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Cohort Recruitment is where companies hire groups of people (a.k.a. cohorts) many months in advance of a start-date and target specific schools at a specific (and often brief) time of year to entice soon-to-be-graduating students to apply.
Chapters for Cohort Summer/Intern Recruiting
0:27 – Who and what cohort summer/intern recruiting is for
3:04 – Events this Fall
3:32 – Info sessions
6:16 – Job fairs
8:22 – Coffee chats
12:19 – Hiring hubs
14:07 – Recruiting strategy
16:39 - 12Twenty & Ready2Recruit
17:53 – Coaching support
18:51 – Summary
Transcript
[Auto-generated transcript. Edits may have been applied for clarity.]
Kate (K): Welcome to the Career Management Podcast, where we bring you stories and strategies from students, special guests and the Career Management team. Make yourself comfortable and let's get started. Today we're diving into what to expect for cohort recruiting for summer internships, what's happening, who it's for, and how to get the most of it. I'm sitting down with Amanda Lakey from our corporate recruitment team. Amanda, thanks for joining me.
Amanada (A): Thank you so much for having me, Kate. It's great to be here.
K: Um, let's set the stage. Which students are actually participating in summer intern recruiting this year?
A: Absolutely. It's a great question. So intern recruitment is for our HBA1 and incoming MSc-BA students. And so they'll have the opportunity to participate in that.
K: Okay. And how do firms decide which students to include? Is it always both of those groups?
A: It's really going to be dependent on the firm and the industry and the roles that they're recruiting for. So we know that our MSc-BA's, they're doing a lot of those really deep analytical work and courses in terms of projects that they're working on. And so if you see something that's maybe a little bit more tech or data analytics focus, they might specifically target our MSc-BA students for internships. Um, if it's a more general opportunity, it might be for both HBA1 and MSc-BA, or maybe just for HBA1. So it all kind of depends.
K: Okay. Um, I recognize some students might be thinking, you know, it's just an internship. How seriously do I need to be taking this? How seriously should they be taking it?
A: There's sort of three key pieces that I would focus on. The first is I think it's a really low risk way to test a hypothesis. So you come in to your HBA1 or your MSc-BA year and you might think, I want to work in investment banking, I want to work in consulting. Um, and so having an opportunity to go out and work in those spaces really helps you to identify if it's something that you actually love and that you want to pursue for full time recruitment, or if it's something that you hate and never want to do again after that four month stint, which is just as valuable.
K: You got it. It absolutely might happen. You never know.
A: Um, I also think it's a great way to build your network and start to build your story. So experience is experience, and we know that skills are transferable. So it doesn't matter if you know, you come in and you think, I absolutely have to do this, any internship is going to give you an opportunity to develop the soft and the technical skills that you're going to need to set you up for success, and also build that confidence and build your network. Referrals are great. You're going to meet people, you're going to meet alumni. So it's never a bad opportunity to take an internship. And then the final piece that I'll add is it's kind of like a 10 to 12 week interview, and that's for both students and for employers. So keep in mind that a lot of the companies that we work with in certain industries, like finance and consulting, they often use the internship as a way to pipeline students for full time opportunities. So you might get an internship that you love. And before you even come back to campus in September, you're getting a full time return offer for when you graduate. And so it's a great way to explore and sort of test things out to see if it, you know, is something that you're interested in pursuing.
K: Okay, let's get into our events then. What can our HBA1 and MSc-BA students expect on the calendar?
A: Yes, intern recruitment is very exciting. Our employer partners are super happy to be back on campus, and we've got a great roster of potential opportunities for our students to be able to connect for internship, recruiting, exploration and understanding. So everything from information sessions, job fairs, coffee chats, and our hiring hub Thursday.
K: Yeah, and let's start with info sessions. What what should students know about information sessions this fall?
A: Info sessions are a classic, so you might have had the opportunity through some of your previous schooling to do an information session. And so really just think about it. It's a 90 minute opportunity for you to come out here, a pitch from a company, learn a little bit about them, their work, what they do, their culture, the jobs that they're going to be recruiting for and then do some networking. So getting your name out there, getting your answer, your questions answered, and getting an idea of what exists.
K: But the recruiters come to us.
A: You got it. They'll be right on campus.
K: Yes. So instead, I know I hear lots of times like we're in London, we're not in Toronto. Guess what? Recruiters will come to you as well. So info sessions are one example of that.
A: Yes. And they'll run from September through November. And we purposely structure them outside of class time. So HBA1s and MSc MBAs will be in core. And so they'll take place early in early afternoon or sorry mid to late afternoon and early evening, so that you don't have to worry about missing classes. And you come to these amazing information sessions right here on campus.
