What can I expect from Fall recruitment?

Kate meets with Amanda (CRT) to discuss what students can expect from Fall recruitment, including the types of networking events and how students can get prepared using tools in 12Twenty and their LEARN CME community.

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The Ivey Career Management Podcast shares practical career advice, alumni insights, and expert perspectives to help Ivey students and graduates navigate their careers with confidence.

[Auto-generated transcript. Edits may have been applied for clarity.]
Welcome to the Ivey Career Management Podcast.

Today we're stepping out of the studio to bring you stories and strategies from students, special guests, and the Career Management team.

While we find a quiet space. Make yourself comfortable. And let's get started.

Today's topic on the podcast is cohort recruiting.

We are going to dive in what you can expect for full time recruiting when it's happening, who it's for, and how to get the most out of it.

And joining me today is Amanda from the Corporate Recruitment Team.

Thank you for coming. Hi, Kate. Thanks for having me. It's been a while. We haven't done this in a bit.

I feel I've missed you. Uh, before we dive into events, we want to set the stage for our student listeners.

What is cohort recruiting? That's a great question.

So campus recruitment, when you're here at Ivey, your time here at Ivey, it's separated into two really distinct cycles.

Cohort recruiting happens uh, sort of in the fall timeframe on the full time side.

And it will be for those companies and industries that are really early movers.

So think your finance companies, your consulting firms, uh, CPG, some early tech.

But really the most important thing to keep in mind about cohort recruiting is that the companies who are recruiting at this point in time,

they know well in advance of what they're hiring for next spring,

which is really different to later in the year when we move into what we would call more regular recruiting,

which is companies who sort of pick up recruiting as needs become realized or available for students.

Okay. And what kind of student groups participate in full time cohort recruiting?

Absolutely. Yeah. So all of our programs. So whether you're an HBA to an MSI graduating in December or next spring,

or our MBA students, you will all have an opportunity to participate in cohort recruiting.

Okay. And I know sometimes coaches get questions. If a group has done cohort recruiting,

is there ever a chance that they'll do regular recruiting or cohort recruiting at different types of times of the year?

That is such a great question. Uh, you know, I have myself I've worked here at Ivey for a very, very long time.

And so I do see this quite a bit. Um, so, you know, typically they know well in advance what their hiring needs are going to be.

And so when they're coming at this time of year, it's sort of the one stop.

They're coming in, they're doing they're recruiting and they're extending their offers. But there's always things that happen.

The market can change. Um, a new project could be picked up by a company.

I wouldn't say it is a guarantee. Like if you see, uh, you know, a big bank or a McKinsey.

Come in, recruit. Now, the chances of them coming back to recruit later. But it's not off the table.

Sometimes it does happen. Okay.

But certainly what I'm hearing is put your best foot forward during that cohort recruitment period, because it may be the only time that is true.

Okay. Good. Yes. How do firms decide which students to include in cohort recruiting?

Yeah. Great question. I mean, each company decides, uh, there could be a lot of factors, um, from a corporate perspective.

So on my team, we work really closely with companies to help them understand student profiles where they are in the recruitment journey,

um, and help them make those decisions. But ultimately, at the end of the day, it really comes down to what their hiring needs are going to be.

So if it's a company that is recruiting more on the entry level side, um,

first role post graduation, they're going to connect with our in our MSC students.

If it is a company that has maybe mid or more senior level positions,

they're looking at our MBA candidates because they'll have that pre industry experience prior to coming into the program.

Um, and in some cases companies have strategies that's all about, you know,

converting their interns from from their summer interns to full time hires when they graduate.

So that could be, you know, if they're recruiting at a two year MBA school and they're looking at that cohort,

or if it's our HBA and MBAs who have been out on internship and they're looking to bring them back full time.

Fair enough. And let's get into events.

What kind of events can students expect to see from cohort recruitment?

Yeah, no, we are so excited. And so we're the companies are really looking forward to connecting with you all this year.

