I lived for 2 years with an MBA student as a roommate before I came to Booth. At the time, I couldn’t understand why she was always so busy. She also kept traveling from coast to coast at times, and when I asked her why she would say “recruiting.” But honestly, I never fully appreciated how action-packed life can be during recruiting season till I came to Booth myself. So for the uninitiated, here’s a peek into my life last Thursday thru Saturday as I traveled for interviews, while balancing academics and my extra-curricular leadership responsibilities.
9 a.m. Practice behavioral questions, and potential job-specific answers especially because this job is in an industry I haven’t been exposed to. I’m thankful to the Career Service coaches, career advisors, and second years who have been great at helping me craft stories that showcase my transferable skills.
10.30 a.m. Grab my suitcase and jump into an Uber to Hyde Park. I’ll head straight to the airport after class. On the ride there, a Booth alum at the company gives me a call and we chat about who I’m interviewing with, and what to expect. Picked up great pointers from someone who was in my shoes once!
11 a.m. I’m co-presenting a start-up idea on behalf of my team in my New Venture Strategy class. We run through the presentation a couple of times, and field questions from the other members in a mock role-play of the Q&A session we expect in class.
12 p.m. When it’s nice out, I head to the food trucks to get lunch with a few friends. But today, I grab lunch from the cafeteria and head to the Winter Garden for my weekly DMAC meeting. We are planning out initiatives for the year, and ironing out some logistics. Before ending the meeting, we divide up responsibilities.
1 p.m. I fire out some quick emails before class – a thank you note to the alum who chatted with me this morning, some related to DMAC. I also follow up on an off-campus role I’m interested in, reaching out to the HR that another Booth alum has put me in touch with (yay Booth network!).
1.30 p.m. I nervously fidget as I wait for my team’s turn to present. I’m anxious that I’ll forget everything I have to say the minute I go on. Thankfully that does not happen and the presentation goes off without a hitch.
4 p.m. The entire class provides feedback for all the presentations on slips of paper. My team and I pick up our feedback and digest it together sitting in the Winter Garden.
4.30 p.m. I head to the airport. On the way, I run through practice questions again.
6 p.m. I land and check-in at the hotel. The firm I’m interviewing with is hosting a dinner for us. It also gives me a chance to meet with more people and hear about their experiences at the firm, giving me a better sense of the role and responsibilities.
10 p.m. Back at the hotel, I check my inbox for any fire drills. I also read through a case that’s due in class the next day and write up notes for my team who’re meeting in the morning (while I’m in interviews) to discuss and submit the assignment.
11.30 p.m. I turn in early because the interviews start at 8 a.m. the next day. Nervous but also excited for tomorrow. Simply having the Booth name on my resume has opened so many doors, and so many firms take notice. It’s unique to have that kind of access and exposure.
