I didn’t anticipate spending much time in recruiting at Kellogg. After all, I was an “engineer”, coming from a prestigious institution in India (IIT-M) and so assumed the whole process would pass by me. Could I have been more mistaken! Unlike, the placement week concept in India where everyone gets a job in 2-3 days and sometimes offers are signed on the same day, recruiting in US can take 3-6 months.
It is not just the resume and the grades
While I was used to being shortlisted based on my resume and grades in India, I was amazed at the effort I had to put in to get an interview call! Grades just didn’t seem to matter much. I had to attend company presentations, have one-on-one chats with company representatives, participate in cocktail and networking sessions and send thank you notes. While many speculate if this is important to get a spot for an interview, I took no chances. Coming from India, getting used to this process did take some time but was rewarding. It helped me lose my inhibitions about talking to new people, making a pitch for myself and ultimately forming relationships with people.
Fit with the Firm – What’s this all about?
I think this is one of the critical differences I found about recruiting in the US vs. India. In India, we are used to the concept of companies coming on campus, picking up a bunch of graduates and then figuring out a place for them. It is surprising to see the amount of time and effort companies take in connecting with students. Firms truly want to know if you fit in to their culture, adapt to new environments and can work well with people. I cannot underestimate the importance of showing fit with the firm in every interaction possible.
Not placed on campus? Ooh!
Coming from India, it is taboo for a lot of us to not have a job through on-campus placements. This generates a lot of pressure during recruitment process. I was amazed to see that a significant portion students at Kellogg get jobs outside placements. They do so for a variety of reasons- primarily trying to find a right job in the company of their interest. I realized it is extremely important to get in to the company with the right fit than just finding a job on campus. Though this involves a lot of effort in terms of networking, informational interviews, research about the firms, it can be extremely gratifying. In fact, some of the best jobs on campus happen to be off –campus at Kellogg! Areas such as PEVC, Strategy/Corp Dev/Executive Search etc. are often off-campus.
Coming from India, it is taboo for a lot of us to not have a job through on-campus placements. This generates a lot of pressure during recruitment process. I was amazed to see that a significant portion students at Kellogg get jobs outside placements. They do so for a variety of reasons- primarily trying to find a right job in the company of their interest. I realized it is extremely important to get in to the company with the right fit than just finding a job on campus. Though this involves a lot of effort in terms of networking, informational interviews, research about the firms, it can be extremely gratifying. In fact, some of the best jobs on campus happen to be off –campus at Kellogg! Areas such as PEVC, Strategy/Corp Dev/Executive Search etc. are often off-campus.
Is it that difficult to find a job?
I must admit that Indians have been extremely successful in finding jobs in various industries. The top 4 management consulting firms have hired a bunch. But you really need to work hard and the journey is a rewarding experience. It made me reflect on what I really want, why I want and helped me make some of my best friends on campus, something which cannot be taught in theory and books!
I must admit that Indians have been extremely successful in finding jobs in various industries. The top 4 management consulting firms have hired a bunch. But you really need to work hard and the journey is a rewarding experience. It made me reflect on what I really want, why I want and helped me make some of my best friends on campus, something which cannot be taught in theory and books!
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