The CDO and Yale offer resources and communities to help you focus, recharge, and grow.
Start by asking yourself:
• What projects/skills interest you from previous roles?
• What tasks/responsibilities are you looking to leave behind?
• What could YOUR unique career path be?
• What geographic locations are you open to working in?
Continue by reflecting on the following:
Worldview Workview Exercise
What Does Business School Mean To You
After reflecting on your personal skills, priorities, and long-term goals, one of the first questions to ask is: if I choose career path X, what do I need to do? And when?
Your personal career path includes:
- a vision of your long-term career goals,
- ideas for internship and post-b school roles that are paths to that vision, and
- a sense of the activities needed to achieve both long-term and short-term goals like company research, networking, and interviewing.
As the year progresses, you may find yourself adjusting your short-term activities and goals and needing to learn about a new approach.
To help you get started, take advantage of the resources section below for self-exploration and research on industries, functions, and recruiting timelines.
Student Perspectives
Conversations with fellow students provide clarity on short-term timelines and preparation goals when on a specific career path, as well as perspective on what it’s like in industries of interest. Don’t forget to connect with students from other SOM programs and the broader Yale Community, as well. Easy ways to connect with fellow students include:
- Orientation activities
- SOM & Yale-wide Student Clubs & Conferences
- SOM & Yale-wide Coursework
Alumni Perspectives
Alumni add a long-term perspective and depth of industry knowledge that can help students define their immediate pursuits in terms of future goals. For many students, these conversations bring a new understanding and clarify short-term goals. Some ways to hear from alumni include:
- Career Conversations: a podcast of candid career conversations with alumni and 2Y MBAs across industries. Hosted by SOM students.
- ExploreSOM Alumni Panel Conversations: introductory industry discussions with alumni, describing their career paths at SOM and within their specific industries.
- ExploreSOM Coffee Chats: live small group conversations with alumni in the spring semester to learn more about their career paths and expand your network.
CDO Support
CDO Career Coaches provide programming to give you support and tools for your search throughout the process, along with drop-in Open Hours for quick questions and scheduled one-on-one coaching appointments for more in-depth questions and conversations. As generalists, our coaches work with you to achieve the best outcome for you at every stage of the recruiting cycle and help you keep the big picture in mind.
The CDO Employer Partnerships team, on the other hand, works with employers on your behalf in a variety of ways, from planning events to connect employers with Yale SOM students directly, to sharing resume books and information on the variety of Yale SOM academic programs and sharing information from employers with you, including employer contacts and notes and updates on current recruiting processes at specific employers.
