Sessions will be dynamic, with a focus on relevancy and engagement.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Shawn DuBravac
Our world is on the brink change. The next decade will be defined by a digital lifestyle and the “Internet of Everything”—where everything is not only online, but acquiring, analyzing, and utilizing the data that surrounds us is becoming a critical part of our success. This has implications for how we connect with, coach and recruit students in a way that magnifies our impact. Dr. Shawn DuBravac,, is the New York Times best-selling author of Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Change the Way we Live, Work, and Communicate, will explore these things in more, including:
DuBravac is an internationally recognized thought leader whose research focuses on the forces shaping tomorrow that are percolating on the periphery of society and business today. His analysis has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, Washington Post, Wired, Los Angeles Times, Barron’s and on-air with CNBC, Bloomberg, NPR, CBS, and other media outlets. He one of 27 finance thought leaders to read and follow by Prophix and on Dealerscope’s “40 under 40” list of people to watch in the technology industry.
The global talent market continues to demand ambitious, hard-working MBA and specialized masters students. Gone are the days when schools facilitated connections to students only through print resume books and formalized campus recruiting programs. With the introduction of new technologies and the evolution of recruiting processes, companies and students have numerous channels through which to engage.
Please join the plenary session for a panel conversation about how employers and business schools can rethink their partnerships to meet their shared goal of ensuring candidate fit and have a meaningful impact on the business world. The discussion will include:
Keynote sponsored by: CaseCoach
Make plans to join us for our pre-conference round tables, which are divided by functional area to allow attendees to connect with others who have similar roles. Round tables take place on Wednesday, June 28th from 1 - 3 pm and feature the following areas:
We are pleased to offer sessions on the following sessions on the final day:
Connect with peers for learning and sharing! Visit the Agenda Page for a schedule of dates and times for each session.
Session Title |
Speaker(s) |
Session Description |
Audiences |
Advanced Standards Q&A |
Beth Ursin Standards Consultant MBA CSEA |
This session is aimed at participants who are already familiar with the key elements and principles of the Standards and are looking to develop a deeper understanding of some of the more complex issues regarding employment data reporting. The MBA CSEA Standards Consultant will be available to answer specific questions and provide a deeper dive into the issues. This is also an opportunity to share feedback about the upcoming Standards revisions. |
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Aiming for Inclusivity in the Career Center & Recruiting Process |
Maggie Tomas Executive Director Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
Tenzin Choarap
Will O'Brien |
Discussions around DEI in career services often center around helping admissions recruit diverse students. However, it's important to remember that in career services we sit in a very influential spot - the intersection of engagement and connection with students and employers. This role carries a responsibility to ensure that the career education and the recruiting process is equitable, inclusive, and constantly improving. In this session, the University of MN's, Carlson School of Management Business Career Center leaders, will talk about methods on gathering student experience feedback, partnering with employers, and training all parties on inclusive best practices in hopes that we all strive to make recruiting fair, equitable and better for all. |
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Answer "Why Do You Want This Job/Company?" Better Using the RAC Model
Sponsored by: |
Doug Mayes Sector Director, Daytime MBA Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Steve Dalton Founder & CEO; Author Contact2Colleague
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"Why do you want this role/company/sector?” These are common early interview questions with very high stakes; 77% of mid-interview decisions are made in an interview’s first 15 minutes, according to one study. Despite their popularity and impact, no framework exists for answering them simply and effectively, hurting candidates' performance and causing great stress. During this session, attendees will learn about the RAC Model, which helps anyone answer “Why?” questions (AND write cover letters!) effectively and authentically every time. Schools will learn how to use this method to assist their students with interview success. Employers will learn how to create evaluative rubrics to help analyze students' answers to these questions, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the inherent biases in play when these questions are asked. |
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Asynchronous Career Curriculum for Working Professional MBAs |
Amanda Williams Director, Career Management & Corporate Relations Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business |
In this session, The Ohio State Fisher College of Business will describe the process used to create an asynchronous course for working professional and online MBA students, utilizing design thinking and adult learning theory and focusing on accessibility and implementation. Attendees will learn tips for how to scale materials for student knowledge and confidence level, how to provide coaching tips and prescriptive tasks in an asynchronous format, and how to create courses using Learning Management Software (specifically Canvas). |
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Be Well in Career: How to Build Programs and Training that Ensure Wellness and Authenticity are Front of Mind in the Job Search |
Maggie Tomas Executive Director Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota |
