<p>Hi hkem,</p>
<p>It is a tough choice, and I think you’re looking at the right reasons to go to a college. If you have this passion and drive during your years in college, then you will do well no matter where you go. </p>
<p>On that note, I can give you my perspective as a graduating W.P. Carey Honors student.
I would agree with you that Kelley probably does have better students than here at ASU, but the program here is very competitive and very worthy of being a top business school. </p>
<p>Regarding career placement, my experiences and what I’ve seen at WP Carey have been outstanding. During my four years here, I held four internships (one out of state) and had many opportunities go for when I went to look for full-time jobs. I’m not trying to brag, but I had several job offers to choose from, and was flown around the country for interviews (and this is when the economy is struggling…). The situation is similar to many of my friends who did well here. I’m just showing if you work hard and show passion, you will do very well. Top students truly stand out here, and if you are one of those you will pretty much get to choose what you do and where you go. The professors also get to know us better, and I’ve had some recommend me to recruiters. The WP Carey-Honors combo is a hot commodity. </p>
<p>As a side note, a lot of this depends on the program you choose (Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, Marketing, etc.). Some are better than others at many schools, so if you have one in mind then maybe focus on those rankings instead of the business school on the whole. It’s very easy to double major with two business majors here at WP Carey so that is something else you could do. I also want to point out that coming here to ASU will open up a lot of opportunities for you around the country, but definitely more specifically aimed for the West coast/West U.S. That’s where I see a majority of the recruiters are coming from, and it makes sense with our location (You’re trying to cut your budget, so you recruit from a quality university in your backyard than across town). So, if you’re interested in staying in the Midwest/East, then you won’t find a huge amount of opportunities here (although there are some). Just something to note. </p>
<p>Now, I’ll answer your questions specifically:</p>
<p>-How has your experience been with the career services office?
There are two career services offices here at ASU. One for WP Carey, and one for the rest of the university. You can make appointments with career advisors and they’ll go over your resume, give you career advice, tell you about opportunities, or sometimes even just give you life advice. There are several recruiting events for internships and full-time jobs throughout the year, including:
- Two big career fairs for all of ASU
- Two big career fairs for WP Carey students only
- Major-specific job fairs (These are put on by the student associations for some of the majors)
- Employer Information Sessions - This is when specific employers hold sessions where students come in and introduce themselves, and the employers give presentations and answer any questions.
*ASU CareerLink - This is the online recruiting system ASU uses, and it is EXTREMELY helpful. This is actually where I found a majority of my opportunities. Employers post job openings and you can apply there online by submitting your resume, and if you’re chosen for an interview, you schedule it through the system and interview on-campus. From there the employer will usually bring students who’ve made it through the first round to their locations, but it really depends. This system has job openings listed constantly from hundreds of companies all over the world. What makes it unique is that it’s tailored for ASU students and specific majors (rather than an online job website where the entire population can sign up). </p>
<p>-Are there lots of opportunities to work on interview skills? Case interviews?
The opportunities to work on interview skills come from interviewing. Period. ASU does have interview workshops, a class on business professionalism which includes interviewing skills, and sometimes employer mock interviews (where employers come in and run mock interviews with feedback). You have these options. </p>
<p>-What extra curricular activities have helped you develop yourself professionally?
- Studying abroad - There are hundreds of programs to choose from here, and several are run by either the honors college or WP Carey. Some even are meant for international internships. Doing this gave me a great perspective on cultures and the world, and actually came up a lot in interviews.
- Business Fraternies (co-ed) - A lot of students choose to do this (I did not, but a lot of friends did and loved it). It’s not your typical fraternity like you see on Greek, but it’s a professional one where they hold workshops, social, and recruiting events. You have to pledge to get in, but it’s a great for meeting other students and networking.
- Honors thesis - Do one related to your field of choice and it’s a great way to learn and grow, as well as open you up to new experiences and people. (And again, something interesting to talk about)
- Non-business opportunities - As crazy as it sounds, sometimes I want to get away from the business-y world…and ASU lets me do that. I go to lectures or events on physics, anthropology, history, etc, go see musicals and dance concerts, sports games, watch free movie screenings, see my friends do their theatre plays, or just go to the local bars and hang out. The city is big, campus is big, the student population is big, so there is a ton to do at any time. </p>
<p>Investment Banking/Consulting Opportunities?
- Consulting Scholars - This is a group of students that work with businesses, many local but I few national I believe, and actually do consulting work for them. You can even do this program as your thesis
- Investment Scholars (I think that’s what it’s called…) - With a group, you actually do forecasting models and invest. I’m not into this type of stuff so I’m not fully aware, but you can find out more on the website. I also believe this group invites professionals in for workshops and presentations. </p>
<p>Do top W.P. Carey Students have a true interest in business?
In short…yes. Many do. Some go to class, go home and party, and don’t care at all. These students don’t land the top jobs, and you won’t talk with them. You will find people and clubs here to talk about business, learn about business, read about business, breathe business. </p>
<p>Fun Fact: Arizona State University was recently ranked No. 5 in the nation for recruiter preference, according to a survey in the Wall Street Journal of top corporate recruiters whose companies hired 43,000 new ASU graduates over last year.</p>
<p>I hope this helps you out. Let me know if you have more questions.</p>