BBA Parents

SECTION I - Career Services for BBA Students

What Can We Do For Your Sons and Daughters?

The BBA Career Service Office prepares undergraduate business students for their own personal job search through a structured process of self-assessment.  We integrate seminars and workshops with one-on-one counseling for a comprehensive, critical evaluation of each individual's career goals. We also offer mock interviews and resume reviews, conducted by experienced career counselors or corporate recruiters, which provide students with valuable feedback.

• Career Advising
• Mock Interviews
• Employer Receptions
• BBA Career Library
• Exit Survey
• On-Campus Interviewing
• How Majors Relate to Careers
• Defining Success

Career Advising

Students are encouraged to visit our team of BBA Career Advisors. Each advisor, dedicated to a specific BBA major is available to guide students through all phases of their professional future, including career choice decisions, résumé development, interviewing techniques (including mock interviews), off evaluation, and general job search strategies.

Mock Interviews

The mock interview provides students with invaluable experience because it is an exact simulation of an employer interview. During this for intensive interview practice, professional staff act as the interviewer and give students a critique of a students’ presentation their performance. Often videotaped, the mock interview provides crucial feedback to the student regarding both verbal and nonverbal behavior. This format allows each student to become comfortable with their professional appearance, their ability to field spontaneous questions, and their overall self-presentation. At certain times of the year, mock interviews with actual employers are also available. Both employer and staff mock interviews are offered through the BBA Career Service Office.

Employer Receptions

Employer receptions and information sessions are a vital part of the recruiting process. They offer an informal setting for students to meet employers and learn more about their organizations before the formal interview. Because 300–400 events are scheduled each year, the career center maintains a calendar of pre-recruiting events, helping both students and the recruiters to avoid scheduling conflicts. Events are advertised through our computer system, and on the “Receptions” bulletin board adjacent to the BBA Career Service Office. We encourage students to attend as many recruiter information sessions as possible; they offer valuable insight and are a critically important means of building a relationship with an employer. Students RSVP for receptions through the computer system.
 

BBA Career Library

BBA Career Services maintains a career library exclusively for undergraduate business students. The library offers company literature, brochures, and videotapes as well as specific job information for on- and off-campus recruiting. Career resource books, corporate directories, and business publications are also available. A special “majors” section provides in-depth information for choosing a major and the resulting career paths available. Videos of all BBA workshops are available. The BBA Career Library is open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. (Location: CBA 2.316 F; Telephone: 471-7748.)
 

Exit Survey

BBA Career Services collects employment status information from intern candidates and graduates. Segments of the intern and exit surveys result in salary survey reports, which are an integral part of the service we provide to students and recruiters. While individual results are always confidential, the summaries are essential in helping students in their career planning, and employers in their recruiting. If, upon graduation, students are still job seeking, the form is used to help employers that have positions available get in touch with students.

On-Campus Interviewing

The on-campus recruiting program is a major focus of the BBA Career Service Office. More than 400 organizations recruit graduate and undergraduate business students on campus each year using our pre-screen and open sign-up procedures. Employers use 43 interview rooms to conduct nearly 15,000 interviews on campus. Of those, approximately 1,400 interviews are for internship positions.

The career service office hosts two primary on-campus recruiting seasons. The fall season takes place from late September through early December, with interview sign-up beginning in early September. The spring recruiting season begins in February and continues through the spring semester. Sign-ups for interviews begin immediately after the semester break. Information on specific procedures for on-campus recruiting, including outlines of the pre-screen and open sign-up process, is provided in the BBA Career Services Orientation sessions offered during each semester and in other BBA Career Services publications.

How Majors Relate To Careers

Much like the business world that your child will soon enter, McCombs takes a multidisciplinary approach in its curriculum. As a result, it is not uncommon for students to experience internships and jobs beyond their majors. Thus the relationship between your student’s major and career choice is not always direct. As your son or daughter chooses to major in a particular field, remember one of the benefits of attending McCombs is that he or she is never limited to opportunities associated with that major.

Defining Success

Remember that as your son or daughter searches for their job and internship, that it is important for both you and your child to stay open-minded. Success is not defined as a particular job position, working for a particular company, or working in a particular industry. The internship or job your son or daughter may end up with may not be the one that he or she planned for when he or she started college. Rather than defining success with a specific job/internship, remember that success can be better defined with characteristics such as flexibility, perseverance, and entrepreneurship.

SECTION II – A Timeline for Your Son or Daughters
Career Path: What They Should be Doing and When
 

Students are given exposure to a career planning strategy in the BA 101 class. The strategy is broken down into steps starting with developing short term goals to ultimately finding the right job upon graduation. The following lists the steps that students are encouraged to complete during each year at McCombs to successfully meet their career goals.

