Career Services Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. What career resources are available for 1st Year MBA students? The Smith School Office of Career Services (OCS) provides students with direct access to job opportunities, corporate presentations, and a variety of career management venues accessible via HireSmith, our on‐line jobs database. Some OCS resources include the following:  HireSmith Online Recruiting System – This system enables students to post resumes for recruiters, gather information about job/internship opportunities, and register for information sessions and other recruiting events, and provides links to job sites and research guides  Career Assessments ‐‐ Assessments provide a focus for career exploration and development of a more strategic job search plan  Professional Career Management Workshops – These include a variety of sessions from “branding” yourself to effective negotiation skills and will help you improve and develop effective search strategies  On‐Site Career Coaching ‐‐ Students will receive on‐on‐one coaching from industry advisors who will work with you to refine and implement personalized, appropriate and realistic job search strategies  International Workshops – Workshops provide practical information and materials on how to find a job, write a resume and cover letter, how to prepare for a job interview, and business communication protocol  Career Day Panel – Industry professionals provide insight on how to become more competitive in the marketplace as they share current issues impacting their industry and offer insight into how to effectively leveraged the MBA  Student Ambassadorships ‐‐ This is an opportunity for students to assist employers during corporate presentation that provides an excellent opportunity for professional networking  Career Management Seminar ‐‐ Changing careers involves a customized action plan. This career seminar is critical as it covers effective communication skills, job search skills, résumé writing, interviewing skills, and how to leverage a successful network. This seminar will be facilitated by industry professionals.  McCandlish Holton International Law Firm ‐‐ International students can take advantage of Smith’s partnership with a top law firm with experienced immigration attorneys. McCandlish Holton’s complimentary services include consultation with employers regarding all aspects of the sponsorship process, case‐by‐case visa assessments, and advice/materials on immigration issues for students.  OCS Online Career Newsletters – These newsletters contain relevant articles for your career preparation and career search, as well as information on upcoming networking events.  Online Resource Guides – These guides assist students in researching industries, functions, companies, labor market information, and salaries  Video Conference Interviews – This interview mode is available for employers who limited travel dates for on‐
campus meetings. This service is especially beneficial for employers recruiting internationally or long‐distance within the US.  Video‐taped Mock Interviews – These interviews provide an opportunity to develop/enhance interview skills and attributes essential to MBA level positions and receive feedback and a plan of action for success  Smith Centers of Excellence – Our centers of excellence support research and provide a professional forum for exchange between the academic and corporate community 1 of 6 
Smith Student Clubs – Student clubs include industry, affinity, and social groups. Activities organized by speakers from industries, conferences, career treks by industry, and social events. You decide the level of involvement that will enhance your professional and personal development How do I research companies? 2.
For research prior to entering Smith, web sites that are useful for researching companies and industries include vault.com, wetfeet.com, glassdoor.com, hoovers.com, and linkedin.com. Company web sites and current or former employees are also good sources of information. At MBA orientation, you will be granted subscription‐level access to several online research databases including several of the ones listed above to help you conduct additional, more in‐depth research as you are going through the internship search and interview process. 3. What do I need to do to get ready for MBA Career Conferences? Almost immediately upon your arrival at the Smith School, career conference season begins. On August 31, 2010 the Office of Career Services will conduct a session on the schedule of conferences, the value of attending conferences, what you can expect at conferences, and how to prepare for conferences. Conferences that you should be aware of and should begin researching and consider registering for are:  Asian MBA Conference – New York, New York – August 26‐28, 2010  National Black MBA Conference – Los Angeles, California – September 21‐25, 2010  National Association of Women MBA Conference – Louisville, Kentucky – October 1‐2, 2010  National Society of Hispanic MBA Conference – Chicago, Illinois – October 21‐23, 2010  Net Impact Conference – Ann Arbor, Michigan – October 29‐30, 2010 Industry Advisors will be on hand at these conferences to provide career advising and mock interview support as you interact with employers in attendance. Your goals for the career fair should be to secure:  Invitations to interview  Invitations to employer networking events  A list of employer contacts both within human resources and your functional area To effectively meet your goals and make the most of your conference attendance, you will need to register now for the conference(s), identify your target companies, and submit your resume one month in advance of each conference. Resume submissions are facilitated online via each conference’s job match database. 4. When should I begin applying for my summer internship? It is important for first‐year MBA students to be ready to participate in the recruiting process immediately upon arriving at the Smith School. MBA corporate presentations and on‐campus interviews begin August 25, and many companies will be recruiting for Summer 2011 MBA interns in the first semester. Students should plan to attend as many corporate presentations as possible to learn about companies and make networking contacts. In addition, MBA Career Quest, the Mid‐Atlantic Region’s largest recurring career fair will take place on the University of Maryland campus on Friday, October 8. MBA Career Quest is an important opportunity to learn about companies, speak with employers, and drop resumes. On‐campus recruiting for summer internships will continue in the second semester, however please bear in mind that some companies will only come to recruit at campus once in the fall. 5. How many students get their internships through the school versus other sources? Approximately 60% of internships and full‐time employment are secured via on campus recruiting and job postings on HireSmith. 2 of 6 6.
