For those heading to MBA

Have you heard of this?

http://poetsandquants.com/event/2017-poetsquants-premba-networking-festival/

First instinct is: “must be a cash grab.”

Thoughts?

It’s $249 so you don’t have that much too lose.

If you are going to the right MBA program, then you will have all the time in the world to meet Mckinsey. If you are not going to the right MBA school, then they aren’t going to consider you anyway.

My advice having done mine at a Top 3 B-School is to definitely make game plan in advance of your MBA. If consulting is something you want to do, get cracking on the case-studies immediately and start talking to the entire alumni chain. Have coffees with people who can help you. There is an unwritten rule at Top MBA programs that you basically always agree to have coffee with another alum. Unless of course you are Jamie Dimon. But really most people at the VP/Director Level who are in the position to influence whether your application makes it to the interview round are usually very happy to talk to you.

In terms of the event, yeah why not. I spent $249 bucks on much less useful stuff. But if it’s a lot of money to you, that’s fine. The shitty thing about an MBA is that you are going to feel very poor for the next 2 years.

Seems pretty lame: “Engage your networking muscles. This isn’t about asking for a job. This event is about making real connections.” Translation - You pay $249 to come hear some schmucks from said companies talk about their experience in their job with no intent to ever hire you. Furthermore, its before you even start so its not in the hiring cycle.

Attend if you want to hear some people speak, but I wouldn’t expect anything to come out of it other than getting a few business cards. As said above, if you’re not in a top MBA program it won’t matter.

Yah, sounds like a ripoff to me. Gonna mingle with a bunch of zips. Anybody with real potential knows you spend that money on models and bottles.

^chick fil a

Unfortunately, I always feel poor so nothing new there. Additionally, it appears the event only allows top 25 type schools to attend anyhow. I agree that as I’ll be attending one of those schools, I’ll have this opportunity anyhow. But, for 250, whats the hurt in getting a headstart, meeting some folks from other top programs (though I fear the self-selecting nature of something like this might draw the over-achieving, network-pro, president of SGA types), and having some drinks to boot? Thanks for the input guys/gals.

You really have nothing to lose. Go for it. It will probably be filled with zips but if you make even 2 good contacts it will be worth 250$ in the long run.

If I were you, I would pass on this $249 event. McK only recruits from the top 10 MBA programs, and is particularly skewed top the top 5 and especially top 3. If you go to any of these schools, you will have more McK alumni on campus and even current students trying to court you. We had at least 100 people that went right from McK to MBA or from McK to some other job and then MBA. The point is that if you get to one of these schools you’ll have more touch points with the firm than you can even count. The hard part is getting into one of these schools, but if you aren’t at one then I worry this $249 will just be a waste of money (though I’m sure you will still learn something new and meet interesting people).

whats a zip?

last time I checked a zip was an o , which is pretty good