Nuts & Bolts
Career development resources. Similar to all the top business schools, Columbia offers a number of resources to its students to assist them in their job-search process. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these resources from the moment they step onto campus and as alumni. Students give the team and their services high marks for being “very thoughtful and structured.” Columbia’s Career Management team offers a number of opportunities for students, including:
Professional recruitment. Like all top-tier business schools, Columbia puts muscle and resources toward ensuring that Columbia students find rewarding jobs after graduation. The Career Management Center (CMC) partners with students to assist them with every phase of their career development, from internship and job searches to lifelong career progress. The Center also makes a concerted effort to teach students lifelong career management skills.
Resume books & club resume books. The career services office publishes and distributes resume books, which are compilations of the resumes of first- and second-year students. Additionally, some student clubs compile their own resume books to circulate the talent to more industry-specific potential purchasers.
CMC individual offerings. From the first week of orientation, CMC has a series of structured offerings that help students tackle and refine the career search. CMC professionals will help students formulate a strategy and tailor a plan that benefits from institutional wisdom. Such offerings include:
- Four-session, non-credit course for first-year students.
- Individual advising sessions, set up on request.
- Workshops and clinics.
- Mock interviews and presentation/public speaking management.
Career Management Library. The CMC maintains a physical library (9AM–7PM) of more than 900 volumes of job-search-related books that students can use while on campus. The library also maintains industry job binders with relevant job postings, Wetfeet guides, and 40 periodicals. The virtual career resource center is a portal for online tools that assist both current students and mid-career professionals.
The on-campus recruiting process. On-campus interviews begin in late October, starting with financial firms and bringing all other firms in two days later. Recruiting corporations submit applications to Columbia’s COIN (Career Opportunity Information Network) system in September and CMC works with them to ensure that students’ schedules are not overbooked. CMC will also go to bat for students to ensure that students do not miss academic commitments for an off-campus interview. They also maintain strict blackout periods that coincide with school holidays and exam periods.