EC? RC? Aldrich? What’s an Aldrich?

Every organization has their own acronyms and jargon and HBS is no exception. Here are some of the terms used at HBS that relate to on-campus company recruiting. Hopefully, you will have an even better understanding of what to expect from the recruiting process at HBS.

Before we kick off the ABCs, let us introduce ourselves. We are HBS CPD – Harvard Business School Career & Professional Development.

A – Aldrich. Aldrich Hall is one of our main academic buildings where most MBA classes are held. This is also where we hold on-campus presentations with different recruiters.baker l

B – Baker. Baker Library holds the preeminent collection of contemporary and historic business information in the world. Students can leverage the library to research companies and industry trends to prepare for interviews.

C – Company Conversations. You might know Company Conversations as Coffee Chats at other MBA schools. These 1:1 or small group meetings are a great way to connect with companies and get to know them on a personal level. Company Conversations can be invite-only or open for any student to sign up.

D – Dedicated Interview Period. Each year in January HBS runs a Dedicated Interview Period for internship hiring. This week students do not have class and can dedicate time to interviewing. Over 100 companies come to Boston to conduct these interviews held at the DoubleTree Hotel.

E – EC. EC stands for Elective Curriculum and represents students who are in their second year of the MBA program. In the second year, students can “elect” the classes they would like to take and customize their academic experience.

F – Field Global Immersion (FGI). First-year students participate in a Global Immersion at the end of the second semester. They travel all over the world participating in short-term consulting projects that add value to our global company partners and help students build skills in teamwork, international business, leadership, and market analysis.

G – GO: Africa. Beginning with the MBA Class of 2018, HBS offers a Global Opportunity Fellowship (GO: Africa) to supplement the income of MBA graduates who go on to work in Africa following graduation. The aim is to support HBS graduates who want to make a difference in emerging markets and assist in attracting top talent to Africa and expand the School’s global impact.

H – HBS Clubs. There are over 50 HBS Student Clubs on campus, many of which are focused on career development. Companies often connect with student clubs to advertise job opportunities or events.

I – Industry Education. Industry Education presentations are non-recruiting educational events open to both first year and second year students. Companies will come to campus to talk about a recent deal, an industry trend, or a case study on how they made an important business decision.

J – Job Search Days. Throughout the semester, students have days free from class that they can devote to recruiting called Job Search Days. Companies are encouraged to use these days for interviews to avoid the complication of scheduling interviews around class time on other days.

K – Klarman Hall. Klarman is our newest building on campus and the largest auditorium space seating up to 1,000 audience members.

L – Leadership Fellows. The Leadership Fellows program is designed so that recent graduates can experience high-impact management positions in nonprofit and public sector organizations (for one year) at a competitive salary. 

M – MS/MBA. The MS/MBA is the newest Harvard Business School joint degree program offered in collaboration with the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. We also offer joint degree programs with the Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Medical School.

N – No missed class policy. Students at HBS are required to attend all classes and cannot miss class for recruiting. That is why as part of our recruiting policies we require recruiting partners to offer two interview dates for interviews that do not conflict with class-time.

O – OCI (On-Campus Interviews). HBS works with companies to schedule On-Campus Interviews. HBS provides the resources and space recruiters needs to give students convenient interview opportunities.

P – Presentation. Other MBA programs may call company presentations briefings or info sessions. At HBS we refer to any company session located in a classroom or off-campus, as a company presentation. 

Q – Questions. Just as the Career and Professional Development are always available to students to help them with their career goals, the recruiting team supports companies with recruiting strategies and any questions they have to ensure synergy between HBS students and companies looking for the best talent. 

R – RC. RC stands for Required Curriculum and represents students who are in the first year of the MBA program. In the first year, students stay with the same group of 90 students (their section) through all of the required classes.

S – Spangler. The Spangler Center is one of the first buildings you’ll see on campus when you arive. It houses our dining hall, many administrative offices, and breakout rooms for students and companies. If companies are holding on-campus interviews or company conversations, they will likely be held in Spangler.

T – Targeted Events. Companies hold invitation only targeted events for students which can be small group dinners, receptions, or private Company Conversations. 

U – U.S. Work Authorization. All international students are eligible for U.S. work authorization after the first year of the MBA program and none require visa sponsorship from an organization to work in an internship. 

V – Video Conference. Our office has two video conference rooms available for interviews. We provide companies with the option to use these rooms so that they can easily interview students remotely.

W – Wilder House. CPD is located in Wilder House on the HBS campus. If you are meeting with a CPD staff member while you are on campus, you may be visiting our little house at the edge of campus by the Charles River.

X – eXperienced Staff. The experienced recruiting staff provides guidance and opportunities to companies that are in line with the hectic schedules and goals of the students. 

Y – Y Days. EC students have a varied class schedule as they each choose their own classes. There are X Days and Y Days on the calendar that indicate which class sessions are scheduled for that day.

Z – Zoom. Zoom is a web-based tool for remote interviews, presentations, or company conversations. Every HBS student has a personal account to use for group or 1:1 video conference sessions.