FTMBA Career Pre-work

Because you'll be using a variety of tools and websites throughout your internship search, getting organized now will save you time and frustration later. When everything is just a click away, you won’t need to track down links or waste time searching each time you sit down to work on your search.

Create a browser bookmark folder specifically for your career search—label it something like Career to keep things simple and accessible.

Then, start building your folder by bookmarking the following sites. Just click the star icon at the far right of your browser’s URL bar to save each one.

1. • CBCC Website | CBCC YouTube Channel

   • Coaching Appts: APlus for scheduling coaching appointments | Kelly's zoom room: https://umn.zoom.us/my/coachingappt | List of all coaches

   • Internship Search: Handshake Login Page | Job Search Sites: MBA-Exchange.com, Welcome to the Jungle.com, LinkedIn, Glassdoor.com, Indeed.com, etc.

   • Company research: MarketLine Reports | data axle (aka Reference USA) (need umn email) | myviasjobs.com

   • Networking: Carlson LinkedIn Alumni page

   • Interviews: Behavior Interview prep | Case Interviews: RocketBlocks.com plus company sites: McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Deloitte and Deloitte YouTube

   • Employment data: Carlson's Employment Reports | 12Twenty.com to report offers and see MBA salary info

   • International Students FAQ (if applicable)

   • Class of 2027 Google folder

We provide several career tools that require a subscription—many of which are already included in your student access. Now is a great time to log in and get your accounts set up, so you're ready when recruiting ramps up. In most cases, your UMN email will serve as your login.

Take a few minutes now to create your accounts and complete your profiles—your future self will thank you.

Handshake
You'll use Handshake throughout your time at Carlson to search and apply for jobs, register for career events, and connect with employers. How to use Handshake here.

MBA-Exchange
A global search engine for MBA internships and full-time roles, including Leadership Development Programs (LDPs). This is especially helpful for nationwide searches and identifying companies that sponsor international students.

RocketBlocks
Our go-to resource for case prep. While most commonly used by students pursuing consulting or strategy roles, RocketBlocks is also valuable for marketing students preparing for mini-cases or applying to strategy positions.  Access code: CBCC

12Twenty
12Twenty is Carlson’s career outcomes platform. It’s where you will report your job offers and your gateway to outcome and salary data—not just from Carlson grads, but from students across all participating schools, giving you a broader view of compensation trends and hiring outcomes.

Your personal brand shows up in countless ways—not only through your resume, LinkedIn profile, networking conversations, and interviews but also through how you show up in meetings, how you communicate, and how you follow-up. 

Some of the easiest ways to strengthen your brand are small but impactful updates to your communication style and online presence—things you can take care of before you even arrive on campus. These include:

• Your email naming convention

• Your email signature

• Your voicemail greeting

• Your Zoom background and name

• Your social media presence

• Your headshot

Your email naming convention is a simple but important adjustment. It involves updating your settings in Gmail so that your name appears professionally—e.g., Goldy Gopher—instead of your UMN X.500 ID (e.g., gophe012@umn.edu) when you send emails. This small change helps ensure your communications reflect a polished, professional brand. Update your Name (under Settings>Accounts>Send Mail As) to show your full name (FirstName LastName) instead of your email address.

One of the first things people will likely see from you is via outreach communication. Update your email signature to project a more professional image. Go to 'All Settings' at the top of your U of M email inbox and update the following:

1. • Add a clear, close-up photo of yourself for your profile picture (under Settings>General>My Picture) >> We recommend the same picture be used for your LinkedIn profile. See note below.

   • Add a signature to your email (under Settings>General>Signature.) We recommend the following format:
     Goldy Gopher 

     Master of Business Administration Candidate, Class of 20xx
     Minnesota Carlson | University of Minnesota
     goldy@umn.edu | 612.625.1466 | LinkedIn

     Pronouns: he/him/his (optional line)

You may receive phone calls from recruiters, hiring managers, or alumni, so it’s important to have a professional voicemail greeting on your cell phone. A polished voicemail helps reinforce your personal brand and makes a strong first impression. For example:  “Hi, this is Goldy Gopher. I’m unable to take your call right now, but please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!”

You’ll be on many video calls during your MBA. While there’s no required background, be mindful of what’s behind you. Choose a clean, organized space—or use a virtual background like an office setting, a favorite destination, or a Carlson-branded image. Make sure your full name (and pronouns, if you'd like) are visible on screen. And whenever possible, stay on camera—being visible helps build connections and ensures you’re not overlooked by recruiters, alumni, or peers.

Review your social media profiles to ensure your past posts reflect the professional brand you want to project. Clean up anything that doesn't align with how you want to be perceived by employers, alumni, or peers. 

