Kelley MBA Program Launches Unique Approach to Job Hunt
The Indiana University Kelley School of Business has come up with a novel approach to MBA job hunting rooted in the classic “hero’s journey”.
Called Me, Inc., Kelley’s initiative aims to “break down” overconfident MBA candidates and reshape them as more thoughtful, self-aware and dynamic job seekers ”“ and ultimately, more desirable job candidates.
Without a doubt, career services professionals can be of enormous assistance, but it is the MBA student who must ultimately take responsibility for his or her own success.
Me, Inc.’s premise is that just as a literary protagonist must embark on an adventure, face challenges, follow the guidance of mentors, experience failure and engage in honest introspection before triumphing”¦so too must a job seeker.
Next week, the incoming Class of 2012 students will participate in Me, Inc.’s four-day immersion program that emphasizes self-discovery and self-improvement as precursors to not simply landing “the perfect job,” but determining what that means in the first place ”“ by the students learning about themselves and developing their own personal brands, a spokesperson for the school reveals.
Elements of Me, Inc. include:
- Roughly 60 hours of student “pre-work”, much of which consists of self-assessment exercises designed to help build a personal brand.
- Students rank how they would fare in a hypothetical hiring situation for a specific position (i.e., be interviewed, waitlisted or declined). Kelley instructors then advise how a recruiter might actually rank them, based on knowledge of the student and the opportunity at hand. The outcomes may stun many students, but the counsel also includes concrete recommendations on how they can improve or stay on top.
- “Netiquette” workshop to ensure appropriate use of social media for job-related networking.
- Former Olympic athletes and trainers will conduct dual seminars on using coaches to achieve your goals and inspiring others to succeed.
- Faculty and staff will work with students to develop individualized action plans to guide development of job-hunting skills throughout the entire b-school experience.
“Students come to business school because they’re ambitious and want to accelerate their professional growth, but this approach offers them a better understanding of who they are personally, what they truly want and how to work toward being well positioned to achieve those goals,” explains Ray Luther, associate director of Graduate Career Services at the Kelley School.
“We’re excited about the students’ enthusiasm for this rigorous program, which will give them a narrative to follow as they pursue their individual paths to success.”
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