The MBAs Are Coming!

Last weekend, I joined thirteen of my Foster classmates for an adrenaline-filled trip to Minneapolis for the 2009 NSHMBA National Conference & Career Expo.  More than 300 corporate and academic sponsors that embrace diversity participated in the conference, which attracted an estimated 7,000 MBAs from around the world.  From Deloitte to Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft and American Express, attending companies attracted ambitious, smartly dressed hoards.  After an early morning pep talk with my new Foster friends, black coffee and standard hotel breakfast fare, I snapped on my nametag and got to (net)working.  At this conference, on-the-spot interviews were the norm.  If I stepped within a 6-foot radius of a company’s booth, I was fair game, and was prepared to answer any number of questions about my past experience, my academic credentials, my preferences, my opinions and my goals.  At first, the speed and precision with which the recruiters, managers and others administered these questions was jolting (yet entirely appropriate for the setting). Recruiters readily answered questions about their respective companies, and I walked away with quality contacts for follow-up.

With seven days of classes under my belt, the fact that I was participating in interviews for a potential internship in 2010 was almost unreal. Not only did I get an inside look at a wide range of companies and MBA recruiting practices up-front, but I had a chance to bond with my classmates. Over the three days, we talked about more than just school assignments, but what our hopes and dreams were for the future. The experience was truly invaluable!

Guest Blogger: Adrienne Matthews, Foster MBA Class of 2011