The Job Search

As a 2nd Year currently in the process of finding a post-graduation job, I feel compelled to tell my experience.

First of all, unless you had a great experience during your Summer Internship and you are sure to go back to this Company after graduation, there are a few reasons to continue the job search throughout your 2nd year:

Scenario 1: You had a riveting experience during your Internship and got an offer…but you’re still be interviewing for other positions just to see what is out there. You need to be able to conduct an educated negotiation on your initial offer, right?

Scenario 2 (My case): You had a great Internship and you wanted to go back to this company upon graduation. The only problem is that, for some reasons – the recession, in this case – said company did not extend offers to any of its interns. Well, life goes on and you need a job.

Scenario 3 (The Nightmare Internship): You thought you would love your project and the company…but it was the extreme opposite. You had an excruciating summer and realized that you did not fit with the company and could never relate to the company’s culture. That’s what Internships are all about, right? At least you could test the waters and didn’t make a bad full-time job decision. Still – back to square 1…

I am certain that you have all heard about the current state of the job market. Obviously, it is much easier to have an offer right out of your Internship and stroll through your 2nd Year without this sword of Damocles hanging over your head. But – let’s face it – not everyone is that lucky, especially in this economy.

Despite the doom and gloom, there are still plenty of jobs out there for MBAs, but you might have to make some concessions to get there: a lower pay grade, picking your 2nd or 3rd company choice, or relocating to Arkansas. The key is to keep looking and to network, network, network.

That said, I am off to applying to a dozen positions all over the US and Europe today. Wish me luck!

Alex

TAR HEEL FEVER

Posted by Alex  

The first thing that you will notice when you arrive in Chapel Hill is the omnipresence of the light blue color everywhere in town. This is not your basic blue, it is the UNC blue, it is more than just a baby blue color, it is the Tar Heel standard. Welcome to Tar Heel territory!

North Carolina is known as the Tar Heel State but the Tar Heel moniker takes its full meaning in Chapel Hill. The inhabitants, the students and especially the UNC sports teams are the Tar Heels.

As an International student, I did not grasp the full extent of what it means to be part of the Tar Heel community until I went to my first UNC football game last summer. It really hit me then, seeing everyone wearing the Tar Heel blue: I mean, not just a few sections, the whole stadium was Tar Heel blue. The chants and other UNC slogans finally pushed me over the edge: I had become a Tar Heel too.

It is no secret that Football is not UNC’s greatest athletic strength in comparison to Soccer and Lacrosse, for example. But, what really defines UNC sports is Men’s (and Women’s) Basketball. Usually, the Tar Heel passion is all year round but the real Tar Heel Fever happens about two to three times per year: the 1^st home game of the Men’s Basketball team at the Dean Dome (which is conveniently located next to the Kenan-Flagler Business School), their last home game of the regular season (also known as Senior Night because it is their last game at the Dome) and, last but certainly not least, March Madness. March Madness is Tar Heel Fever! Every game is an opportunity to wear our color proudly and get together to cheer for our favorite team in blue.

You can imagine how ecstatic the whole town is as I write this post. The Tar Heels are going to San Antonio for the Final Four. Watch out, Kansas, here comes the Blue Hurricane!