Today on the blog, we spotlight Darden’s four Interview Forums. Taking place over the next few months, these annual events give students the opportunity to interview in target markets with a host of employers who may not come to Darden’s Grounds. The Forums are facilitated through Darden’s partnership with other business schools including Dartmouth Tuck, Duke Fuqua, Emory Goizueta, Texas McCombs, Cornell Johnson, Michigan Ross, among others.
This year’s Forum dates and locations are as follows (see full event graphic below):
- New York Interview Forum: 8 February
- San Francisco Interview Forum: 22 February
- Boston Interview Forum: 29 March
- Chicago Interview Forum: 5 April
We recently caught up Pam Cline, Assistant Director of Employer Engagement and Recruiting, to talk more about these events, and the role they play in our students’ recruitment process.
What are Interview Forums? How and when were they established?
The initial premise of these events was to provide employers that had opportunities outside the regular recruiting cycle access to our students. The multi-school MBA Interview Forums are another component of the recruiting process, and they provide students with an additional opportunity to connect with companies. These events are inclusive of all student populations: First Year, Second Year and executive format (EMBA and GEMBA).
In collaboration with our school partners, we have gradually grown to our current Forum roster. The West Coast event was the first and is by far the oldest of these events. The New York Forum was added in 2013, followed by Chicago in 2016 and Boston in 2017.
How are the locations determined?
The locations are based on the cities that of primary interest to students. The goal is provide those students still seeking roles after the on-Grounds recruiting process with another meaningful opportunity to connect with hiring companies.
What’s your best piece of advice for students in the job search process?
Prepare well for your interviews, and then prepare some more. With the many online resources available to students today, employers expect candidates to have thoroughly researched industries, firms and the specific requirements of a particular position.
It’s critical that students be able to formulate and articulate a strong connection between the skills and experiences they have and the specific needs of the organization and the role. This only happens through research and preparation for every interview.