How do I go about getting an internship or full‐time employment with an employer who doesn’t recruit at the Smith School? Leverage personal and professional networks, social media like LinkedIn, career conferences and fairs, SmithConnector, and the Smith part‐time and executive MBA populations. In addition, many of the Smith School clubs organize treks to various cities to connect with employers. Get connected with these organizations and plan to participate in the treks. Finally, explore the list of leadership development programs available on Networth and apply directly via employer web sites. 7. How do I determine what electives I should take to better position myself for an internship? The Masters Program Office (MPO) has academic advisors on staff to assist in elective and selective course selection. Seek out a faculty member within your industry or functional area of choice to mentor you and provide guidance on course selection. Finally, seek out second‐year MBA students with similar post MBA career objectives to provide perspective on their course selection. 8. I am interested in several industries and functional areas. How do I tailor my resume to address my various interests and which industry advisor should I select as my coach? Just as a cover letter should be tailored to address the specific requirements of an employer, a resume should be tailored to address specific industries and/or functional areas. Thus, students will need to create a tailored resume for each industry and/or functional area of interest. Students are allowed to upload as many as ten career documents (including resumes and cover letters) into HireSmith. However keep in mind that students can only establish one resume as the default resume. Students will be assigned an industry advisor based on the primary industry/functional area of interest. During the first term, this advisor will work with you to establish a baseline in terms of the resume and interview preparation. However, students are welcome to schedule advising appointments with any industry advisor to explore multiple areas of interest. 9. What if I have not chosen an MBA focus yet? What should I do to facilitate this decision? Start with functional and industry research and then complete assessments provided by the Office of Career Services to evaluate your interests and strengths. Once you narrow the search down join the appropriate clubs and speak to 2nd year students, faculty and career advisors in the desired field. 10. What advice do you have for career transitioners? How would you recommend I go about the internship search to get the experience needed to be attractive to an employer post graduation? Many leverage the MBA to transition from one career path to another. However, more work is involved to secure internships and full‐time employment relative to those who plan to continue within the same industry or functional area. For transitioners, it is important to leverage Smith School student clubs, centers of excellence and funds to gain knowledge of a new industry or functional area, to acquire experience while pursuing academics and to network. The centers of excellence and funds are excellence sources of experiential learning. Eighty five percent of our MBA students pursue and secure positions in finance, management consulting and marketing. Clubs, centers of excellence and fund recommendations follow for these areas as well as for those interested in entrepreneurship, nonprofits, supply chain and technology. Get involved. Focus Area Clubs Centers of Excellence Funds Consulting  Consulting Club  Center for Complexity in Business  New Markets  Energy Club  Center for Excellence in Service Growth Fund  Healthcare Business  Center for Health and Information Association Decision Systems (CHIDS) 3 of 6 Focus Area Clubs  Supply Chain & Operations Club Finance  Finance Association  Private Wealth Management Club Entrepreneurship  Entrepreneur’s Club Marketing  Graduate Marketing Association Nonprofit / Social Value  Net Impact Supply Chain & Operations  Supply Chain & Operations Club Technology Centers of Excellence  Center for Human Capital, Innovation, and Technology (HCIT)  Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)  Center for Social Value Creation  Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship  Center for Complexity in Business  Center for Financial Policy  Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)  Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship  Center for Complexity in Business  Center for Excellence in Service  Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)  Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship  Center for Complexity in Business  Center for Excellence in Service  Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)  Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship  Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)  Center for Social Value Creation  Center for Complexity in Business  Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)  Supply Chain Management Center  Center for Complexity in Business  Center for Digital Thought and Strategy (DIGITS)  Center for Excellence in Service  Center for Human Capital, Innovation, and Technology (HCIT)  Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) Funds  Mayer Fund  New Markets Growth Fund  New Markets Growth Fund Note that these are merely recommendations. You will need to assess what makes sense for you based on your career objectives and interests. In addition to the above listed clubs, build your personal and professional network via affinity clubs like Asian MBA Association, Black MBA Association, Hispanic MBA Association, International MBA Association, Jewish MBA Association, and Smith Association of Women MBAs. These organizations host programs throughout the year that can connect you to employers. 