Freshman
 

• Visit the BBA Career Library (CBA 2.316F) and get familiar with the occupational materials available.
• Develop career goals. Visit the Career Exploration Center to meet with counselors and take assessment tests. Read job descriptions and books on careers to make certain they are in the right college for their interests.
• Consult with academic and BBA Career Advisors to discuss the degree program and career options in that program.
• Join at least one, maybe two, student organizations related to the major or academic interest area. Become ACTIVE in the organizations. Students can learn a lot about career path opportunities through the organizations’ activities. Recruiters look for involvement and leadership.
• Attend career fairs and workshops to become acquainted with what careers are available.
• Prepare a résumé and sample cover letter.
• Develop a network by reaching out to McCombs alumni.
• Conduct informational interviews with McCombs alumni and other employers.
   

Sophomore
 

• Select their major.
• Select target industries and professions.
• Take a leadership role in an organization.
• Update their résumé. Write appropriate cover letters and thank-you notes.
• Attend the Career Expo and begin looking for summer internship opportunities.
• Practice interviewing skills.
• Identify appropriate dress.
  
   

Junior
 

• Read at least one book on career planning (such as What Color Is Your Parachute?).
• Using resources in the BBA Career Resource Library, investigate at least three career options available to their major.
• Identify target firms/companies within area of interest.
• Identify entry-level jobs.
• Get involved in the Undergraduate Business Council events.
• Identify four skills that might transfer to a job setting.
• Become active in a professional organization related to their major.
• Prepare for interviews by participating in corporate mock interviews.
• Understand interviewing etiquette by attending Etiquette Dinner.
• Attend workshops on Interviewing, Networking, Offer Evaluation, etc.
• Attend a BBA Career Service Office Orientation.
• Update résumé for an internship/summer position.
• Begin early in the fall to investigate summer internships. Sign up at the BBA Career Service Office to do on-campus interviewing for summer positions.
• Attend the Career Expos in the fall and spring.
• Attend company-sponsored receptions and information sessions to become better informed as to career options and to meet the recruiters.
• Network: get out and meet alumni; conduct informational interviews in areas of interest.
• Plan their class schedule this year to allow plenty of time next year for the interview process.
  
   

Senior
 

• Update their résumé.
• Attend the BBA Career Services Orientation.
• Attend the Career Expo.
• Attend workshops on Interviewing, Networking, Offer Evaluation, etc.
• Attend company-sponsored receptions and information sessions.
• Participate in on-campus recruiting in fall and spring.
• Develop networking contacts.
• Secure references.
• Search for employment through job posting sites (i.e. McCombs Job Board, AccessUT, www.Monster.com,  www.HotJobs.com,  etc…).
• Develop an ongoing project for job searching on their own that will supplement the campus process.
  o Finalize their current career goals, industries, and functions for which students plan to interview.
  o Manage their time as they never have before... class, interviews, office visits, exams... whew!
   

SECTION III - BA 101 Class:
 

The BBA Career Services Office teaches a required Career Planning Strategies course for all McCombs undergraduate students. It is taught to freshmen in the spring and transfer students in the fall.

The course helps students build a foundation for an effective career search process. It involves guest speakers from the Career Exploration Center, Study Abroad, Academic Advising, and more. In addition, students complete a mock interview in the interviewing suites at the end of the course. Students also complete their profiles in the McCombs Online Resources database and the On-Campus Recruiting System.

The course is not academically difficult and most students will receive an “A.” Students receive receive less than an “A” either because they do not complete the assignments on time or do not follow the guidelines when completing assignments. As the goal of the course is to teach students how to effectively engage in the career search process, late assignments are also not permitted for the course.

Peer Career Mentors and Teaching Assistants help the instructors facilitate the course. The Peer Career Mentors are upper classmen who have been through the recruiting cycle and completed an internship. The PCM’s meet with the students in break-out sessions at the end of each class to provide peer-to-peer advice and actual examples of how they have applied these career search techniques in their search process. The Teaching Assistants are MBA or MPA students who have worked in the business field. They are hired to assist the instructors with grading papers and provide real world business etiquette information to the students.

