A Warm Spring Evening

One warm spring evening as the school year was coming to an end the class of 2010 assembled in the fall sections to discuss job leads. It was an idea by some fellow students who thought we could help one another in what was an extremely tough year for recruiting.

I don't think any of us had any expectations from the meeting. I was a little skeptical myself and I had already accepted my offer at the time but I came to support my peers. It started off slow and then it got very emotional as people shared their frustration of trying to recruit for 9 months with no success.

For some, it came as a surprise discovering they are not alone. Other's, who had received their offers pretty early in the process, got a first glimpse of another side they were not aware of, or not aware of the seriousness of it. "What are you looking to do" was one student's question. - "Anything" was the answer that shook people up as they realized how desperate some people have become. It was not only an international problem or a career switcher problem. It was all around.

Something amazing happened in the minutes that followed. One after another, my classmates came forward with leads, connections, friends from college. That night a lot of emails were sent out and phone numbers were exchanged. It was heart warming.

I've had a chance to compare with friends in other schools this year. I am proud to say that Darden class of 2010 did extremely well on their internships.

A lot of prospective reach out to me and during our conversations they ask about Darden's strength. The first thing that comes to mind is the strong alumni network. As a Darden alumni once told me when I was debating between schools: "your chances of getting an alum to return your call and bend over backward are highest at Darden". They are. It originates from the pressure cooker we're all part of during our first year.

I then tell them a story about one warm spring evening.

Mid Point Perspective

You were an ace at your company, promotions, money, fame and glory. Then you get into a top b-school, maybe even a few. You're about to embark in the journey of your life. You have so many o options for career paths. You may want to switch a career, or keep the one you had, you may even start your own company after school. Life is great, the world is your oyster.

Then an intense wave hits you and you try keeping your head above the water holding with one hand a 50 pound weight with "academics" printed on it and another with "recruiting" on the other hand, while your legs carry the ones with "socializing" on them.

Somehow along the year you may begin to lose the perception of what was it about you that was so special as you get beat down to a pulp made out of dried up silly putty. You'll get confused and may even lose sight of what it is that you really want to do as they tell you to expand your horizons and look at all the options. Then, just as you thought it will never happen, you get an offer for an internship, maybe even two and before you know it, the year's over.

You may think that you are not prepared, but you surprise even yourself when you see how well you are and how much you've learned this year. You feel good about yourself and even better if you came back with an offer.

Reporting from the mid point, these are just my two cents.

Discounted 9 months in order to adjust to a first year perspective, it comes out to around 1.3 cents.

Interview Season

It’s interview season at Darden. Some of my Darden friends already got offers yesterday from banks. Some even got several offers.

Some are invited to second rounds. Some were not. Some are still waiting for their interviews.

At the same time, others don’t even have interviews yet. There are a lot of success stories and a lot of stressful ones. We are happy for the ones who begin their semester knowing the summer is secure and potentially even the full time, and we sympathize with the ones who are less fortunate.

These are rough times and the tension is high and it is now that one can really see the supportive atmosphere here.