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TIME MANAGEMENT

Career Planning & Job Search Timeline

August – September

§         Attend Ford Career Center Orientation before classes begin

§         Log onto eRecruiting, register, and upload your resume as soon as possible to begin RSVP for company receptions.

§         Update your resume with a Career Counselor and/or Peer Advisor.

§         Identify values, interests, personality and skills.

§         Attend FCC Career Panels to learn about various career options.

§         On-campus recruiting process begins by September.

§         Eyes on Texas Career Fair.

§         The Marketing Challenge.

 

October

§         Determine an initial career direction (of course, it can be changed at any time)

§         RSVP and ATTEND open company receptions in your career interest are to learn about companies, industries, and functions.

§         Submit your resume for the Resume Book to be sent to recruiting companies. Make sure your resume fits the required guidelines – meet with a counselor for best results.

§         Attend FCC presentations on various job search issues, e.g. interviewing, researching companies, conducting job searches independently of the FCC, and networking.

§         Examine and learn to use the resources in the Graduate Career Library and the business reference section of the Perry-Castaneda Library (PCL). Lexis-Nexis is available in the MBA computer lab.

§         Identify UT faculty, second year students, and B-School alumni who have contacts in your areas of interest. Set up appointments to meet with faculty in your area of interest to discuss career options. Make sure FCC staff knows who you are and what you want.

 

November

§         Begin working on your GRID developing your interviewing stories. Consult your mentor on what stories to use for different situations. Focus on SITUATION – ACTION – RESULT.

§         Having identified potential companies and contacts, write cover letters to arrange semester break informational interviews. Take your cover letters to a counselor for feedback.

§         Follow up your cover letters with phone calls to arrange informational interviews.

§         Do a mock interview with a FCC counselor.

 

Winter Break

§         Go on as many informational interviews as your can set up!

§         Perfect your “grid” stories and practice them with family and/or friends.

 

January – March

§         Majority of intern interviews occur during this time. Use eRecruiting extensively during this time. Attend as many receptions as possible.

§         Make sure your practice interviewing by doing mock interviews with the FCC and/or with the Marketing Network.

 

April – May

§         Submit resume to the FCC to be included in the 2nd Year MBA/MPA resume book.

§         If you have not been offered a summer internship position, explore other options that will give you similar experience, e.g. a project through a professor. A FCC counselor can help you with this.

§         If you have a summer internship, fill out the summer internship survey and turn into the FCC.

§         Update your information in eRecruiting.

 

Summer Between First & Second Years

§         Use the summer to conduct in-depth research of major functions, industries and companies open to MBAs.

§         Develop a tow-tiered job search strategy (on-campus recruiting and independent job search) to implement during the second year.

§         Reevaluate and update self-assessment of interests, values, personality and skills.

§         Evaluate your internship or independent project as the summer ends. Consider the contribution you made to the company, and your continuing interest in the industry and in marketing.

 

First Semester, Second Year

§         Update your resume in eRecruiting to include summer experience.

§         Keep track of which companies are coming, when and at what time.

§         Continue your independent job search.

 

Second Semester, Second Year

§         Don’t panic if you don’t have a job yet. Contrary to popular belief, many jobs are secured in the last semester. Talk with faculty again. Continue to contact alumni and friends, network, network, network. Work closely with FCC counselors.

§         Complete a Confidential Exit Survey before you graduate. This will help both the FCC statistics and the ones who are still looking.