As career center professionals we are tasked with helping our students through the stressful process of a job search. It's important that we also consider the wellbeing aspect of the job search, ensuring our students feel supported to be 100% authentic AND giving them tools of self-care, self-awareness, and mindfulness. Common job search advice centers on telling students how to fit in to their desired industry, but this is often at odds with basic wellness advice. This session will give career practitioners inclusive tools and tips for creating ways to support students through the job search while encouraging them to be the best versions of their authentic selves. |
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Building Community to Drive Student Engagement |
Carly Escue Director of Graduate Business Career Services University of Florida
Kim Beach Associate Director of Graduate Business Career Services University of Florida
Debra Marcum Associate Director of Graduate Business Career Services University of Florida |
Creating “communities” of students can create stronger engagement pathways, both between career offices and their students, as well as among student groups. In this session, you’ll learn about two programs developed by the University of Florida that built community. |
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Careers of the Future: Sneak Peak of GMAC’s 2023 Corporate Recruiters Survey |
Alexandria Williams Manager, Survey Research
Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) |
How will new technology and hybrid offices shape the future workplace—and change employer expectations of business school graduates? Get ahead of the curve with this exclusive preview of findings from GMAC’s 2023 Corporate Recruiters Survey. This session will provide you with an inside look at what’s guiding recruiter’s current and future hiring decisions, what skills employers look for most when making current & future hiring decisions, insights into the global demand for MBA and business master’s graduates, and an overview of hiring and salary trends to help you and your students prepare for careers of the future. |
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Circle: A Novel Group Coaching Method Enhancing Connection and Belonging |
Allyson Dhindsa Senior Associate Director of Career Coaching NYU Stern |
Circle is an evidence-based group coaching method developed at the University of Pennyslvania and launched at NYU Stern. As one past participant described: “Circle created space to reflect on challenges, excitement, struggles and opportunities in a trusted environment with peers that make each conversation feel like what you're going through is normal and understandable.” In addition to discussing the job and internship search, students build their leadership, feedback and communication skills, and connect with each other in a meaningful way creating lifelong bonds. A complementary aspect of Circle is the Career Accountability Partner Program (CAPP for short), where students are paired up to support each other as they learn to navigate the MBA landscape with increasing confidence, clarity and ease. In this presentation, we will not only provide evidence of Circle's direct impact on Stern's students, but also how you can run your own Circle whether you are supporting MBA students or another type of speciality masters program. |
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Conference Sound Off |
Katie Mulheron |
Join us for collaborative large and small group discussions to dive deeper into topics/themes highlighted by our keynote and school/employer panel, including: |
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Creating Engagement, Enthusiasm, and Continuous Learning in a Virtual Environment: Crowdsourced Edition |
John Hutchings Assistant Director, Jenkins Graduate Programs North Carolina State University, Poole College of Management
Kelley Broome Corporate Relations Manager and Career Coach Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business
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Many career coaches: Join us for collaboration on best practices for connecting in a virtual environment. Many of us have adapted programming efforts from in-person to virtual/hybrid, without expertise in instructional design or additional resources. Come share what is working for your team and learn tips from our presenters and others. |
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Critical Pedagogy, Humanistic Psychology, and Career Journaling - A Three Pronged Approach to Helping MBA Students Define their Career Goals |
Patrick Phillips MBA Career Consultant Trinity College Dublin |
At Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin we have revamped the MBA Career Development Module by creating workshops based on the concept of Critical Pedagogy, one to one career consultations derived from Humanistic Psychology, and a MBA career journaling process based on micro efforts. This session will focus on results from a paper that has been submitted to a journal on the basis of secondary and primary research conducted with MBA student populations in order to design the Trinity MBA career development module, Topics discussed will include a psychodynamic theory to career counseling, which focuses on providing space for students to contemplate how their relationships to primary care givers have impacted their career decision making, as well as concepts such as split subject and four discourses in career counseling. |
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Demystifying AI In the Hiring Process: What we know about assessments and how to help students prepare
Sponsored by:
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Stephanie Turner Assistant Director, Recruitment & Employer Relations Dartmouth, The Tuck School of Business |
Many people have experienced hiring assessments in their interviewing process, sometimes prior to the first round of interviews. While this is something you can’t always prepare for, come hear the different uses and types to help you understand the experience. Leaving this session, coaches and operations team will have a better understanding of why employers are using assessments, how they impact students, as well as how to help prepare students for different types of assessments. |
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From Elevators to Appetizers: Communicating Value and Leadership Presence |
Larry Faskowitz MBA Corporate Relations Manager / MBA Career Coach Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business
