Getting the Most of On-Campus Recruiting
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Guidelines for Graduate Students

As a graduate student, you have full access to the University Recruiting System. This may be a relevant resource for you if your career interests include corporate employment. Procedures for using it are given in Pathways, the Career Services Manual. To see or enter the PennLink on-line sign-up system (click here). Read the directions in these sources and follow them carefully. If you are interested in a position described by a recruiting organization, all you need to know is covered there. This document addresses only the situation in which you, as a graduate student, are interested in the general area for which an organization is recruiting, but have a higher level of skills than are being sought in the position description.

Should you pursue the interview through on-campus recruiting? First, ask yourself, does this make sense? In general, if you want a position within the same functional area in which the recruiting is being done, but at a different level, it may be worthwhile to pursue an interview. If, for example, someone is interviewing bachelor's level students for technician positions in R & D and you are a Ph.D. scientist or engineer, there is some chance that the interviewer may be able to do initial screening and refer you properly. If, on the other hand, the company is interviewing for sales positions and you want to do research, it's unlikely that you and the interviewer would be able to exchange much valuable information. When in doubt, consult a Career Services counselor for your school. If you decide it makes sense to seek an interview, how you should proceed depends upon how the employer will be selecting candidates.

If the Employer Is Pre-Selecting Resumes

In this case, the company will be constructing its own schedule, and there is nothing to lose by making a case for yourself. Meet the resume submission deadline, and upload a cover letter, whether or not the employer has required one. In the letter, explain that you are interested in this functional area of the company, that your graduate training prepares you for a different position, and that you'd like to use the company's campus visit as an opportunity to introduce yourself and your qualifications. (Remember, this is in the case in which you don't want the described position. If you do want the described position, send a cover letter which stresses your interest and qualifications).

 If you are invited for an interview, you have every right to assume the company would like to interview you in relation to your goals. However, sometimes communication within the company between whoever screens resumes and whoever is sent to interview is less than perfect. Bring a copy of your own cover letter to the interview, in case the actual interviewer wonders why you are on this particular schedule.

If Slots Are Filled on a First-Come, First-Served Basis

When all of the students selected for an interview don't sign up or when a company decides to visit campus at the last minute, slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis through PennLink. If you sign up early enough, you'll get a slot. If you don't want the described position, be prepared to explain your presence on the schedule to a skeptical interviewer.

Other Important Recruiting-Related Resources

Presentations

Attending presentations by employers who will recruit on-campus is a great way to get information and introduce yourself to employers. Graduate students have often gotten good leads by attending presentations and asking representatives who are the appropriate contacts within their organizations. For listings, click on "Employer Information Sessions" on the homepage of your PennLink account.

Company Contact Information

All the company contact information you will need will be available to you through the PennLink system.

MBA Schedules

It may be that your background includes a lot of coursework similar to that in the MBA program or that you came to Penn for another graduate degree after receiving an MBA elsewhere. In this case, you may wonder if you can interview on the MBA schedules. In a word, no. Wharton Career Development and Placement limits sign-ups on MBA schedules to MBA students. This is a firm policy, to which there are no exceptions, even at an employer's request.

MBA presentations are advertised in the Wharton Journal, which is available in McNeil, Steinberg-Dietrich, Huntsman and Vance Hall. If you have an "MBA-like" background, you may find it very useful to attend these.