Uh, we've got a really strong lineup of events to help you explore what's out there and get a feel for everything.

So everything from coffee, chats, job fairs.

And we're also piloting a new option called the Ivey Hiring Hub.

So we've got a little bit of the old a little bit of new.

Let's start with a fan favorite, the job fairs. Yes. Job fairs.

What you know, in crew management we love a good job fair. Um, and for good reason.

You know, job fairs, they bring a range of employers representing a lot of different industries.

And for students, the benefit is it's a one stop shop. You know, you can come out to a job fair, you can connect with, you know,

a dozen firms in one night and not have to think about doing day after day, uh, of doing different types of recruiting activities.

The other thing that I really love about a job fair is that it's more of a casual environment.

So it's really just all about networking, walking up to a table, introducing yourself, asking your questions.

Um, it's a great way to maximize your time and really get to know people and build on relationships.

What can our students expect from fall job fairs?

Yes. So we have three job fairs happening in September, uh, September 8th, ninth and 10th.

These job fairs will be exclusively for our HBA and MSC students.

And one thing I will note, so it will be for companies who are doing both full time and summer intern recruitment for cohort.

Um, so if you're a full time HBA two or an MSC, you can expect to see some HBA ones in MSC.

There's. So be sure to give them a hand and help them sort of break into those networking circles,

because you've been there before and you know, you know, that can be intimidating.

Um, and again, when we think about the companies that will be represented, it's those early movers.

It's the ones who know well in advance what they're going to be hiring for.

So be ready. You'll see job postings. If they're not up already, they'll go up quickly after job fair events.

Um, and interviews will happen pretty quickly after too. Okay. So whirlwind.

I also know that our MBAs listening watching might be thinking, hey, where?

Where's our spot? So tell me a little bit more about what our MBAs can look forward to or why why they're not included in that one.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, our MBA program is a bit different because it runs from April to April.

And so for cohort recruiting on the MBA side, a lot of that took place over the summer months.

You saw a lot of tracks. Um, you know, you saw, uh, a lot of companies coming out and hosting events here at Ivey,

or they were doing virtual events or inviting you to their Toronto offices.

And so a lot of that big, you know, bulk of cohort recruiting for the MBAs have happened.

Now, that's not to say that you're not going to see other companies come in.

So, you know, different industries. You can expect CPG companies some on the tech side, they'll be more focused on, I would say,

either MBA specific information sessions, similar to what these would have experienced in the summer,

or moving into coffee chats, because coffee chats are a really targeted approach,

and it allows companies to connect with MBAs in an in a different and more personal way.

Two things I take from that one MBAs aren't left out.

It's just that their cohort recruiting has already happened in those areas.

So this is something separate for the HBS and mix. Second was coffee chats.

That was personal connections to start relationships or be maintaining relationships.

Um, arguably the most underrated part of recruiting 100%.

Okay, I love a coffee chat. And again, coffee chats will be for everybody for MBA and MSC.

And what I love about a coffee chat is it's really more of a relaxed,

informal conversation where you can dig deeper to get those insights that you're really looking for as a full time candidate.

You know, you might have had an opportunity if you were participating in intern recruitment last year as an HBA or an MSC,

CPA, to go to information sessions right now. You don't need that anymore.

You've got that information. You're looking to really build a connection with somebody and get those burning platform questions answered.

Um, so there will be either virtual or in-person here at Ivey.

They'll be scheduled outside of your class. You'll have a lot of flexibility to work around your electives.

Um, and again, giving you the space to ask those meaningful questions and really build on those connections.

Very cool. And as a fun fact, uh, the podcast has an episode on coffee chatting.

I sat down with Julian Burkinshaw for a coffee chat because he's the only person in the building who intimidates me.

So if folks want to see an example, um, of, again, how you can make the most of that time, um, but there is a podcast episode for that.

I'm sure you crushed it, I hope I did. We'll let the students decide.

Um, now, you also mentioned something new this year, the hiring hub.