K: And what would you say are your top tips for students to get the most value out of the information?
A: Yeah, I think again, going into intern recruitment, I think a lot of students are really in exploration mode. I mean, I'm sure you hear this a ton through coaching. They're not really sure. They don't really know.
K: So which is just about right.
A: Right. Yeah. I mean some people do have that focus, which is cool too. But there's no wrong spot to be
K: students in that exploratory mode.
A: Yeah. I mean, you're really they're just like, soak it all in and get the information. I mean, you want to prepare yourself by doing some research, you know, taking a look at company websites, getting an idea of the types of jobs that they've recruited for 12Twenty is going to be a great spot for this. And I know we're going to talk about this a little bit more. Um, but I would definitely say that if you are a student that's really unsure, Kate, I'd be curious from your perspective as a coach, what about booking an appointment and talking it through? What would you say
K: 100%? And I mean, um, whether you're doing it on your own with peers or with the help of Career Management, um, spending a little bit of time just to familiarize yourself. You don't want to be overly scripted, but you do want to be informed. So working, you know, either with the prompts and Career Management essentials, chatting with peers or sitting down one on one with a coach to talk about your strategy. Also your goals for the information session. Um, and then kind of doing the debrief. For some people, it's simply getting warmed up and, and learning how to network, being the one to approach and say, hey, I have a question. This might um, whereas for others who might already be comfortable with that, it's more like, okay, if I want to work here, these are the three things I need to know. How am I going to get that out? But again, there's no wrong way to to find that information. But know that your coaches are available to help you sort that out and debrief how it went afterwards. Let's switch gears to our job fairs. Um, what do we need to know about job fairs?
A: Yeah, I mean, you know, in Career Management, we love a good job fair. Um, and so these are very intentional activities that we do. So they run the first week of September, September 8th, nine and ten, which I will say for incoming HBA1s and MSc-BA's, that's going to be incredibly overwhelming because it's quite literally your first three days of school. But don't worry, we have your back. Kate and I will actually both be at the job fair so you can come and chat with us if you have any questions. Um, but what I love about a job fair is that it's a very targeted way to meet with a whole lot of people in a very short period of time. So job fairs will run on those three days in the afternoon. It'll be multi firm, multi industry. We're going to basically take over the Ivey building. Companies will set up tables. You'll know who they want to talk to, whether you're an HBA1 or an MSc-BA, and it's really just an informal networking opportunity. It's nothing where you need to prepare a pitch or bring a resume. It's really just about walking up to a company and getting to know them a little bit better, and getting some information so that you can start to build out that career strategy.
K: This is another example of recruiters coming to meet you. You're on home turf, you have the home court advantage, and you can also lean on HBA2 or MSc-BA students from from previous years who have been to job fairs before to to help as well as Amanda mentioned. You will find Career Management specifically us, but also many folks from Career Management there to support you. This is also a great opportunity to showcase your collaboration and how you work with others. You don't need to have a ten minute conversation to to make an impression, to show what kind of person you are. So also be sure to share the mic. When you're in a group with people, you might not always get the chance to talk one on one. So how do you manage your your time and attention when you're with ten other people talking to one person? Hold yourself. Uh, hold yourself well, in those moments. Again, it's it's not just saying that you're collaborative, that you can make space with others and and function as a group. Show them how you do that at a job fair. Let's talk about coffee chats. What makes coffee chats the most underrated part of recruiting?
A: I do, I love a coffee chat, and I know that you have quite a bit of experience with coffee chats as well, but I think the thing I love about a coffee chat, first of all, they're going to be offered in a lot of different ways. So Career Management will work with companies to offer coffee chats. You're going to have a lot of opportunity to do coffee chats through club activities and other social engagements that you do.
K: And are these interviews? Sometimes students ask like, is this like an interview?
A: You see, that's what I love about it because it's not it's really an extension of that networking piece, but it gives you that one on one. So you talked about, you know, you go to a networking event, whether it's an info session or a job fair, and you've got a group of ten. Coffee chats are going to be structured as one on one, or maybe like a small group. So it could be two students with one alumni or a recruiting partner. And it really gives you a chance to dig deeper and ask more questions beyond, oh, tell me about your company and that sort of thing. So, you know, getting prepared in that sense, I think really sets you up for success for a coffee chat and also for them to ask you questions. And, you know, it's not an interview. It should be a two way conversation. Be curious,
K: be curious I love that. Like again, you use the time effectively to get the things that you want out of it and to make sure the other person is getting what they need to.
A: Yeah, think about what you want to to come across about you.
K: Um, let's make it a little bit more explicit. What are some of the the do's and don'ts for coffee?