Lastly, you’ll have the opportunity to get a fresh headshot when you arrive on campus. In the meantime, use a clear, well-lit photo that supports your overall brand—ideally one where you're dressed professionally and facing the camera  

These quick updates help you project a consistent, professional image that aligns with the opportunities you're pursuing.

Throughout the year, you'll encounter numerous new terms, both from your coursework and the job search process. Here's a basic list of commonly used terms and jargon you may find helpful as you engage with the Carlson Business Career Center (CBCC).

Affinity Fair(s) - National recruiting events that are held each fall that focus on a specific population of students (primarily MBA). The three most leveraged at Carlson are National Black, ROMBA (for LGBTQAI+), and Veterans. Each of the Fairs has a corresponding CBCC coach that supports the students attending these events. 

Career Coach - This is the dedicated team at the CBCC committed to supporting and guiding graduate students. Our coaches are here to assist students in navigating their professional paths and achieving their career goals post-graduation. Through regular meetings and ongoing communication, students collaborate closely with their coach(es) to receive personalized strategies and encouragement, enabling them to reach their target and be successful  in their job search.

CBCC - Carlson Business Career Center (it is such a long name, so CBCC is what you will hear most often!)

Coffee Chat (also known as an informational interview, One-on-One, or 1:1) - This is a networking meeting with a Carlson alum, hiring leader, or personal connection. Typically 20-30 minutes long, the goal is to learn about the work of that individual (or company). Students will have A LOT of these meetings in their first few months of school. The amount of coffee chats you will have varies a lot by student. But, it is not unusual for students to have three meetings a week.

Coffee with BD - A bi-weekly meeting where the BD team makes themselves available to students to answer questions about employers and help guide students in their job search.  Usually occurs on Wednesdays in the Carlson School of Management atrium.

Core school - Generally used within the context of recruiting which happens on campus or where Carlson has a close relationship with the University Recruiting Team of a particular company. It's when a company prioritizes its recruiting efforts at a short list of specific schools. You may hear it in the following contexts:

"Land O'Lakes' core schools are Darden, Ross, and Carlson."

"Carlson is a core school of Medtronic."

Contract Coach - Comprised of Carlson alumni, our team of contract coaches offers invaluable coaching for various job search requirements on a part-time basis. They excel in providing practice sessions for networking, as well as behavioral or case interview preparation. Leveraging their expertise is beneficial, especially if they work at a company of interest to you or possess a relevant background, such as military or technical experience. You can find the current list of contract coaches on the CBCC website and schedule appointments with them through Handshake for personalized assistance.

Corporate Reception - The annual event that kicks off the recruiting season for a particular program. Students get to mingle with companies in a cocktail hour format to learn more about companies, job opportunities, and make networking connections. 

CPT - Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a program that temporarily allows international students with an F-1 visa to gain practical experience directly related to their major through employment, paid or unpaid internships, or cooperative (co-op) education. It must be part of an established curriculum and must be completed before graduating.

Direct Hire - When a company hires a student outside of the regular recruiting season.  These types of opportunities are sourced both by the CBCC as well as through student networking. Direct hire roles are most often posted in the spring and early summer as classes are coming to an end and companies have a better idea of their hiring needs.  

Elevator Pitch - Used at networking events or for quick introductions, the Elevator Pitch offers a high-level overview of your career progression and what you are looking to do next. 

Employer Relations (ER) - Formerly called the Business Development (BD) team, this is the group individuals on the CBCC team who manage the relationships with employers. Whereas the coaches work with students, the ER team is the face of the CBCC for campus recruiters and hiring leaders. The team divides their work by industry. So, once you know what industry you want to work in, you will know which ER person can help you identify potential companies to target. 

GMAT - One of a number of factors that investment banking and consulting companies use as part of their applicant review process. Each company weighs the GMAT score differently (and not always transparently). Those who took the GRE can search for a conversation algorithm on Google to show what their GRE equates to in the GMAT style. Historically, a score of 700 is considered the gold standard. This is changing as more and more schools drop the GMAT requirement. 

H1B - The H-1B is a visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H) that allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. This is the visa that international students need to remain and work in the US. International students are not guaranteed this visa. There are so many applicants for this visa that the US government holds a lottery each April and only a certain amount of applicants will get it each year.

Handshake - The software the CBCC uses for all things career and job search. This will be your one-stop-shop for applying for internships or jobs, making appointments with coaches, registering for company events or workshops, researching companies, and their CBCC contacts.

Info Session - A session hosted by a company where students can find out about the work they do, the openings they have, and how to apply to roles with them. It generally lasts an hour and is broken up by a 25-minute presentation, 15-minute Q&A, and the remaining time to network/mingle with Carlson alumni that are there representing the company.

