seen a slight increase in virtual information sessions.

What kind of contact does Mays' career center have with MBAs after they graduate?

We provide some career services to alumni. We also utilize an alumni mentoring platform where alumni and current students can connect. This has been effective and popular with both students and alumni.