Ivan Wanis Ruiz Owner
Public Speaking Lab |
Through a variety of interactive exercises, this session will provide employers, schools, and individuals tactics to communicate their unique value in a concise way. In other words, to create impactful elevator pitches. |
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Full-Time MBA Standards |
Beth Ursin Standards Consultant MBA CSEA
Kay Dawson Director of Career Marketing & Operations, Career Management Group University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business
Mitchell Kam |
Learn about the key features of the Standards for Reporting Full-time MBA Employment Statistics, focusing on the following areas: (i) background and common uses (ii) an introduction to the key features of the Standards, including student status, compensation reporting and accounting for dual-degree students. This session will be invaluable for career services staff who are new to employment data reporting and the application of Standards, as well as those who would like a refresher on the basics. |
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How to Adapt to Tech Recruiting in 2023 |
Edward Bernier Assistant Dean for Daytime MBA Career Services and Interim Technology Coach Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business
Jenny Zenner
Senior Director Career Coach - Tech Sector
UVA Darden
Stephen Cognetta CEO & Co-Founder Exponent
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The tech ecosystem is undergoing one of the most significant economic shifts we've seen in years. As MBA students gear up for a challenging tech recruiting cycle, we'll discuss how MBA students and schools should adapt for tech recruiting in 2023 and 2024. We'll also do a deep-dive on what's required to be a successful tech candidate, targeted at both MBA schools and employers. This will be informed by data from over 1 million tech candidates that will be shared during the session. |
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Is Everything Ok? Turnover in Higher Education - a look at the reality, truth, and retention strategies |
John Rooney Director of Career Services University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business |
The purpose of this session is to assist MBA CSEA colleagues with the turnover in higher education that many are experiencing. After nearly a 50% turnover rate from 2020-2022, the University of Cincinnati reviewed every facet of their hiring, onboarding, training, and performance review process. They conducted benchmarking studies with other peer universities and found many institutions experienced the same challenges and were often just as uncomfortable talking about it. A common response many often stated “Is it us?” Whether it is or isn’t, they ironed out some practices all higher ed leaders should be monitoring and reviewing. |
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Maintaining Student Engagement through Event Attendance |
Jonathan Hurst Office Coordinator, Career Services & Recruitment
Stephanie Turner Assistant Director, Recruitment & Employer Relations |
Tuck has instituted a formal attendance policy for its career-related events like the attendance policy that students were expected to conform to in the academic realm. To save ourselves and our alumni and companies from the embarrassment and wasted money that comes with a low attendance rate, we created a “three strikes” policy. |
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Maximizing Career Foundations Across Student Populations
Sponsored by: |
Rebecca Cook Executive Director Indiana University, Kelley School of Business
Randi Edmonds Associate Director Indiana University, Kelley School of Business |
Born from a need to scale career services to larger student numbers, Kelley's GCS team designed in-house, pre-matriculation career foundations curriculum. This program's success with faculty, program offices, and students has led to the expansion of this curriculum to other student populations. The program's success hinges on effective use of technology, collaboration, and innovation. Although the content of Discovery, Resume, LinkedIn, Networking, and Interviewing is not necessarily new, the approach and timing are what make this project impactful. The team is collaborating to use state of the art recording and design resources to create professional and dynamic training videos for students. These videos will enable students to asynchronously learn content so that when in-person, synchronous sessions occur, they are interactive and value-add (e.g., a flipped classroom model.) Students are then led through a six-week course to apply the concepts learned, to dig deep into exercises and practice, and to start strong with the job search process even before classrooms begin. Additionally, the foundational training videos have enabled the team of Kelley coaches to collaborate closely in identifying where student population needs overlap. This has led to closer connections amongst the team, a reduction in duplicating efforts, and the ability to scale services to greater numbers of students. Finally, technology is integral to this program, not only the foundational training videos, but also effective use of a Learning Management System. Attend this session to understand how to better use technology to serve students, understand the role of collaboration amongst career services and staff, and improve efficiency and reduce redundancy. |
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Network Like a High Schooler
Sponsorsed by: |
David Lee Associate Director of Career Management The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business |
Our career is one of the most important change management projects of our lives—and like all change initiatives, it needs a network of committed mentors and advocates. Many MBA students, however, struggle to find mentors and advocates critical to their career and recruiting success. They want—and need—a tested, data-driven framework to help them in this process. Drawing on his experience career coaching both MBA and high school students, David conducted A/B tests to see which groups’ networking strategies and approaches were effective at connecting with a potential mentor or advocate. The findings showed that MBA students could benefit from learning from their younger peers. This session will analyze the results of the A/B tests, assess the value of framing career as a change initiative, and demonstrate how MBA students can apply the learnings in their own career pursuits. |