Interview (behavioral) - The most common type of interview format for graduate-level business interviews. The interviewer will ask you a question and you will share a short story about something you did that demonstrates the particular skill set being asked about.  For example: "Tell me about a time you had to analyze a large set of data." The student will respond to this question with a 2-3 minute response using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format. 

Interview (case) - In a case interview, the candidate is provided with a detailed situation, problem, or challenge and asked to analyze it and come up with a solution. A case interview question can be based on a creative business situation your interviewer has experienced in real life, or one manufactured to deduce your abilities.  Case interviews are most common in the consulting space but becoming more common in other industries as well, including analytics. A sub-set of case interviews are mini-case. These are shorter, less complex scenarios and are generally used as part of interviews for marketing roles. As an example, one year, 3M had the following mini-case: "We just acquired the rights to the lightsaber. Beyond a weapon, how could we leverage and market this technology for another use"

Interview (functional, aka technical) - Assesses job candidates' knowledge, skills, and experience for a specific job. Functional fit interviews may also include assessment tests to determine how well they performed in required areas, such as coding skills for technical positions or writing and editing skills for PR jobs. Common roles that do functional or technical interviews are finance, business analytics, and product management (tech).

Interview (informational) - See Coffee Chat

Non-OCR/non-Carlson facilitated - Similar to a Direct Hire, these are job opportunities that are seeking graduate-level talent but they are not necessarily working with CBCC to specifically source Carlson students. Examples can include big companies like Nike, Sephora, Walmart, as well as start-ups, non-profits, or smaller companies that do not have the ability to predict their hiring a year out.  Students can and should still apply for opportunities they find through non-Carlson channels. 

OCR/On-Campus Recruiting/Carlson-facilitated - Refers to internship and job opportunities facilitated by the CBCC office. Recruiting at the graduate level is not one day or one event but a "season" of recruiting activities that includes info sessions, company site visits, application periods, interviews, etc. You can look at the Career Guide for a breakdown of activities by program starting on page 2.

OPT - Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a program that temporarily allows international students with an F-1 visa in the United States to work up to 12 months in relation to their major of study. F-1 visa students are eligible for OPT after completing their first academic year. Those students in a STEM-designated program, are eligible for an additional 24-month extension.

Peer Coaching (aka Small Group Peer Coaching) - Available from September to April, our interview skills practice service allows students to participate in groups of up to three, offering the opportunity to refine their interview techniques by observing and benchmarking against others' responses. This is primarily focused on behavioral interviewing questions. Attending at least two sessions early in your interview preparation is highly recommended. Secure your spot for a session through Handshake under Events.

Pipeline/non-pipeline - This pertains to internships, which can either be pipeline or non-pipeline. In a pipeline internship, there's the possibility of transitioning into a full-time role (based on performance) after graduation. Conversely, in a non-pipeline internship, it's a standalone experience without the opportunity of a full-time position afterward. Generally, students favor pipeline opportunities because it streamlines the recruitment process, but it's worth noting that both types of internships offer equal opportunities for gaining experience and building skills. 

Resume book - a PDF file of resumes (pulled from Handshake) that the CBCC sends on behalf of a group of students who best match the criteria for a specific job opening. Note that these are pulled in real time so it is important for students to keep their resumes updated and visible in Handshake at all times.

Resume drop - Carlson jargon for submitting your resume via Handshake to a job posting.

Site visit - An event where a company hosts a group of students to meet at the company headquarters to learn about the company, get a tour, and talk to leaders and Carlson alumni about what it is like to work at their organization.

Sponsor/ship - How we reference employers who are willing to hire international students and go through the very extensive hiring/documentation process to get an H1B so that they can work at their organization. As an example, we would say,  "Amazon is willing to sponsor international students."

STAR story - Refers to the format students use when answering behavioral interview questions. The story is structured into 4 key parts =  Situation, Task, Action, Result.

M.S. MBA - An MBA with a STEM designation through taking courses that meet the STEM requirement. This designation is important for international students as it potentially allows for the student to get OPT extended an additional 24 months (for a total of 36 months) provided the role is STEM-related and thus the opportunity to apply for the H1B Visa more than once.

TMAY - The acronym for "Tell Me About Yourself" which refers to the two-minute opening statement in your interview when you share an overview of your career and academic progression.

(The) Close - The last 45 seconds of your interview. This is your opportunity to reaffirm your enthusiasm for the role and the company, highlighting once again why you believe you are a good fit for the position.

Carlson Business Career Center (CBCC overview, Employer Relations, Elevator Pitch)

International Student Orientation (Tuesday)