Networking It Starts Today

I have been in the U.S. for little more than a month, but this is my first visit to Back Bay, a neighborhood in Boston. It is simply impressive. I take a moment to enjoy the view of the fancy restaurants, the very neat streets and the exquisite architectural design around me. I walk towards my destination, and see it soon enough. My attention is immediately captured by the imposingly tall skyscraper. I’m heading towards the tallest building in Boston: the John Hancock Tower. I register at the front desk and take an elevator to the 36th floor. A lady takes me to the room where the event will take place. It is still early, so no one has arrived yet. I approach the window and enjoy the view. Boston, in all its beauty, is before my eyes. But this time, I don’t think of the streets or the beautiful bay I am looking at. I think of people. Specifically, I think of all of those facing my same situation this year. Like many others, I came to Hult not only to learn and gain experience, but also to seek the opportunity to continue my professional career in the United States. What did I think that would be like? First, there’s the MBA, of course—long hours studying, learning and, of course, having fun. Then, a few months before graduation, the school will send our resumes (giving, of course, priority to the highest GPAs) to companies anxious to hire talented internationals. After that, I’ll get a job interview thanks to a flawless resume, an offer with a big salary, and be all set. I’d live happily ever after; end of story. Yeah, right†¦ Here’s what the reality actually looks like. There are more than 650,000 international students enrolled in U.S. institutions. Most of them need a permit to work in the US (usually, an H1-B visa). This requires an employer willing to sponsor the candidate, in other words, willing to pay close to 7,000 USD, and hire a lawyer, among other things. So what kind of impression do you think you have to make on a company to get that?  Certainly, a high GPA is not the way; studies and grades are important, but companies are looking for other things. They are looking for soft skills. They want people who can lead and manage others, and people who are easy to work with and can build relationships. When employers hire, they are actually engaged in doing business. Human beings usually do business with people they know and like (or, at least, trust). Building trust is something the best resume or cover letter in the world can’t do for you. How is it then that you can stand out? By getting out there, meeting people in the industry you want to enter, and building relationships with them. In other words, networking. That takes time. Now, while waiting for my first networking event to start, I look at the city and think of all the students who are out there, working to the best of their ability to achieve that which I’m looking for—a job in the U.S. I’m certain I’ll meet many of them—some at parties, some in conferences, and some when we’re sitting in the same room, in about a year, waiting for our turn with the same interviewer. They will have different backgrounds, work experience and skill sets. But I am completely sure that many of them will not have the advantage of having worked with this valuable information from day one. Thanks to Hult International Business School, I have it. If, like me, you aim to work in the U.S., here’s news you need: Hult won’t directly get you a job offer. No business school will do that. But the school will give you all kinds of tools to aid in your search. Just in the first month of my MBA program, I attended workshops, had one-on-one coaching with Career Services specialists, and got direction on readings that shed light on the job search and networking culture in the U.S. But all the tools in the world will be useless if you don’t use them. I can assure you, my future fellow alumni, not everyone will get this message right away. Some never will, and they’ll spend (or waste?) their time just applying online, hoping to hear back from the companies and failing, more often than not. On the other hand, many students at Hult (and other schools) will get the message. It will be tough competition. Believe me, you want to be one step ahead, and not one behind. The sooner you can start building your network, the better. And no, you don’t even have to wait until your program actually starts. Hult helped me understand the reality of being an international student, aiming for future employment in the United States. The school opened my eyes to the fact that looking for a job in this situation is a quasi-entrepreneurial quest, and staff members and faculty do their best to awaken in students a sense of urgency. They started on a rainy Orientation Day with three words: â€Å"It starts today.† My thoughts return to the present. People are arriving. This is it. Time to get away from the window and start building relationships. I’ve never been the social type, and I am fairly anxious. There’s no easy way out of that. It takes interpersonal skills to be successful in business. Hult International Business School taught me that these are skills we can build, a contrast to what I used to think. This is easier said than done, but I have no choice, because I’m sure many of those thousands of students trying their hand at networking will also succeed. This is my first try. It starts today. Good luck to us all. Edgardo Macias is a Hult Global Ambassador. He is an MBA student at Hult Boston, a finance professional, and an amateur musician with a great passion for math, teaching and intellectual discussion. Picture courtesy of Gerd Altman. Kickstart your career in this education and innovation hotspot by studying at Hults Boston business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog Boston’s Best – local business leaders join students at Hult Boston and learn how to ‘Network like a rockstar’. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. 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We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .