Darden MBA Class of 2014

Each year, Darden organizes trips to approximately 20 international and domestic cities during winter break (mid-December or early January) that facilitate networking opportunities with local firms and alumni prior to the First Year interview period. These student-led excursions can enhance the recruiting process for those with geographically specific job searches, curiosity about a new metropolitan region, or targeted interest in one or more area companies. Though they are organized independently, all treks typically offer:

• 2-4 days to tour corporate facilities
• A networking event with area members of the Darden alumni association
• Key insight into the interview process
• One-on-one discussions with corporate recruiting team members
• The chance to demonstrate commitment to/interest in a geography or company

First Year “trek leads” volunteer to work directly with target companies and alumni to coordinate these trips, with assistance from the Darden administration. While job treks typically take place during winter break, the planning process begins early in the first semester. If you have interest in trek participation or leadership, please look for our table at the career fair, or ask about it in the Career Development Center (CDC).

Johnson & Johnson is a committed visionary corporate partner at Darden. This academic year marks the second year of a three year visionary sponsorship with the company. Below is an introduction to J&J’s company, values and job opportunities:

Caring for the world, one person at a time… J&J embraces research and science — bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Employees of the J&J Family of Companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world. They focus on diversity in the workplace and recognize that differences in age, race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, physical ability, thinking style and background bring richness to our work environments. Such differences help us connect better with the health needs of people in communities around the world.

J&J’s Family of Companies comprises:

• The world’s sixth-largest consumer health company
•  The world’s largest and most diverse medical devices and diagnostics company
• The world’s fifth-largest biologics company
• The world’s eighth-largest pharmaceutical company

Notable sustainability rankings:

• 2nd in 2012 for Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands list
• 2nd on the Global 100 Most Sustainable companies list (compiled by Global Knights)
• 6th amongst U.S. companies in Newsweek’s Green Rankings

They have more than 250 operating companies in 60 countries employing approximately 129,000 people. The headquarters is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.

J&J will be recruiting at Darden for positions in consumer marketing, finance and pharma.

Mark your calendar to network and visit with Johnson & Johnson during the following events:

15 August – J&J Case

24 September – First Coffee, company briefings (International, Consumer/Pharma, Finance)

23 October – FY networking night

Eastman Chemical Company is one of Darden’s new visionary corporate sponsors for the 2012-2013 academic year. Eastman is committed to the success and future of the School and its students. Their visionary sponsorship provides recruiting benefits and cases that will be taught in the First Year. Below is an introduction to Eastman Chemical’s company, values and job opportunities:

Eastman is a global specialty chemicals company that produces a broad range of advanced materials, additives and functional products, specialty chemicals, and fibers that are found in products people use every day. As a world leader in the diverse markets, teamwork, quality, responsibility and safety are the core values that are ingrained in their corporate culture and in the way Eastman does business. Eastman recognizes the importance of treating each other, their customers and the world around them with fairness and respect, and then strive to showcase these values in all of their interactions.

Careers at Eastman Chemical Company:

Commercial Leadership Development (CLD) is Eastman’s newly designed, highly selective program focused on identifying talented individuals with strong leadership and commercial aptitude, investing in those individuals, and developing them for future commercial leadership roles at Eastman Chemical Company          .

The CLD program is open to MBA graduates and provides the following opportunities:

• Customized, rotational assignments
• Mentoring and coaching
• Targeted classroom and hands-on training
• Exposure to multiple organizations within the company

The investment Eastman makes in developing their employees will impact the company for years to come. They are proud of the people employed at Eastman, and look to see employees succeed. Why Eastman?

Mark your calendar to network and visit with Eastman Chemical during the following events:

29 August – First Coffee

19 September – Leadership Speaker with CEO, Jim Rogers, company briefing, and SY networking night

23 October – FY networking night

Dear Class of 2014, 

Congratulations! I hope you are enjoying the summer before the start of your Darden years.

My name is Ed Yu and I am a career consultant in the Career Development Center, where I help students find full-time and internship opportunities in finance. I am writing to convey the importance of reading a well-established business publication on a consistent basis. The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times are examples of fine business newspapers. And guess what? The recruiters, alumni and people you will be in contact throughout your business school years most read these business journals. In this blog, I will introduce the Wall Street Journal in particular. 

First, it is critical to understand what is happening in the business world. The topics that you read in the newspaper will help you with your discussion and dialogue with potential recruiters and contacts in your network. A few weeks ago, I read an interesting news article regarding a $2 billion loss by JPMorgan’s Investment Management division. The article depicted how JPMorgan initially made money making big bets on an index. When the market went against its position this year, their trading position led to a big loss for the firm. On a macro level, the advantages and disadvantages of financial regulation were discussed.   

Second, the Wall Street Journal is written by people who are often able to connect the dots and provide a clear picture of the trends and analysis regarding what is happening in the market. I use the information I read in the journal to communicate to First Year students at Darden about market expectations. Last year, I saw a graph of the US Financial Institution Stress Index on the front page of the WSJ. I was able to correlate the graph with the recent changes in Wall Street recruiting for MBA students. It turned out that the graph helped tremendously in terms of being able to forecast what happened with Wall Street banks’ recruiting activity this past year.

Finally, many articles in the Wall Street Journal “educate” you about various concepts.  For instance, an article in the Money and Investing section may discuss “carry trade” and explain what a carry trade is. A few years ago, the paper had a page explaining what a yield curve was and what differently-shaped yield curves may imply regarding the future of the U.S. economy.

In addition to finance, you will also find great articles on topics related to marketing, management, leadership, entrepreneurship, economics and more.

You can start reading the Journal today by going to http://wsj.com/impress to sign up. With the educational program, you receive WSJ.com, tablet edition, Smartphone mobile reader and the print paper.  If you have any questions about signing up for the WSJ, please contact Deborah Nicoles at Deborah.nicoles.com@dowjones.com.

Below are a few Career Development Tools using WSJ.com.

1. Follow the News that’s Important to You for Interviewing
   *Company and Industry     *Columns      *Alerts and Newsletters
   Home Page upper right.  To set up, click on “My Journal” (under your name in upper right of home page) then click on the “Newsletters” tab. Several newsletters are available including Career Update (latest career tips and update).
2. Track Industries – for Career Prep and Interviewing Plans
   Gain additional insight from news, videos, charts, photos, blogs, discussions sorted by 31 INDUSTRIES including *Banking *Fin. Services/ Insurance *Pharmaceutical *Health Industry *Computers *Energy *Autos
   Home Page Grey Main Tool Bar: Click on “Business” then sites or “More Industries” drop down
3. Keep Current in the Market Data Center
   Track markets, funds and companies using comprehensive real-time news & data plus professional grade tools and charts.
   Home Page upper right.  Click on “Market>” above the charts of market data listed.
4. Learn through Leadership Videos from top CEOs
   Access video and articles about Leadership styles
   Home Page ~ Grey Main Tool Bar. Click “Business” then on “Management”. Directly under that header is “Leadership”. Click on this for videos.     

You will be able to get a deep discount as a student to both the paper and the online version of the Wall Street Journal once you start school in August. 

Ed Yu
Associate Director, Career Development Center

BCG will be hosting an informal happy hour at “The Getaway” in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, July 26th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The reception will be a casual way for you to mingle with some of their consultants and learn more about BCG. Please take a moment to fill out the survey, so they can plan accordingly. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail darden.recruiting@bcg.com.