How Small-School Grads Can Win Plum Positions

By Sarah E. Needleman

Six months before earning his M.B.A. in May, Louis Anderson landed a job with an employer that never set foot on his school's campus in remote Stockton, Calif.

Recruiters for his new company, accounting giant Deloitte & Touche LLP, were not among the 30 or so employers that visited the Eberhardt School of Business at the University of the Pacific during the 2002-2003 recruiting season. Yet, Mr. Anderson managed to secure a staff-accountant position in a branch office of the New York-based firm -- and without the help of his school's career center.

Mr. Anderson received his offer after learning that Deloitte had an office where he wanted to reside -- Honolulu -- and cold calling the firm. His accomplishment is especially noteworthy at a time when job opportunities have been scarce and some schools' career centers haven't been able to attract recruiters. A 2003 survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council in McLean, Va., shows that 18% of new M.B.A.s consider the quality of their school's career center poor.

M.B.A.s from small schools face a greater challenge in getting hired than those from well-known campuses. Their alma maters typically lack the name recognition that entices top employers, plus many small schools can't afford to hold job fairs. "Companies generally aren't willing to invest time visiting a school where they're likely to attract only one or two students who fit their candidate profile," says Margaret Roberts, director of employer development at Eberhardt. In addition, many schools that are affiliated with undergraduate programs or large universities open recruiting events to both M.B.A.s and undergraduates, so the competition can be stiff, says Ms. Roberts.

Beating the Odds

Overall, career experts say networking is the most effective way to job search. But you must create your own opportunities to make contacts when there are few organized on-campus networking events with employers. Therefore, you may want to consider the following job-search strategies used by three recent M.B.A.s from small schools who recently secured good positions. They know what's it's like to be asked: "You graduated from where?"

Reach out to alumni. Only a handful of company recruiters visit Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Mass., each year. It doesn't hold job fairs, either, leaving new M.B.A.s to generate their own job prospects. This prompted Jon Urruzuno, 29, to doggedly pursue a tip from a friend about an internship opportunity for the summer of 2002. The friend suggested Mr. Urruzuno investigate an employer whose chief executive is a Hult alumnus. Mr. Urruzuno did and soon landed an internship with the small media company, Hispanic News Press in Brookline, Mass. Afterward, he stayed in contact with the CEO, and this spring applied for the job of senior content analyst at the company. In July, he was offered the position, which pays an annual salary of between $60,000 and $70,000. His new boss, Javier Marin, admits that sharing an alma mater "certainly helped to speed up the decision-making process."

Cold-call employers. Last fall, Mr. Anderson identified a handful of desirable employers and, since none were expected to visit his school, he found out which ones had branch offices in Honolulu. Narrowing his list to six, he began dialing the firms. "I asked if I could speak to the person in charge of college recruiting," he says. Once connected, Mr. Anderson told recruiters he was a second-year M.B.A. from Eberhardt who wanted to know about potential opportunities. The employers instructed him to e-mail his resume and within days, Mr. Anderson was invited to four interviews, including one with Deloitte's Honolulu office that led to the offer he accepted. He'll start in October. Mr. Anderson, who is 23 years old, will earn an annual salary in the mid-$40,000 range.

Explore all avenues. Last winter, Laura Bullock, 27, found a job posting at her school's career site that she describes as perfect -- except that it was almost a year old. The M.B.A. from Clemson University's College of Business and Behavioral Science fit the requirements listed for the position of senior business analyst. She checked with her school's career center and learned that an alumnus worked at the company, a financial-services business in Greenville, S.C. She e-mailed the Clemson graduate to find out if the position was still vacant or if similar ones were available. The alumnus wasn't sure, but an updated ad for the job reappeared on the same site a few days later. Ms. Bullock applied and was invited to interview. She accepted the position in December and started working for the company part time until she finished her degree. Now a full-time employee, she earns a $50,000 annual salary and is eligible for an annual performance bonus.

Although Ms. Bullock admits her experience isn't common, she believes her success was due to her determination to pursue all possibilities.

-- Ms. Needleman is associate editor at CareerJournal.com.

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