Reaching Out MBA Tips for First-Timers

Before You Arrive

There is much that you can do to be ready for the conference. We urge you to spend time on the site, know which employers will be participating in the career fair, which leaders will be speaking as keynotes and panelists, and target whom you wish to meet before you get to the Grand Hyatt. Be strategic and have a game plan. We've done all we can to provide up-to-the-minute information about the career fair and sessions; spend time looking at this information and map out a game plan for who you most want to meet.

Many students print out the schedule and plan their sessions prior to arriving. This lets the conference begin when you register, not simply when you arrive. It may give you time to google some of the presenters and read other works they've published or see where else they've spoken.

We especially urge students to consider participating in either the Booz Allen Hamilton Reaching Out Case Analysis Competition or the Daimler Chrysler Scholarship Competition. These are fantastic channels to showcase your analytic and communication skills to potential employers. Students who've participated in past competitions have listed it as one of the best aspects of the conference, and many have leveraged their participation and success in these competitions in their career searches.

Further, you want to be sure you have prepared a specific and sharp resume to share with potential employers. We expect that your career services center at your school has a variety of resources to assist you. If not, we've included two items here for you to use:

• Resume Template
• Job Search Tips

Finally, you may wish to have business cards printed prior to coming. You will meet scores, if not hundreds, of people you want to stay in touch with. It is wise to have a supply of professional, accurate, business cards for easy networking. Many schools have a template you may wish to use so that your card is "branded" consistently with other graduates of your program. If not, at the very least, you may want to make a visit to VistaPrint.com so you can secure some simple functional cards before the weekend.

We urge you to plan on the conference being the heart of your weekend in New York City. While you may have other friends you want to see, or Broadway shows you're dying to get into, you may be disappointed if you try to pack much more into the weekend than just the conference itself. Trust us, from past participants we know, you will have plenty of time to have fun while at Reaching Out.

Further, it's a great idea to stay at the Grand Hyatt and come in on Thursday if at all possible. The informal conversations and chance to get to know others begins that first night. You will benefit most from being here, and on-site, for the full event. We've worked hard to get a hotel which will cooperate with us on the rates to make it as affordable as possible for students.