CobraKai wrote:
Hi, can you elaborate what this means? I.e. going to company presentations, contacting Johnson alum @ McKinsey, etc, etc.
Certainly - no matter where you go to school, you'll quickly realize that "networking" will be a significant factor in terms of gaining traction with a lot of your target firms. This especially holds true in banking and consulting where you'll be expected to reach out to alumni and setup informational interviews, either by phone or even in-person.
Going to company briefings and office hours will generally be mandatory if you want any chance at securing an interview. The things that will set you apart from your classmates, as well as other candidates from other schools, will be the types of relationships you build with current associates and employees of the firms. Obviously, if the recruiters and hiring managers already know who you are, genuinely like you, and have taken an interest in you, then you're fairly likely to get an interview and possibly an offer.
So yea ultimately, you'll need to leverage your networks (undergrad, b-school, past co-workers, friends, family, etc.) and reach out to as many people as you can. Honestly, I think this is why reaching out to current students, professors, and alums is always viewed favorably by the adcom during the admissions process, since those are the types of things you're going to need to do during b-school to land solid internships and full-time jobs.
Thankfully the Johnson/Cornell alums are usually pretty friendly and helpful!