Choosing what to do in school: which student groups should you join? |
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One of my most vivid memories from business school was from admit weekend. Walking into a huge outdoor tent, I was stunned by the number of student groups ready to connect with admits! That day, I signed up for more than two dozen groups. Shortly after, the deluge began!
Many of my best memories from business school relate to some of the groups that I signed up for that day. The hours I spent with my student government colleagues gave me a chance to get to know people deeply, people who I may not have otherwise crossed paths with. The consulting club gave me a chance to connect with second year students who drilled me for interviews. The small business consulting group gave me meaningful contact with business owners. You'll want to make the most of your time in b-school and choose the opportunities that fit you best (so take heed of the advice from his experience)!
If student groups activities haven't started yet at your school, they will soon. And you'll want to be ready!
The 100 Week Sprint team
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Got 30 minutes? Research the student groups at your school and identify two (or more!) groups in which you intend to pursue leadership roles.
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Got an hour? Reach out to the leaders of those groups and make an appointment to meet them some time in the next month.
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Top reasons to join a group
When considering where to get involved, of course, conventional wisdom would tell you to seek out the clubs that are directly related to the industry you want to pursue. While you should certainly do that, we would also suggest seeking out involvements that cater to your personal interests (ex. a sport or an interest like film).
Getting involved will add new details to your resume. However, even more importantly, it will allow you the chance to build your MBA network and contribute to your community early, factors which can only help with internship recruiting. If you have already been successful in helping plan a conference, bringing a major speaker to campus, or creating and implementing a brand-new on-campus event, this will give you a significant accomplishment to point to that addresses not only your talents, but also your ability to hit the ground running.
We recently ran a survey with our former clients who just completed their first year at b-school to get the scoop on their student group involvement.
Read on to find out more from the survey results of second years!
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Tips to secure leadership roles of interest
Some of you have already applied for or secured leadership roles. Others of you haven't started school yet! Even now, you can identify the areas where you'd like to take on significant responsibility, up to and including formal leadership roles.
1. Learn more about student groups now: The early fall is a great time to connect with upcoming second-year students who will be taking on those leadership roles for the 2022-23 school year. Connect with students who share your interests and learn more about what they are hoping to achieve in the coming year with their groups.
2. Make an impact early: Most student groups have their current leaders' contact information on their websites. Don't be shy to drop a note introducing yourself and asking to meet with a co-chair or executive board member. Give some thought to what kind of activities you'd like to spearhead, and what you think you'll be bringing to the group. After researching what kinds of activities the organization has done in the past, you can offer to assist with some of their existing programming, or even to tackle something new. Here are a few ideas:
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Want to try something new? Spearhead an innovative event. By creating an event and associating it with an existing group, you raise the group's overall profile.
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Want to get connected? Volunteer to help with panels and speaker events. Meet a wide variety of prospective employers, providing great insights into what they might be like to work for.
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Overseeing alumni networking events could provide you with potential mentors (and maybe even add to your Board of Advisors).
3. Say no to things that are not a good fit: Make sure the leadership positions you're targeting align with your goals. It's easy to sign up for a lot in these early weeks. What's more, current student leaders will have significant input into who will follow them, so finding a way to differentiate yourself in their eyes now can only benefit you. Want some ways to say no? Check out this article.
A quick note: not all roles are all created equal! One of the things that graduates have commented on in the past is the amount of time that they have invested in student groups – it can take a ton of effort to lead something like the ski trip and some people love the experience, while others realize that the amount of time they invested is not something that they’d want to do again.
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How do I avoid missing out?
The problem is, almost everything looks appealing! An even bigger problem is that in this case, looks are not deceiving! There are more than 50 student groups at each of the top MBA programs. There are so many chances to get to know people, from industry-related groups to wine clubs, sports teams and weekly social gatherings.
Sure, you may feel like checking out everything, but realistically, we know that you'll soon find yourself pressed for time. In one example, a colleague of mine, determined not to miss a single chance to connect with potential employers, once attended 10 career-oriented information sessions in one school week. This included formal presentations, lunches, dinners and sporting events...all packed into one Monday through Thursday period.
Funny thing is, she didn't remember much from that week. Chances are one of the sessions was with Goldman Sachs, but she couldn't remember for sure. She thought that she met an interesting Managing Director from Merrill Lynch at the Cubs game, but wasn't fully engaged and didn't have a card/name/email to follow up with. She was probably thinking ahead to the group dinner she needed to rush downtown for.
Did she really get the most from her job search experience that week? Sure, she signed in a bunch of registers and acknowledged interest in a lot of companies. But did she learn that much? Perhaps more importantly, if she didn't remember her experiences, chances are, they didn't remember her.
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What to do when FOMO hits
This may sound grim and perhaps you're wondering, "What now? Should I just pick one or two groups? Forget about case competitions? Recruit only for one path?" If you're starting to get the fear of missing out (or FOMO), we've got just the tips for you!
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Give the monster a name: Once you realize that you do have FOMO, then you can specify what exactly it is you need to work on.
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Determine your career focus as early as you are comfortable: There are so many career-related events that you can quickly cut out of your schedule if you know what you're focused on. We will share some tools in the weeks to come that will help with that focus.
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Clearly articulate your worries: One of the most effective tools we've ever come across for coaching is a simple two column chart. Column #1 articulates specific worries and column #2 identifies specific actions you can take to address the worries. When FOMO ends up on that list (and it likely will), your "to do" is to remind yourself of your priorities and to evaluate whether you are giving those enough time.
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Set some clear boundaries: Know what the signs are for you when you're not in control of your time. Write those down and track them once a week. Be ready to ask for help when you cross the line! We've talked with people over the years about tradeoffs - sometimes just having a sounding board is all it takes to get back on track.
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Kill the "what if" monster: Once you commit to yourself to focus, don't look back. In some cases, there is a second chance to try something if you're interested, however, that's not always the case!
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Missed a week or two? Click here for our article archives. Class of 2024 password: MBA2024
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