Things to do If not selected in a Campus Placement after MBA

Not getting selected in campus placement after MBA may sound like a dreaded dream for any MBA graduate. However, there are instances when candidates are left out while their friends and peers land up with good jobs. This may happen due to lack of skill sets, performance in the interview or may be due to certain industry constraints. The situation may sound critical to any MBA graduate as most of the candidates have to pay back their education loans. This is a situation no one wants to be in. However, if things do not turn out to be well than what?

There is some ground work you have to do during and after your MBA which may come handy in a situation like this.

Start your search

Consult career services: Most of the employers often post jobs to career consultant centres at colleges and universities rather than on regional posting boards. Most of the b-schools have their own career services centre, which connect students and graduates to these employers.

Regional job boards: There are online job portals which can be a good search option to find a job of your choice. Search these online boards in addition to consulting your school’s career services centre.

Mine your network: It is important for MBA students to build their network from the very beginning of their study. Maintain as much connections as possible with students, seniors and professors during your study. 80 percent of top jobs are never posted publicly. By staying in touch with everyone you know you’ll more likely be referred to open positions that they hear about.

Set small goals: While the obvious aim of a job hunt is to find a job, it is also useful to keep your options open to attend one networking event per month or apply to a certain number of postings each week. These are achievable and will keep you motivated.

Apply for jobs

Customize and perfect your documents: Once you have found a job to apply for, make sure you’re clear on the skills and personality traits that the employer is looking for. Tailor your cover letter and résumé for each application, and perfect the language and formatting.

Prepare your references: Describe the job to your references so that they know what skills the employer is looking for. Bring three or four copies of a typed reference list to each job interview, and include three or four references unless otherwise required.

Prepare for the interview

Interview the employer: Ask well-thought-out questions and demonstrate your interest in the position and work environment. It will earn an extra bit of credibility in your favour.

Be confident: Practise your answers and questions out loud to get them as concise as possible without sounding rehearsed.

Here are a few more quick tips:

• Career services centres at MBA schools get hundreds of job postings each year. To maximize the value of your appointment, do research and prepare questions about the type of job you are looking for.
• Customize a section header in your résumé. For example, if the job description includes business-to-business communications, then replace your “Work Experience” header with “Business-to-Business Experience.”

These are some of the tips one can follow in case of not getting selected during campus placement after MBA. Also, do remember, never to lose hope as things can change in the event of proper measures. So be confident.