The following topics are discussed in this course:

• How to Find the Right Career
• How to Conduct Company Research and Learn About the Various McCombs Majors
• Identifying and Marketing Your Skills Through a Resume and Cover Letter
• Networking
• Studying Abroad
• Knowing Your Rights and Responsibilities During the Interview Process
• Interview Techniques – all students will participate in a mock interview at the conclusion of the course
• Professionalism and Dress for Success
• How to Utilize the Resources Offered at McCombs’ School of Business - includes the McCombs Online Recruiting System, the BBA Career Library, and Online Research Databases, such as Hoover’s, Vault and WetFeet
  
   

SECTION IV- Time Commitment

Preparing for an Internship:

Usually students complete their internships during their sophomore or junior years. Sophomores usually attain their internships through networking and on-campus activities, and juniors utilize the online recruiting system. Most recruiting for internships takes place during the spring semester (Please include a link this to the internship requirements site on the McComb’s site)


Preparing for a Full Time Position:

Recruiting season for full time positions begins in the early fall with the start of school. Seniors should be prepared to make a large time commitment during this busy time in order to find a job upon graduation. Preparation includes researching the position/company you are interviewing for, attending mandatory information sessions, company receptions, and interviewing multiple times. Recruiting is a gradual process and can be stressful. Students should prepare themselves as much as possible by doing independent company research, participating in mock interviews, and networking.
 

SECTION V – Costs

Purchases:

You or your student may want to consider making the following purchases in preparation for interviews for internships and full time positions. To get an idea of appropriate clothing, we’ve included some websites and average prices ranges. Some of the appropriate clothing requires a small investment, so you may want to take note of department store sales and promotions early on.

• Business Casual clothing
  For less formal events, like information sessions, receptions, and etiquette dinners, students may choose to wear Business Casual. However, do not b fooled-Business Casual is a safe, less-structured, middle-of-the-road interpretation of day-to-day business dress. At this level, jackets and blazers are optional; however, be sure that arms are covered with a cardigan, pullover sweater, or long sleeve shirt.
  • Male
    • Blazer or long sleeved shirt with coordinating pants ($200+)
    • Suit in non-conservative color ($200-$300
    • Tie optional ($20-$50)
      o Female
    • Includes tailored pants ($50-$90)/dress shirts ($40-$80)
    • Hose appropriate when wearing a skirt ($5-$25)
       
• Business Professional clothing
  When making a first impression or when being formally evaluated, such as in interviews, dressing in business professional is the best option. For students, business professional dress most simply put is a conservative suit with the jacket and bottom pieces matching in both fabric and color. Common business professional situations include interviews, office visits, and career fairs.
  • Male
  • Suits usually range between $200-$300 (jackets - $150+, pants - $50-100)
  • Tie ($20-$50)
  • Female
  • Suits usually range between $100-$250 (jackets - $100-$150, pants and skirts - $50-$100 each)
     
• Helpful stores – Remember to look for sales!
   
  • Male
    o Men’s Warehouse: www.menswearhouse.com
    o Other recommendations: Structure, Express for Men, Neiman’s Last Call (great for ties)
  • Female
    o Ann Taylor Loft: http://www.anntaylorloft.com
    o Other recommendations: Banana Republic, J. Crew, Casual Corner & Target (Isaac Mizrahi line)
     
• Resume paper
• Portfolio

SECTION VI - Placement

Rankings/Placement Statistics:

This will be a link to the following pages

• http://fcc.mccombs.utexas.edu/bba/bba04_salary.asp


• http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/news/facts/rankings.asp

SECTION VII – How Can Parents Become Involved?

Provide information/advice about your Career Field, Employer and/or Geographic Area
Do students work in Dallas, New York, Houston, San Francisco or another industry-packed city? Do students work in an unusual field or for an exciting new company? Share your experiences with our students. It’s one thing to read an annual report or a travel guide. It’s another to hear it first hand. Our students will appreciate your insights.

Provide information about Internship and/or Full Time Employment Opportunities with my Organization
Are students looking for top quality students to join your organization? Why not list an internship and/or full-time opportunity. For more information contact RecruitBBA@mccombs.utexas.edu.

Conduct On-Campus Mock Interviews as a Representative from your Company
Mock Interviews are a great way to build your company’s reputation and presence on campus. Students also get the chance to help students test run their interview style and to give valuable interviewing practice to students just beginning their job search. Take advantage of this great way to introduce your company’s culture to our students. Please contact RecruitBBA@mccombs.utexas.edu  to book your date.

Participate in a Career Panel
Lend your expertise by participating in a Career Panel. BBA Career Services hosts as well as participates in a number of events where “real world” experience lends credibility. Please contact RecruitBBA@mccombs.utexas.edu for more information.

Provide Information and Advice about Graduate School
Do students have an advanced or professional degree? Give students the pros and cons and help students better understand the application process. For information on how to share your experience contact RecruitBBA@mccombs.utexas.edu.

Donate Corporate Logo Giveaway Items from your Company to a BBA Function or Event
Promote your Corporate Logo by donating items (pens, gift certificates, cups, consumer products, etc.) to a BBA Function or Event. Please contact RecruitBBA@mccombs.utexas.edu for details.

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