MBA recruiting - Program or University level

I was talking to my boss and we started talking about my background. He knows that I was an international studies major and I got into consulting. He said, well, if you got into consulting as an international studies as an undergrad, shouldn't a masters of literature at Harvard Business School have the same shot at McKinsey as an MBA candidate from Harvard Business School. Maybe not McKinsey, but insert your other consulting firms - Deloitte's, Accentures, etc.

Essentially his argument was that recruiting was at the university level and not at the program level. I disagreed vehemently and stated that you don't have the same options if you're the literature masters. All the recruiting is done within the program. To be honest, I wasn't 100% sure, but I think I was 90% sure.

Can anyone back me up on this and confirm with certainty that recruiting at a masters level is done at the program level and not the university level. My boss made the point that the vice chancellor of the school would of course be inviting all the firms and the relationship with firms was at the university level.

My argument back was at an undergrad level, I think no one has any real skills, maybe a few internships and so you can hire liberal arts majors. Whereas a MBA, a MBA grad is supposed to be a leader. He quickly dismissed this point and told me that the Senior consultants at his previous firm didn't have a clue and were defnitely not leaders.

He's my boss so obviously I can't tell him that his statement is ridiculous but does anyone have any insight of this? I'm 90% sure I am right.

 

Why do you keep arguing with your boss about MBA related topics? Also, he is wrong. Employers come directly to the MBA program, not the school as a whole. What would a PE shop want with a masters in history student?

 
Best Response

We share a car in the morning and in the evening so we talk about lots of things. He's an argumentative guy and I don't really like taking jabs about my plans of attending MBA so I don't want to just stay there and say silent.

Thanks for the confirmation. I was pretty sure of this.

So how do MBA programs preclude the rest of the university from applying? My thought was that every program has their own web domain. So you get a for example, Booth school user name and ID, as opposed to uchicago ID so anyone else couldn't even apply to the jobs.

I guess what my boss is saying is that - what skills will an MBA give you? And why do MBA recruiters make the distiniction of majors but undergraduate recruiters don't? I think his reference was more towards consulting because its more soft skills and his argument is that since I got in as an international studies as an undergrad, what's preventing consulting firms from taking liberal arts majors for consulting at an MBA level.

Can anyone confirm this absolutely?

 

Resume drop systems aren't completely blind. People in the career center will sift through resumes to make sure some jackass isn't trying to game the system. So if you're not qualified based on the requirements, your resume gets kicked out. Many firms specifically want an MBA so if you're not one, they won't consider you.

Also, at the schools that I've attended (undergrad, MBA), there are different career centers (and resume drop systems/websites). The university has one that encompasses the whole school, while business programs tend to have their own. Thus, a Masters in Literature student would never get access to something that you'd get as an MBA.

Why do MBA recruiters distinguish but undergrad recruiters don't? My guess is that many schools don't offer business majors. They might have economics or something similar, so they're more open to what you studied.

I can't say exactly why the MBA matters to the numerous MBA job opps out there, but I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that generally, you're more mature and have a better general business sense. That's the biggest difference between business undergrad and the MBA. In undergrad, you're being lectured at while at the MBA level, you network with classmates and have case based discussion based on everyone's experiences. That's why experience is important in getting your MBA, or else otherwise you can't relate or contribute.

Of course this is just my experience through the whole thing. Others may have a different story.

 

This was excellent. Thank you. I don't know how to give a silver banana.

kjl:
Resume drop systems aren't completely blind. People in the career center will sift through resumes to make sure some jackass isn't trying to game the system. So if you're not qualified based on the requirements, your resume gets kicked out. Many firms specifically want an MBA so if you're not one, they won't consider you.

Also, at the schools that I've attended (undergrad, MBA), there are different career centers (and resume drop systems/websites). The university has one that encompasses the whole school, while business programs tend to have their own. Thus, a Masters in Literature student would never get access to something that you'd get as an MBA.

Why do MBA recruiters distinguish but undergrad recruiters don't? My guess is that many schools don't offer business majors. They might have economics or something similar, so they're more open to what you studied.

I can't say exactly why the MBA matters to the numerous MBA job opps out there, but I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that generally, you're more mature and have a better general business sense. That's the biggest difference between business undergrad and the MBA. In undergrad, you're being lectured at while at the MBA level, you network with classmates and have case based discussion based on everyone's experiences. That's why experience is important in getting your MBA, or else otherwise you can't relate or contribute.

Of course this is just my experience through the whole thing. Others may have a different story.

 

kenneth this "boss" doesn't exist does he. you talk to yourself in your car don't you. though I applaud your cleverness in deflecting blame for being an idiot.

========================================= We are excited to formally extend to you an offer to join Bank of Ameria
 

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