Career Management @ GWSB

I haven't even started classes yet, but already feel completely immersed in the GW MBA program! We just finished two weeks of MBA Institute - international students had one week of orientation prior to that, so I've had the chance to get to know many of my classmates.

Relative to other MBA programs, GW's MBA class is small. There are about 120 of us doing the full-time program, which is tiny compared to, say, Harvard's average class size of 1,000. There are some drawbacks to the smaller class size (e.g., smaller alumni network), but on the whole, I feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. How can you possibly get to know 1,000 classmates?? But it is quite feasible that after two years I will know everyone in my class - and know them pretty well at that, especially those in my "G" cohort (we've been divided into three cohorts - G, W and - you guessed it! - U). I sense that I won't be just another cog in the wheel at GW. With such a small class, one's impact is amplified.

As some know, in coming to DC, I chose between GW and the higher-ranked Georgetown MBA program. It wasn't an easy choice, even with GW's award of a full-ride scholarship. Ever since graduating from Memorial, I held the dream of going to a top-ranked U.S. school for my MBA. So Georgetown's top-30 ranking (versus GW's top-100) was a strong pull. It was a decision that required a lot of "soul searching", if I may be so cliche about it.

Of course, it's still far too early to say whether I made the right choice - but I'm getting some positive signs. We have a few people in our program with significant others in the Georgetown program. Apparently GW has been much more impressive in its orientation career development sessions than Georgetown; the GT significant others are amazed at how much career guidance we're getting. I'd estimate that 50% of orientation was devoted to career topics - how to do a stellar resume, how to network, how to do informational interviews, where to look for internships, etc. Second-year students came in to talk about how they landed their internships last year. The F. David Fowler Career Center has recently grown from a couple of staff to more than 15, including full-time career coaches with extensive private sector experience. This is obviously a good sign - especially in this economy. Post-MBA career prospects are a huge part of B-school rankings.... with GWSB trying to move up the rankings, I think it's a very smart move for them to put more resources into the Career Center.

Speaking of career management, I'm off to New Orleans next month to attend the National Black MBA Association career fair. To answer the obvious question - no, you don't have to be African American to attend! MBAs from all different racial and ethnic backgrounds will be there. Many students in our class are going. We've been told by career center staff and second years that this is THE career fair to attend. It's where many Fortune 500 companies recruit for internships and post-MBA positions.

Classes start tomorrow! More on that soon...