Hello! It has been a very long time since I’ve blogged, but I’ve been fortunate enough to speak with a lot of you in person or via email over the past few months. Congrats to all of those who’ve made the decision to attend the Johnson School at Cornell next year, and for those of you still trying to decide, I wish you all the best with whatever decision you ultimately make.
I want to take this opportunity to discuss one question that has come up a lot during my discussions with MBA aspirants: “What does the job market look like for Cornell MBA grads?” I’m never really sure how to answer this one, but I’m going to attempt to give you my thoughts here.
The truth is, whatever your target industry, the economy isn’t doing too well. The secret has been out for a little while now.
Here at Cornell, new students get offers every week & many also suffer rejection. It’s all part of the job search. Perhaps it’s a bit harder this year than 2008, but at the same time the problem is not exclusive to students at any particular business school. I’ve been to my share of interviews and met students competing for the same jobs that are from Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, you name it—we’re all in the same boat.
If you don’t believe me, check out this article on the Economist about job seekers looking to move into management consulting:
http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15330702
It’s a global problem.
We all know 2009 was a rough year.
Q: So why did I, in 2009, decide to come to business school? I knew the economy was suffering and it wasn’t going to recover overnight.
A: I left my job and joined Cornell because it was the right time for me. Regardless of what’s going on in the world, MBA aspirants need to be able to take a holistic look at their lives and their careers and make their own decisions regarding whether or not they need to get an MBA. For me, getting an MBA was a necessary step in helping me move to the next phase of my career. Putting it off for another year would have just had me moving further away from the career I hoped to have. For me, there was no other real option.
I understand that going to business school is a huge decision. It’s an investment of time and capital as much as it is a whole change of lifestyle for 1-2 years. It’s going to bring a whole new level of uncertainty in your life and it’s a big risk. That being said, my only advice would be to not let the noise of what’s going on in the world be a key deciding factor on what you decide to do with your education and your life. It’s a tough decision and I’m happy to answer your questions but when it comes down to it, it’s all about you.
Even in the good years landing that perfect job is no guarantee, at the same time, even in bad years: the only one that can stop you from trying is yourself.
