Words of Advice
Every year a new crop of students starts the MBA program at Yale SOM. Every year these new students have to figure out how to balance academics, leadership development, clubs, and the career search. Fortunately, they have the benefit of hearing from those who’ve been there before.
During Career Immersion on August 22, more than 70 SOM alumni returned to campus to give advice to neophyte students about how to make the most of their two years at Yale. They represented industries including investment banking, entrepreneurship, consumer products, energy, media, and consulting, among others. Below are a few words of advice overheard at the 2014 event.
Dorothy Sandberg '12, Becton, Dickinson & Company; Carolyn McLean '10,
Standard & Poor's Rating Services; and Harsh Gupta '13, Citi Consumer Banking
On the Full SOM Experience:
"Enjoy your whole experience at SOM. Join the hockey team or whatever other clubs you're interested in. That's a part of the MBA experience where there’s no risk. Work on a conference, too. Don't just look for things to build a resume, but also do things that will build you and are going to be fun. Take advantage of all of the opportunities presented to you." – Carolyn McLean '10, Associate Director, Standard & Poor’s Rating Services
On Building a Toolkit for Any Industry:
"The toolset you’ll leave here with is phenomenal and I'd argue unparalleled by other business schools. You're going to start your career with an ability to look at problems in different ways than a lot of other MBAs from other schools because you'll just be a little more well-rounded. You can apply that skill that you acquire here to finance." – Dorothy Sandberg '12, Senior Financial Analyst, Becton, Dickinson & Company
On Internships in Consulting:
"It’s a bit of an audition, but the expectation is that you will be a full-on part of the team from day one. You should be ready to contribute and the bar is high. It’s not like anyone can get an internship at a consulting firm, but the expectation is once you’re there, you belong there and you will have as much responsibility as you can handle." – Michael Lazar '13, Consultant, McKinsey & Company
On Consulting as a Profession:
"Talk to as many as people as you can before getting into consulting. Talk to alumni like us, because it's a small community and it's about getting a good fit. It's a relationship-building process, so invest the time in building those connections." – John Metz '11, Deloitte Consulting
View more photos from Career Immersion.