A: Yeah. That's great. Actually, I'd love to hear because again, Kate is a coffee chat expert, so I would love to hear what you have to say about this.
K: I am an uncensored person who will talk to anyone. That's what that's about it. But I mean, I think something like we were saying around job fairs or info sessions. You want to balance between being prepared and informed without being overly scripted. And while some people are really great at winging it, I am not. I do want to have 1 or 2 points to make me feel confident, so think about what's going to help you feel confident without overly preparing or overly scripting. What's one tip you put forward? Amanda?
A: Um, I would say it's really just be yourself. Just be authentic. I think that's the whole point of these sorts of interactions where it's it's a one on one or a smaller group where you're getting a chance to really showcase who you are and your authenticity. And so while you want to make sure you're making the most and you're getting your, you know what you need out of it in terms of goals and what you want to walk away with. Uh, remember, it's a two way thing and you want to be your authentic self. You want to really showcase who you are.
K: I would also add, um, reflect on your coffee chats afterwards, especially if you're new to coffee chatting. Take a moment to think, what do I want out of this? How did I prepare and what makes me feel confident going into the coffee chat. Also do a debrief afterwards, either by yourself with a peer or with a coach. But you know, maybe something doesn't go well. That is okay. There is something to learn there. And sometimes the learning is also. Was that a good connection? Was there was there something there or was it helpful information that ends at one coffee chat? There's no right or wrong way to move forward from it. But if it's someone that you felt connected with or that you might want to talk to again down the road, think about when that might might work best for you. How you want to follow up. Maybe it's someone recommended an article, you read it and decide that two weeks later you want to reach out and let them know what you learned. Right? Um, or maybe it's. Yeah, you know what? We don't hire until January and it's only August. Well, okay. Great. Then maybe in November, December I'm going to reach out to that person again just to check in, see how things are going and to let them know if I'm going to apply or not. Um, the follow up is key, both in terms of your reflection, as well as your strategy for maintaining that connection. At the end of the day, people remember how you made them feel. So there's no perfect question. But there is. There is just the rapport and the chemistry you have with someone much like you. Amanda. You do a great job of that. Um, okay, let's switch to hiring hubs, which we started last year. So HBA twos and some of our MSc students will be familiar with this. But other students who are new to Ivey won't be. So what's what's new with hiring hubs this year and what are they?
A: So a hiring hub. Think of it sort of as an extension of a job fair. But what we've done with this is we've built it into Ivey life. So what you're going to find starting in October, you're going to see Hiring Hub Thursday. And so again, something that is in your weekly Ivey calendar, you know it's going to happen. Companies will set up in The Kominsky Hall. So our big space in the middle of the building, the hub of the heart of the building, um, and it's again just this really informal opportunity for you to drop in, meet a company, meet some reps, meet alumni, ask some questions. You might have a break between classes and have 20 minutes and want to learn about a company. You might be on your way to a different type of activity, whether it's a club or a social thing. And again, really just that low hanging fruit, very low pressure, no pitch, no resume, just collecting some information as part of doing my diligence and my, uh, my career strategy search.
K: So again, employers are coming to you. It's meant to be informal. What else? What else should students expect from hiring hubs?
A: Yeah. Again, the way that we've sold it to companies is it's sort of this idea of like a pop up. It's like, oh, all of a sudden Acme Company is on campus on a Thursday afternoon. So it's really a really approachable way for you to walk up to somebody as part of your exploration and get an idea of who they are, what they do, what roles they might be hiring for. It's really just a valuable step in you collecting the information to help you with career exploration and figuring out what your job search steps are going to look like.
K: Okay, fantastic. So watch for hiring hubs on Thursday this coming fall. And outside of those events, what else should HBA1s and MSc BAs be doing to drive their own recruitment search?
A: That's right. So during cohort I mean obviously we've talked there's there's a lot of activity firms are coming to London. Info sessions, job fairs, hiring hub coffee chats. There's a whole lot to do. But I always think of cohort recruiting as a bit of a launchpad. It's not the whole strategy. And so there's definitely some things that you can be doing. The first that I would recommend is, regardless of where you are in your search, whether you're just starting to think about it and explore whether you think you know exactly what it is you want to do, you're going to want to meet with a career coach. I think it's really important to have those conversations and start to think about what your strategy is, because we know how you know how it can be making that transition to Ivey, whether you're in B1 or MSc-BA, there's a lot of opportunity. Your class schedule gets crazy. And so as much as there's all of this activity happening, you really want to be intentional. And so thinking through some of the resources that you've had, and I know you can speak more to this, Kate, when you think about how they're starting to think about their career search and get really intentional with that.
