Employment: Found some options

Came across the "Fortune" list of the top MBA employers for 2007.

Top 25 list. Has brief breakdown and profile of each company.

Top 100 list. Just a list that includes the top 25 list.

I found the lists very heavily weighted to the US, but it was good to take a look at the individual companies websites. I was able to get a feel for what kind of opportunities might be available after graduating. The recruitment pages for numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5 (McKinsey&Company, Goldman Sachs, Bain&Company, and Boston Consulting Group respectively) were insightful as to where these organizations would try to fit you and what your career path for the first 5 years might look like. The interview process for all of them seems very rigorous and there seems to be a lot of competition for a limited number of spots with these big names.

If you do check out these companies, make sure you also check them out at wikipedia. I found it to be a little more transparent. It lays the corporate structure and culture out in a much more logicial manner that allows you to see the benefits and drawbacks to these orgnaizations. For example McKinsey&Company has an "up or out" policy that isn't mentioned in the recruitment site. That could make the environment a little bit more competive than one would initially assume from all the smiling faces.

I'm not assuming I will even try to get into these organization or that I would even be able to, but I'm sure that there are other organizations I might find an opportunity with that would be similar in corporate structure, function, and experience. I'm not even sure if I would want to move my career in this direction, but looking at these organizations did give me a better idea what the "finance" and "strategic consulting" opportunities, mentioned by the Queen's Career Centre, might be like.

(Aside: also found this website that seems to have information on salaries at different organizations)

Correspondence: Talking with the Career Centre

David Edwards, the Director of the Career Centre for Queen's School of Business, called me today. I had requested someone from the Career Centre contact me so I could find out where a Canadian professional engineering with oil and gas experience could ended up after the program. I wanted this information for two reasons:

1. To find out if there were any career possibilities I could research now to ensure I was better informed to make a decision should one present itself while I'm in the program and busy with course work, and

2. Find out what type of compensation I might expect after graduation so I could see if I would be able to pay off the massive amount of debt I'm about to take on. Especially since it will add to the debt I'm still carrying from my first degree. (i.e. will I be able to afford a spacious fridge box or just a small computer box to live in afterwards...)

David mentioned that most graduates either head to finance or consulting. Neither of these mean too much to me. He tried to explain, but it all seemed very high level and vague. No specifics. He mentioned it was hard to get into specifics since most of the answers I wanted I could only get by taking a class on "finance" or the such. I agree with him, but that still doesn't help me with my anxiety concerning the uncertainty that is my future.

He did mention that they like all students to "keep an open mind" and to consider all the possibilities that present themselves. He also mentioned that from day one in the program the staff at the Career Center work with the students to help them find what they might like and to assist them with finding a job.

Overall I was still left with a lot of questions, but I am encouraged that I will have a strong support network from the Career Centre. Also, David said he would send me some literature to try to help give me a better feel for a few of the opportunities I might be presented with. I'm looking forward to what he sends.