The University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business is also extending invitations to its New York-based alumni for several career workshops hosted by Columbia, says Nicole Gerhmann, assistant director of M.B.A. recruiting for finance and energy at Haas. Additionally, Rich Lyons, the dean of the business school and a former chief learning officer at Goldman Sachs, is visiting this week: "We've been using this as a team effort, the dean, the alumni relations office, the career center, we've all kind of come together." Typically 5%-10% of the about 240 students a year, pursue careers on Wall Street, she says.
With the beginning of the business-school recruiting season coming up, many schools are also focusing on supporting current students. At Cornell's Johnson School of Business, a former dean and four former associate deans have volunteered to advise interested students. Additionally, a survey-type form will be set up online to match interested students with alumni who want to help. Most stress the same message: expand your options. "There are many investment banks in other cities throughout the country -- not everything is in New York," says Karin Ash, the director of the career management center at Cornell. Traditionally, about 50% of business students at Cornell end up working in finance in New York. Next month, Cornell's career services is organizing a panel with 2002 alumni who will talk about finding employment. and students will travel to New York to attend practice