K: Absolutely. And, you know, there is information in 12Twenty that career, like our corporate recruiters put in that students can see there's also coaching notes that they provide to us. Um, and so, you know, it's kind of the best of both worlds. But career corporate recruiting does a lot of work behind the scenes. And so we want to make sure that you're using that to the best of your abilities. And that usually means things like, um, exploring employers even before they get to campus. Um, building a list of a couple companies that you're interested in based on the challenges that they're solving, the way that they work, um, culture fit all of these different pieces. So not just the big names or the household names, but what companies are actually doing work that you would want to see yourself doing?
A: Absolutely.
K: So building a list would be one thing. Um, and also LinkedIn. Right. Doing that not just in terms of outreach. Outreach is great. So targeting some alumni or other people who have worked at those firms to get their sense of the role and the process, but also doing some research there about about the companies, if you can. Um, I know 12Twenty hosts, lots of great job postings. Where else should students look beyond 12Twenty to make sure that they're staying on top of job postings?
A: I mean, I think it never hurts to set up Google alerts to start to think about companies that you're interested in, um, tuning into any industry information you can get so that you know what's happening, trends and that sort of thing. But I think, again, there's there's a whole wealth of information outside of Ivey. You did touch on 12Twenty. And so I just want to plug it really quick because I think it's it's really what we would call your one stop shop for Ivey recruiting. So every corporate partner that my team works with, you're going to find information in the 12Twenty portal about who they are, what they've done, what events they've participated in the past, what job postings. They've, they've posted, um, when they post those roles. And I think all of this is really important information. Another thing that I will quickly touch on is the ready to recruit module.
K: Yes. Yes okay. What is ready to recruit and where can students find it.
A: Okay. So ready to recruit will be in your learn community. It'll be under recruiting resources. There's an icon.
K: Yep there's icon for recruitment
A: icon for recruitment. And basically it's a tool that we've put together a module that the corporate recruiting team has put together to give you information about different industries, what you can expect, recruiting tips and tricks that we're hearing from corporate partners. And it also has this really comprehensive overview of how to navigate the 12Twenty portal. So if you're just sort of getting up to speed and you're starting to do some research, watching that piece of the ready to recruit module will give you really sort of a good starting point for when you then book an appointment with a coach.
K: Excellent. We often hear that 12Twenty has so much information, it can be tough to navigate or to get used to use that ready to recruit model. And of course coming back to a point earlier talk with a career coach. Don't wait until you're in panic or crisis mode. Come early. Come often so that you make sure that you have what you need, and you've dotted your I's and crossed off those T's. Um, you know, sometimes people think of a of a coach as like a one 30 minute conversation. And that's true. It can also be an ongoing relationship to make sure that you have what you need, not just from the practical pieces like resumes and building that list, but also ensuring that you're finding, you know, strategy that matches with your values, your goals, how to best use your strengths throughout this process. Um, because we're here for the whole journey, not just a single 30 minutes of your life or the most panicked moments. Um, we really are. We really are there for the whole walk. And you're not alone in this. Where can students find all the details about, um, about these recruitment events?
A: Yeah. So you're going to get communications from our coaching team, and you'll get some from Career Management as well. Related to sort of when you will start to see information, when registration details will go live, and all of it's going to happen in 12Twenty. So you'll be able to see who's coming to campus when they're coming to campus and for what activities, and then register through the system. Job postings will also be available as well.
K: Okay. And any other advice for students who are getting excited about getting started for summer cohort recruiting?
A: I know it's such an exciting time. I mean, we kind of talked about it a little bit before. I think the big thing to keep in mind about the internship is it's you doing your exploration and, you know, collecting the data points. Um, as much as companies who are sort of connecting with you and hiring you for that short term project or that period of time. And so I would say, you know, it's more than just a resume builder. It's really a chance for you to explore industries, companies, to build your network, to develop those soft skills, to develop some technical skills and then build on that experience for whatever comes next for you in your recruiting journey?
K: Absolutely. I'll double down just by saying like. Like Amanda said earlier, this is a launch pad. This is internships are an opportunity to explore, to prototype things out. Um, and so just take that as one step in the process. Your internship is not the last job you will ever have. So if you fall in love with it, great information to have. If you hate it and never want to do it again, either because of the company, the role, or the industry, great. You never have to do it again. It is all good information to have, and your Career Management team is here to help you preemptively figure out what information you need to make a decision well for yourself. Amanda, thank you so much for joining me.
A: Thank you so much for having me, Kate. And good luck, everybody. Can't wait to see you in September.
K: Thank you for listening. If you're ready for the next step, check out another episode. Book a one on one coaching session via 12Twenty. Or get connected with a student career mentor through your learn community. No matter what's next, you've got this. Take good care.