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Opening Doors: Engaging Alumni Across the Country |
Andrew Tempest MBA Career Director University of Rochester, Simon Business School
Ariel Ruggeri Assistant Director, Marketing & Events University of Rochester, Simon Business School
LaTanya Johns Assistant Dean University of Rochester, Simon Business School |
Our session will walk through Simon's Opening Doors Across America virtual series designed to connect 1st and 2nd year still seeking MBAs with alumni across functional areas in different geographic regions. The presentation will walk through the following topics: background of program, how it works, impact it has had on alumni and students and lessons learned. After this session, attendees will be able to understand how to create similar programs, what partners should be involved, how to set expectations around impact and best practices for working with students who want to participate. |
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Part-time MBA Standards |
Beth Ursin Standards Consultant MBA CSEA
Kay Dawson Director of Career Marketing & Operations, Career Management Group University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business |
Learn about the key features of the Standards for Reporting Part-time MBA Employment Profile. The session will include an introduction to the Standards and their application, as well as Q&A and feedback relating to members’ observations from the past three years of data collection. We will also provide an initial overview of proposed changes being considered to the Standards to gather member feedback. |
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Recruiting Real Talk
Sponsored by: |
Jessica Campbell Director, Corporate and Employer Relations Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business
Heidi Cuthbertson Campus Relations and Strategy Lead Ball Aerospace |
This Recruiting Real Talk session is where employers and career services professionals come together for an engaging and honest conversation about the challenges and opportunities of recruiting. Together, we'll explore creative strategies, share success stories, and learn from each other's experiences on a variety of hot topics including (but not limited to):
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Reimagining Career Development with Leadership Coaching |
Jacques Domenge Associate Director, Coaching and Education Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business School
Miller Simmons III Associate Director, Coaching and Education Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business School |
Since just before the beginning of the pandemic, Carey has been prototyping a leadership coaching offering that is free of charge to our part-time students. The intention has been to meet the students where they are in their careers in order to give them the opportunity for personal transformation to then make an impact in their workplaces. Rather than trying to force standard career services offerings on them or ignoring them altogether, we offer empowerment. Based on the feedback we've received, we will make a case for why leadership coaching is essential to the future of career development. |
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Revolutionizing University Relations: How Recruiters & Employer Relations Can Leverage Chat GPT for Effective Engagement and Partnerships |
Amanda Schram Assistant Director University of Colorado Boulder, Leeds School of Business
Ann Blasick Director of Career Services, MS Analytics Georgia Tech |
Recruiting top talent is becoming increasingly challenging for organizations, while university career centers are working harder than ever to provide students with valuable resources and guidance. This breakout session will explore how recruiters and university career center employer relations can use Chat GPT to build stronger employer relationships and improve talent acquisition. Attendees will learn best practices for integrating Chat GPT into existing recruitment and employer relations strategies including how Chat GPT can assist in creating a stronger connection between recruiters and students, streamlining the hiring process, and enhancing the overall employer-university career center relationship. By attending this session, recruiters and university career center employer relations professionals will gain a deep understanding of the benefits of Chat GPT and how it can be used to revolutionize their recruitment efforts. Note: This session title and description were created by ChatGPT! |
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Serving Those Who Served -- Developing Innovative Structures and Approaches to Assist Student Veterans Find Careers of Meaning |
Jonathan "JD" Due Executive Director, Center for Military Transition William & Mary – Raymond A. Mason School of Business
Stephanie Larson Director for Graduate Career Advising and Education William & Mary – Raymond A. Mason School of Business
Michael Ryan Senior Director, Employer & Alumni Career Engagement William & Mary – Raymond A. Mason School of Business
Rosalyn Hundley Associate Director, Corporate Relations & Employer Engagement William & Mary – Raymond A. Mason School of Business
Heidi Cuthbertson Campus Relations and Strategy Lead Ball Aerospace |
This session invites participants to engage in 2 key conversations. First, what challenges do student veterans face when exploring career opportunities after they transition from the military? Second, how can career services teams best organize to assist veterans in connecting with employers and ultimately with pursuing meaningful civilian careers? The resulting discussion will provide participants with organizational ideas, specific program components, and a summary of key lessons learned, to include how this model might be replicated elsewhere and for other under-resourced populations of students. |
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Specialty Masters Standards |
Beth Ursin Standards Consultant MBA CSEA
Mitchell Kam |