So what? What is that? Yes. So this is a new thing that we're doing this year, uh,

based on feedback that we're getting from students and employers, they're all looking for different ways to engage.

And so here's how it works. Basically, an employer will set up a table right in the hall.

You'll have time to stop by whether you're in between a class,

whether you're on your way to a social event, whether you're on your way to a club event,

you'll see them set up, um, and it's really just an you are really informal way for you to approach, introduce yourself, ask some questions.

You don't need to sign up. You don't need to have a pitch. It's really just meant to be this informal way to connect, um,

and have a chat and get some information to start to build on relationships and think about what full time recruiting will look like for you.

Okay, so if someone sees that and it's feeling like a surprise, that's not a bad thing.

No. That's right. Yeah, it's actually quite normal. That's how it's supposed to be.

And feel free to just walk up. You got it. Absolutely.

Everyone will will set up in the hall and we'll make sure that you're aware of who's coming.

But yeah, if you see a company that you never thought that you wanted to chat to, doesn't hurt to stop and, uh, stop and have a conversation.

So with all this going on, where can students find what they need? The when, the where, the who?

Yes. So I mean, 12Twenty obviously it's your one stop shop for everything recruiting.

Um, and I will also just quickly plug for all of our students currently and program,

if you haven't already, I highly, highly recommend checking out the ready to recruit model.

Is that in 12Twenty as well? It is on your learn community and your resource section.

And the reason I highlight it is because it's full of tons of great information and tips.

But there is also a really, really comprehensive, um, overview of how to actually navigate the 12Twenty portal.

So it'll show you everything from how to look up employers, how to look up past job postings, how to understand, you know, salary information.

And there's even this really great section called Activity Stream where my team on the corporate side,

we put information we hear directly from employers right into the system so that students can access it during my.

See NBA interviews. I've now started saying, we believe in having no secrets, and that's where that's what Activity Stream is.

If we know it and can share it, that's where you'll find it.

So that's fantastic. As we wrap up, do you have any final tips for our students getting ready for cohort recruitment?

I do, you know, the full time recruitment side I would say is a very different experience.

So a couple of quick hits that I will share.

Um, when you're thinking about full time recruiting at this point, employers are really looking for focus.

So they want to know what you're aiming for, uh, why you're interested in them.

So really take the time to get clear on what your goals are, because it's going to help to set you up for success.

You want to make sure that you're able to articulate that really well. The second thing I'll say is that full time recruiting,

it's really a lot less structured than it might have been in previous intern

or other sort of recruiting cycles that students have gone through before.

You're not going to see as many of those big events.

Um, it's really more at the full time stage about one on one conversations and making really deep personal connections.

Um, so you're going to want to keep that in mind and then always to timelines will vary.

Um, you know, we've talked a lot about some of the industries that will be represented here during cohort.

Um, some of them might be quick, some of them might take a little bit longer.

Um, so again, whenever you're unsure, check 12Twenty.

Look at past information. That'll give you a really good sense of timeline and help you to understand sort of how things will ebb and flow.

And then the last piece I will share is just be patient. Um, I think, you know, you know this from your experience to full time recruiting.

It can take a while. Yeah. And so, you know, just keep that in mind.

Everyone's journey looks very different when it comes to full time recruiting.

Um, and so stay engaged. Lean on a coach if you need it.

Um, and trust the process. Absolutely.

And as you start getting those invitations for interviews, whether it's September, December or next April,

May or June, um, but as you get those interviews, please put your questions into the interview database.

You can also look into the interview database to see interview questions from other students as you're moving to that part of recruiting.

Um, but that can be one way to walk into these situations feeling more confident, more informed, and putting your best foot forward.

Uh, but thank you again, Amanda, for the great advice, the great information,

and all the best to our students as they get ready to kick off cohort recruiting.

Good luck everybody. Thank you for watching.

If you'd like to see more podcast content, check out your Career Management community online.

If you'd like to connect with Career Management, you can book a one on one appointment via 12Twenty or visit us in room 2235.

Take good care.