Career Development

Where Your BBA Can Take You and How We Help You Get There

Michigan is a great place to choose and launch a career. Ross students receive tremendous attention from a wide range of companies. Each year during the recruiting season, more than 180 companies descend on Ann Arbor to present themselves to Ross BBAs, for both summer internships and for permanent positions. Many more buy books of BBAs' resumes produced by the School or send job postings for iMpact, the school's online job matching and networking system.  Still, deciding on a career and pursuing career opportunities demands careful thought, preparation, and serious effort. The Office of Career Development (OCD) at Ross is positioned to help, providing BBA students with a range of services to assist with the career search. OCD helps students understand the process of deciding on a career, identify companies that match their interests, develop effective resumes and rigorously prepare for interviews. The Career Center, a specialized unit within OCD, is the home for career counseling, workshops and off-campus job search assistance. Providing more than 4,000 career counseling appointments and numerous workshops each year, the Career Center supports both on- and off-campus search strategies and help students find the right employment situation.

Among the programs and services OCD brings to BBAs are:

iMpact:

iMpact is a sophisticated and interactive online career database and networking system, and is typically a cornerstone for Michigan students' job search. Constantly updated with hundreds of job postings specifically for Ross students, iMpact may be accessed either within Ross or remotely. iMpact also includes information on events being hosted by recruiting companies as well as interview schedules. Students may arrange interviews via iMpact, and research company information including recruiting history and salary information. Job postings on iMpact also include companies targeting Ross students, but not planning a campus visit. Students can also use iMpact interactively to target specific companies or industries in their job search process.

Career Counseling:

The Career Center continually offers a range of workshops on every aspect of the career exploration and job search process, along with a host of one-on-one services. Throughout the year, the hands-on, detailed workshops are offered on everything from how to effectively interact with the recruiters who come to campus, writing effective resumes, performing well in the job interview, and negotiating the offer. Advanced sessions are held for second-year BBA students, and include things like updating resumes to reflect internships.

One-on-one services include conducting mock interviews with every student, interviews which are video taped and critiqued to help students improve performance. The Career Center also reviews every student's resume individually (on top of conducting seminars on resume-writing) and makes suggestions for maximizing its impact. Specially-trained BBA and MBA students serve as peer counselors, who offer an additional range of assistance. The MBA students have significant work experience themselves, offering a unique perspective to BBAs looking to enter many of the same career fields. The MBA counselors can also offer first-hand insights from the front lines of the job search process.

On-Campus Recruiting:

Most companies that come to campus make formal presentations to students, providing an orientation into their companies, what it's like to work there, and specific career opportunities available. Presentations are typically held in the evening after classes and include informal receptions. Many companies also get to know students and showcase their opportunities through activities like special dinners, tailgate parties, and golf outings. Companies also frequently hold informal office hours at the Ross School of Business, which allow students an opportunity to ask questions and discuss opportunities outside of the formal interview setting.

Ross' interviewing suite includes 24 interview rooms, which companies use to meet with candidates for available positions. Interviews are secured either through a company's invitation or through a process in which BBAs use iMpact to bid for interviews. Companies are required to provide open slots for bidding along with their invitation-only slots.

Off-Campus Opportunities:

Students also have the opportunity to interview with companies not coming to campus for interviews. First, all BBA students submit resumes for inclusion in a resume book, which OCD sells to companies interested in Ross graduates. Companies review the resume books and contact students in whom they are interested. Companies that use this strategy will typically provide transportation and accommodations for students to interview at a location such as their corporate headquarters. Second, companies may target Ross students by posting a position on iMpact and providing contact information so that interested students may pursue these opportunities.

The Ross School of Business houses state-of-the art video conferencing facilities, and some companies that do not come to campus interview students this way. Video-conferenced interviews are arranged through the Office of Career Development, which coordinates scheduling with both students and companies. OCD also provides special assistance to students for preparing for this type of interview.

Peer and Alumni Networking:

Many Ross students find that their peers can be a valuable resource in both identifying career opportunities and preparing to pursue those opportunities. Michigan is a tight-knit community with a tradition of cooperation. Students typically support each other in many and substantial ways during the career development process. Student clubs, which cover a rich range of career and other common interests, are highly active at Michigan. Many clubs offer the accumulated insights of their members and alumni in the form of specialized job-search advice or interview preparation in areas like finance, consulting, and marketing.

Alumni can also be a valuable resource. With over 34,000 alumni at the Ross School of Business and 450,000 University alumni in virtually every kind of organization throughout the world, Michigan provides a tremendous networking advantage. Contact information for Ross alumni is available via iMpact, and the School also publishes a directory of alumni. Students often get in touch with alumni for general information or networking. OCD provides tips and strategies to help students with this job-search strategy.