11. What are CareerLeader, DISC and Social Skills Inventory CareerLeader® is an online comprehensive career assessment tool, which was developed at Harvard Business School by Peregrine Partners. This assessment generates your unique profile, guides your future career exploration and goal‐setting, and is a widely recognized tool among business school admissions and career offices. CareerLeader measures your interests, your abilities and what you find most motivating in work. 4 of 6 As soon as you complete the assessment, CareerLeader® instantly provides a customized professional report which contains all the relevant findings from your assessment and is unique to you. An overview of how this relates to interviewing, industry selection, etc. will be presented during orientation by one of the Career Leader founders. The report will reveal the following:  strongest interests, and their implications for your career  preferred organizational culture  most highly valued motivators  greatest strengths and weaknesses  personality characteristics and their implications for what you should consider while on the job and during a job search The DISC is an on‐line assessment of your interpersonal style. This assessment provides a comprehensive, personalized report that details your personality type which will help you understand your interactions in the workplace and can be used to help guide you as you explore your career options. DISC is also used by a variety many companies, human resource professionals, consultants and organizations. You will receive a more in‐depth review at orientation. DISC is an acronym for:  Dominance – relating to control, power and assertiveness  Influence – relating to social situations and communication  Steadiness ‐ relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness  Conscientiousness ‐ relating to structure and organization The Social Skills Inventory is an on‐line assessment that measures social skills that underlie social and emotional competence (often called “emotional intelligence”). It evaluates verbal and non‐verbal communication skills and identifies strengths and developmental opportunities. 12. Where can I find current employment statistics? Data for the Class of 2010 will be published after September 30. Data for the Class of 2009 can be found on our career website at: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/career/students/grad/stats.aspx 13. Where can I find the list of companies that recruit at the Smith School? Smith MBA students have accepted positions in a variety of industries including consulting, media, CPG at companies such as Kraft, JP Morgan Chase, IBM, Procter & Gamble, and AOL. Data for the Class of 2010 will be published after September 30. Data for the Class of 2009 can be found on our career website at: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/career/students/grad/stats.aspx 14. What career development and employment assistance is available for international students? The Office of Career Management offers career workshops and job search seminars designed for international students. Career Consultants assist with developing individual career marketing plans and job search strategies. A database of companies who frequently hire international students is also available to students as well as McCandlish Holton Immigration Law Firm, Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), and student clubs. Additional information regarding McCandlish Holton is available on Networth. 5 of 6 15. I don’t have permanent work authorization in the U.S. How will this affect my search for a job in the U.S.? Companies can request that job opportunities and interview schedules are open only to students with permanent work authorization. For summer internships, companies need not sponsor visas because all students are covered for summer work in the U.S. But companies can still request that only candidates with permanent work authorization apply in the summer, since they may be considering your summer internship as a long interview for a career position. Still, many international students have been successful at obtaining offers from companies with these barriers, and they have used resources available to them, such as targeted workshops, international student clubs, and fellow classmates and alumni. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) created Curricular Practical Training (CPT) so that students may participate in off‐campus training program in their field of study. In general, students may work part‐
time (20 hours or less per week) during the semester, and full‐time (more than 20 hours per week) during vacation periods. This is generally the 40 hour /week summer internship. Students who want to participate in CPT must be enrolled full‐time during the semester. Internships do not count toward full‐time enrollment CPT is related to a student’s course of study. Therefore, the USCIS requires that students have an academic component. The campus UNIV 099 course, sponsored by the main campus career center, fulfills this academic requirement. Additional information regarding CPT is available via Networth. Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment authorization that allows F‐1 students to gain practical work experience on or off‐campus by applying their academic knowledge to a position directly related to their area of study. Students may participate in OPT before and/or after completing their program of study and may work for one or more employers, change employers, or look for employment for up to 90 days during the training period. Additionally, a job offer is not necessary to apply for OPT. OPT is limited to 12 months per degree level. Some exceptions apply. OPT is obtained through the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). Additional information regarding OPT is available via Networth. 16. How do I start building my professional network? There are a number of sources that should get you started including your friends, family, coworker, classmates and alumni. Make a list of people you know their contact information and areas of focus. Discuss your career aspirations with friends and family and ask if they can provide information/contacts that might be helpful in your career search. Join clubs and other organizations to expand your network. Never stop networking. 17. How do I look for alumni? How do I contact them (phone/ e‐mail)? SmithConnector (http://www.smithconnector.com) and LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com) are web‐based resources to get you started. Initial contact should be by e‐mail. Introduce yourself and state your intentions (i.e., 20 minute phone call, informational interview, or meeting). 6 of 6