Planning for 2008-2009

The biggest thing that will be happening at the GSB for 2nd years this autumn is On-Campus-Recruitment (OCR). Most big companies will come to recruit for full time positions. At the forefront of these will be management consulting and banking organizations.

I don't think i should take the recruitment part as lightly as i did last year. This is especially true given my special requirement of spending only up to one more year in the US after graduation. This means i will be looking for a short-term project-based job, or a job with a company that has an option for moving to Egypt in a years time. At the same time, my two summer experiences showed me how the right assignment, function, and/or company can make a big difference in the experience you gain. So i'd better do my homework this time.

My goal is to get as much of an working experience in the US before i head back. I want a job that is strategic in scope and is not very detailed oriented. I still want something related to either marketing or management. I want to be working closely with a team and want to report and be in contact with someone I look up to and I can learn from. The industry might vary, but I am likely to start searching technology-related companies or social ventures. Venture Capital would be great but i don't think it can easily fit with my constraints of leaving in a year. Consultancy isn't completely excluded, considering the experience you can gain there and the existence of Egypt office for some of the big ones. Finally i want to work in a place that is inspirational. A place with strong leadership and a captivating vision.

This means i have to work on identifying which companies fall within these criteria. Then networking with everyone i can who works or worked in any of these companies. Lots of informational interviews knowing about their different projects and organization. I believe I'll have to reach out to people in management positions rather than the companies university relations officers. I'll have to make the best out of our Alum Network. Except for the few companies that will fit in the US-Egypt operations model, i don't think I'll be doing much of the OCR interviews. I expect that any opportunities will appear relatively later in the year considering the short term requirement.

Going back to Egypt right away is also not completely excluded , but it won't be a first option at the current time unless there is an exceptional opportunity.