Job Search Calendar
Schedule for MBA Students
First Year
FALL
Introduce yourself and get to know the Career Services staff well. Familiarize yourself with available resources and begin to use them. Attend workshops, prepare worksheets and obtain individual help with resume building. Submit resume for the Resume Book. Advance yourJapanese language training. Join Career Clubs on campus. Learn about how cultural differences impact the hiring process. Take online surveys to determine suitable career paths. Start to think about what your MBA specialization might be. Have one-on-one sessions with IUJ career counselors to review your resume and discuss career objectives. Practice your interview skills. Practice and implement cover letter writing skills.
WINTER
Actively begin internship search: research companies, revise your resume, attend on-campus recruiting activities, brush up your interview skills, interview with companies on campus, attend job fairs and submit your resume to companies in Tokyo and other locations. Meet as many people as possible for informational interviews (explained in Fall Workshops).
SPRING
Finalize your internship, obtain a work permit through IUJ. Start to contact more alumni in your internship city to set up a summer network. Talk with professors and Career Services staff about how to use the summer to start your search for a full-time position after graduation.
INTERNSHIP during summer- use Informational Interviews to build a network
Second Year (For MBA students)
FALL
Revise and submit resume for Resume Book. Contact your informational interview network built in the summer. Lead Career Clubs to build information resources and networking chances. Stay in close touch with the career counselor and submit applications online. Online applications to foreign investment banks start in early September! Attend career fairs.
WINTER
Fine-tune your resume and cover letters again. Aggressively apply to positions on and off campus. Schedule first-round interviews. Meet with recruiters and headhunters on campus. Go through second-round interviews. Narrow down your list to your most preferred companies. Actively pursue them.
SPRING
Finish interviewing. Choose your best option and negotiate salary and benefits package (if applicable. Not always possible within the Japanese hiring traditions). Get a contract in hand. Apply for a change in visa status. Relax….. and celebrate your success!
Did you have a summer internship?
My internship is at Alternative Investment Capital (AIC) Tokyo, which is a fund of funds investment management and advisory firm that specializes in private equity investments. I am positioned in the front side of the investment team and one of my responsibilities is to evaluate and suggest first hand investment opportunities to the management. I am also assigned a research project related to investments and simultaneously involved in other business affairs and tasks. This experience is allowing me to understand the thought process and practical view point of the investment firms behind the kind of investment strategy specifically suitable to the firm, including its investment objectives. Overall it’s an interesting internship with many new things to learn about not only industry specific but also about the Japanese working style, management and culture. I get to meet people from other companies as well. I think that first year at IUJ has been quite useful in providing me with basics that has been quite useful during the internship.
Ankit Dhariwal
India
MBA Class of 2010
Schedule for E-Business Management Students
FALL
Participate in all career workshops and introduce yourself well to the career counselor. Identify skills and interests. Prepare resumes and cover letters. Research companies and prepare for applications. Practice interviewing and receive one-on-one guidance. Take leadership roles in Career Clubs, and build a network. Apply online to companies and attend Job Fairs.
WINTER
Apply to opportunities through the career office and other sources. Conduct informational interviews for networking and thesis work. Participate in on-campus recruiting activities. Participate in Career Club initiatives and consulting projects with faculty/student teams.
SPRING
Take an early offer if possible. Continue networking to find the ideal position. Complete the thesis early to allow for intense concenetration on the job hunt before graduation..
SUMMER
Continue networking for the employment position. Finalize opportunities and choose the best match. Change visa status. Begin employment in September if possible. October starts for Japanese companies may be more likely.