Zoish Pithawala is a current Tech MBA student, specializing in Tech Product Management. Prior to Stern, Zoish worked as a Solutions Architect focused on startups interested in using cloud technologies. Post-MBA, she plans to move into a technical product management role specifically focused on data analytics.
When I quit my job to go back to school, I was left a little nervous wondering what recruiting for a new role would be like. With the Tech MBA kicking off in May, it felt like there was barely any time before I had to start recruiting. Luckily, Stern has a ton of resources that helped me with my career development and recruiting process that made the whole process a lot easier.
Office of Career Development
The Office of Career Development is one of the first resources you’ll hear about when you start the program. They provide tools, events, and 1:1 meetings for any stage of the recruiting process. Here are some of the resources I found especially advantageous to me.
- Resume Reviews: Before the program even began, we had access to a resume editing tool to help us start on our journey, followed up with some individualized feedback. This was a great starting point for me, because it got me into the mindset of what gaps I had in my resume that I wanted to fill throughout the year. Through the rest of the year, I scheduled appointments with the Careers Team team to continue editing my resume as I added more experiences.
- Recruiting Events/ Presentations: The Careers Team hosts several company recruiting presentations throughout the year. I signed up for the companies I was interested in applying to and it was a great way to hear more about the roles and find out about the recruiting process. My favorite event was the Tech Alumni Mock Interview where I got practice on how to interview for a technical product management position and got to network with alumni.
- IGNITE: Over the summer, there are a few mandatory IGNITE sessions that help with general career development like working on your pitch, resume writing, and how to create a target list of companies. This really helped me get the ball rolling over the summer and I continue to utilize the provided workbook today.
- 1:1 Appointments: This was the most valuable resource for me! I frequently scheduled 1:1 appointments with the Careers team to discuss more on my strategy and any questions I had about recruiting. The Careers Team even offers mock interviews that can help you practice interview questions. I found everyone on the Careers team extremely helpful and I plan to have a few more mock interviews and offer negotiation strategy sessions before the end of the year!
Club Resources
Outside of the social events, clubs can also help with your career development. As part of the Stern Technology Association (STA), I found their resources extremely helpful. They have consolidated resources including a handbook that has great notes on the types of interview questions, what to expect when interviewing, and tips for different tech companies.
Professional Opportunities
The Tech MBA has built-in professional opportunities as part of the curriculum. Over the summer, the Tech Immersion course gave us hands-on experience working with KPMG and in the fall, I got the opportunity to work with PayPal in Tech Solutions. These professional opportunities gave me a lot to showcase on my resume and helped me tailor my resume towards my career goal in product management. These professional opportunities also give me the chance to network and work with professionals in companies that I have always wanted to work for, like PayPal.
Networking
Networking is a big part of your life as an MBA student and for your recruiting process. All of the resources I shared above involve networking with peers, alumni, and professionals. There are a variety of other ways that Stern helps you network.
- Networking events: There are a variety of networking events hosted through OCD, clubs, etc. throughout the year. These events range from alumni events to multi-school events that give you a great opportunity to meet new people.
- Guest speakers: A majority of my classes at Stern have featured incredible guest speakers. These speakers range from experts in Blockchain, product managers at large tech companies, CEOs, founders, and more. Not only is it incredibly valuable to hear their insights and learn about their backgrounds, but you get the opportunity to connect with them and network. I have loved getting to connect with a lot of these speakers after the session!
As I continue to network and apply for jobs, I utilize these career resources frequently. These are just some of the career resources that I have utilized throughout this year as I recruit for a full-time job, and I know they will be immensely helpful for you if you end up at Stern!