Your Future Career: On Campus Recruiting with Kang Yu

WHY FOSTER?

I attended the University of Washington for my undergraduate degree and therefore knew the level of education that the school provides its students. I wanted to stay in Seattle (family/friends, job, economic growth) for my MBA and Foster is known for having the best program in town (totally unbiased opinion, check the rankings). Upon graduation, I realized that Foster was a great return on investment because salaries for MBA jobs are independent of tuition paid. While the cost of attending Foster may seem high on its own, it is still a fraction of the cost of attending programs comparable to Foster in standing.

What was your professional role before you came to FOSTER, and what is your current role?

My undergraduate degree was in engineering; I held various “engineering” roles prior to Foster. I leveraged my MBA to pivot out of engineering and am currently a Product Manager at Philips Healthcare, which the company considers a marketing function.

Why did you choose to participate in On-Campus Recruiting (OCR)?

OCR is the best avenue to gain visibility and apply to jobs that are specifically looking to leverage your newly gained MBA skillset, which will pay the salary on par to do so.

Why do you consider OCR to be a valuable tool for Evening MBA students? 

OCR gives Evening MBA students visibility to the potential opportunities that await them post-MBA. Evening MBA students can get into the routine of work and school… school and work…just trying to make it past the finish line, that they potentially lose sight of why they are pursuing an MBA in the first place. By emphasizing post MBA career potential opportunities, OCR also offers motivation to keep going on in the program.

Where does FOSTER rank for you? Find the top MBA programs that best match your priorities using business school rankings data from U.S. News & World Report, Businessweek, Financial Times and Forbes via the MBA Rankings CalculatorTM 

What about the experience challenged you?

The MBA job interview process is more intense than any other job interview I had gone through previously in my career. I realized probably in my first mock interview that I was not prepared for the level of questioning and level of response to be expected on an MBA interview. The MBA interview is a skill set that students need to practice, develop, and perfect.

What surprised you most about the process?

You will receive many more rejections than job offers. From my experience, companies give out offers to 20-25% of applicants. Which means that as an applicant, you will be rejected by at least ¾ of the jobs you apply to. So, get used to rejection, be prepared for rejection, but don’t take it personally. Know that if you are rejected, you are still in the majority. Then keep calm and apply on.

How did FOSTER prepare you for the role you have now?

I spent countless hours in the Career Services Office in preparation for On-Campus Recruiting. I went through numerous revisions of my resume, followed by numerous mock interviews with the staff. I also did interview prep with my peers, including weekly sessions going through practice case interview questions.

What advice do you have for students considering On-Campus Recruiting?

Just do it! OCR is the best way to open your eyes to potentials after the MBA. It was one of the most valuable aspects of my MBA experience and I definitely would not be in my current role had I not participated in OCR. I think you’d be cheating your MBA experience and post MBA career prospects if you don’t participate in OCR. 

Also, keep an open mind and cast a wide net. Don’t just apply to your dream job. Don’t let the public or personal perception of the companies hiring deter you from even conversing with them. A wider net increases your chances of getting an offer and it is good interview practice.

What advice do you have for students looking to apply to the

FOSTER Evening MBA Program? 

First, work backward. Answer for yourself– and be honest in doing so: what is your career goal, how does an MBA from Foster help you achieve that goal? Pursuing an MBA requires significant investments of time and finances, so be sure that you will be able to benefit from those investments upon graduation.

Second, hit submit. You can go to countless info sessions, retake the GMAT over and over in pursuit of that ideal score, stress over every word of your application essays, and read blog posts by previous MBA students, but you’ll never be admitted unless you actually submit your application. A huge part of the MBA experience is putting yourself out there, into uncomfortable situations, potentially getting rejected, but learning from them. It all starts with hitting that “Submit Application” button.

Kang Yu is a graduate of the Evening MBA Class of 2017 and currently is a Product Manager at Philips Healthcare. When not saving countless lives through driving innovations in ultrasound solutions, or writing blog posts about his MBA experience in hopes of positively impacting the next generation of Foster Evening MBA students, Kang enjoys short sprints to the kitchen in between episodes of whatever show he is currently binge watching.

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