Career Development Programming
From the moment they arrive on campus, HBS students are encouraged to focus on their long and short term career goals. Being thoughtful about choosing a career path and thinking about where they can make an impact allows students to focus their energy, both in and out of the classroom, on developing the skills and knowledge that will best prepare them for their internship or full-time experiences. Because this task can seem arduous, Career & Professional Development has created a curriculum of career development programming which beings early in the first year at HBS and continues to graduation.
Self-Assessment
The beginning process of all career explorations should begin with self-assessment and the development of a unique career vision. During the months of September and October, before recruiting begins, first-year students are encouraged to focus on self-assessment and defining their career goals. Whether attending a series of industry education and career development programs, Super Days, or an intensive small group career visioning workshop, Career Teams, there are a wide variety of resources available to help students discover and achieve their career goals.
Industry Education
Industry related programming is important for students to attend during the self-assessment period particularly if they are new to the field, i.e career switchers. Our office works to ensure students feel equipped with the knowledge of various industries so they can make informed decisions about the direction of their career.
Super Days
Super Days is an educational series of programs which occurs over the first two months of the academic year. Super Days is a series of programs designed to help RCs realize their career vision, develop job search strategies and advance knowledge through industry 101s and professional panels. CPD Super Days are structured to enable you to transition from learning and reflection to career action. Through a condensed and efficient way to learn about industries and career choices, you can develop your own career development action plan.
Training the Street
Training the Street, Inc. is a leading provider of financial modeling and valuation training globally to the financial services industry, consulting firms, diversified corporations, and universities. TTS has been offering workshops at HBS for several years including instructor-led courses in financial modeling and corporate valuation training to students with experience in or switching into the finance sector.
Research
While our students conduct research on their own time and use a variety of external resources, such as newspapers, online databases and more, our office offers additional resources to promote company and industry research, furthering their understanding of various industries, functions and even specific companies. Students also have access to Baker Library | Bloomberg Center during their time at HBS. Baker Library supports faculty, doctoral and MBA students, executive education participants, and external researchers in their research and curriculum activities.
Peer-to-Peer Networking
Promoting internal company research and networking among the student body, the Career & Professional Development office sponsors a free lunch month where first-year students have the opportunity to take up to two second-year students to lunch on us. First-year students seek out second-year students with similar professional interests based on their internship and pre-HBS experience and get the opportunity to get career advice over lunch.
Students spend time talking about their experiences as they relate to their previous roles and companies. This is a great example of how students on campus become great ambassadors for the companies for whom they have previously worked.
On The Job Preparation
The Career & Professional Development Office offers a variety of programs aimed at preparing students to be successful in their jobs. From "Succeeding in your Summer Internship," with communication expert Jodi Glickman, to "Be Great on the Job," our office invites experts from the field and second-year students with valuable experience, to offer tips on how to be successful within your internship or full-time experience.