Learn about the key features of the Standards for Reporting Specialty Masters Employment Statistics. The session will include an introduction to the Standards and their application, as well as Q&A and feedback relating to members’ observations from the past three years of data collection. We will also provide an initial overview of proposed changes being considered to the Standards to gather member feedback. |
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Steal this Session! Leveraging Strengths for Career Alignment, Personal Brand and More |
Bridgette Marty Senior Associate Director and Career Coach for Working Professionals Carlson School of Management,University of Minnesota
Montgomery Thomas Associate Director for Alumni and Graduate Career Strategy Suffolk University |
Calling all strengths nerds! Are you using CliftonStrengths or are you Clifton-Curious and interested in how a strengths-based tool can be leveraged? We are welcoming anyone who has interest in learning a few fresh approaches to leverage a strengths mindset and/or CliftonStrengths in career programming and coaching. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their strengths with and participate in this hands-on session to work through fun activities that can be used with your populations. We invite attendees to share their resources as we are ultimately hoping to build a community of practice within the coaching space for folks that are interested in harnessing strengths further in their coaching practice. |
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Tech Savvy, Human Approved: Mastering the Art of Blending Technology and the Candidate Experience |
Shawn DuBravac New York Times Best Selling Author, President 'Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Communicate', Avrio Institute |
Recruiters are increasingly relying on technology to streamline processes, but it is equally important to ensure candidates still feel valued and engaged throughout the recruiting process. This session will explore how to strike the perfect balance between technology and the human experience, enabling recruiters to leverage the latest tools and techniques without losing sight of the personal touch. |
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The Impact of AI on the Career Services and Recruiting Industry
Sponsored by: |
Kathi To Senior Director, Career Education and Operations NYU Stern
Lindsay Unger Director, Career Education NYU Stern |
With AI seemingly taking over all aspects of life and work, what is the real impact of AI on the career services and recruiting industry? In this session we will explore how career services and recruiting professionals can not only leverage AI's unique and time-saving capabilities in their work with students, alumni and other job-seekers, but we will also consider challenges and ethical considerations. After a presentation of the literature review to-date, attendees will engage in breakout groups to consider thought-provoking questions such as, "What are best practices that we can leverage with this powerful technology?" and "If AI continues to evolve to the point of providing career coaching, what can career teams do to proactively adapt?" participants will walk away with ideas and next steps for leveraging AI when working with job seekers. |
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The Power of Sponsorship: Effective Coaching Strategies to Support the Professional Development of Underrepresented MBA Students and Recent Graduates |
Fatim Lelenta Associate Director, Career Coaching, Full-Time MBA New York University, Stern School of Business
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As career development, especially in higher education and corporate environments, takes on a global scope, it is even more critical for underrepresented MBA/Specialty Masters students to thrive as colleagues, managers, and leaders in a business field. This session will bring together MBA/Specialty Masters career professionals and showcase how critical and meaningful career sponsorship, a powerful professional relationship that can be used to strengthen one's network and support one’s career advancement, is to one’s career development - with a particular emphasis on diverse and underrepresented populations. Attendees will gain insight into increasing their cultural competence, social justice-minded practices, and effective coaching strategies to benefit career development across the lifespan of underrepresented business students and recent graduates. |
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Treat Employer Relations more like Sales (because it is)
Sponsored by: |
Matthew Smith Director of Professional Graduate Employer Relations The Pennsylvania State University - Smeal College of Business |
This session will address the challenges & opportunities that are seen as MBA programs continue to shift in enrollments and new Specialty Master's programs start to grow in popularity for international & fifth year students. As these changes continue, it's more important than ever to find ways to evolve and build on the traditional employer relationships by using data effectively and rethinking how employers can continue to find talent and brand themselves in this new environment. Key takeaways include: better CRM management, alumni engagement, pre-career planning strategies for Career Services, and forming effective corporate partner programs. |
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Using Data to Put the Student First (and drive better reporting of outcomes) |
Kay Dawson Director of Career Marketing & Operations, Career Management Group University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business
Molly Rose Business Data Analyst, Career Management Group
University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business |
Tired of endless Google Sheet trackers, complicated processes, erratic communication, and the inevitable last-month-scramble, the data team at Haas overhauled the process for supporting graduating students in their final year. They re-designed the data collection timeline and systems, using better reporting and improved collaboration with the student-facing team to increase student satisfaction during a West Coast tech and finance industry meltdown. Attendees will leave this session with information and best practices on the following: |
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