MBA Career Services Council (CSC) 2013 European Conference

 

Last week Cranfield School of Management’s Career Development team returned from the vibrant historical city of Edinburgh, Scotland after attending the four day  MBA CSC 2013 European Conference. 

 

The conference is an annual event that provides an invaluable opportunity for business school career staff to network and share their experiences. 

 

Hosted by the University of Edinburgh, Cranfield was joined by career representatives from CASS Business School, INSEAD, London Business School, Oxford, Cambridge, HEC Paris, SDA Bocconi and more. 

 

There was a great US presence with guest speakers such as Chief Executive Officer Jack Gainer and Vice President Heather Krumpak of MBA-­Focus, and Steve Dalton, MBA, author of ‘The 2-­Hour Job Search’ and senior associate director at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. 

 

The event began on Sunday 7th April with a warm welcome from MBA CSC President Mark Peterson and 2013 Organising Committee Chair Brian Marrinan who opened with a networking buffet and drinks.  

 

Monday saw the start of a packed schedule of talks, presentations and group activities all focused on career services and the employment market. 

 

The theme was ‘Can careers service professionals and MBA employers build effective relationships that deliver for students, schools and employers?’

 

Helen Chapman, Business Development Manager at Cranfield said that the ability to share approaches to career services from different business schools was very beneficial to her. She said, “This was my first MBA CSC conference, and one thing that really stood out was the huge benefit gained by being able to share different approaches to career services with neighbouring schools. We are all in the same position as far as wanting the best ways to support students and alumni, so having the opportunity to compare notes is priceless.”

 

The event also provided an excellent opportunity to meet with organisations offering career related services such as the London born BusinessBecause, and the Harvard born Evisors. Both organizations awed delegates with their innovative technologies and solutions. 

 

On Tuesday, guests were welcomed by a live Bagpipe performance when they arrived to dine at Edinburgh’s stunning Hubb where they were treated to traditional Scottish Ceilii Dance. 

 

Wednesday saw the event come to a close with one last morning of networking, presentations and group activities before the organisers delivered their final thanks and closing comments. 

 

Colin Hudson, Director of Career Development Service at Cranfield and regular annual attendee of the MBA CSC European Conference was thoroughly pleased with the conference. He said, “As usual, the organisers did not disappoint with their selection of speakers and activities. The choice of venue created a noticeable buzz this year, as delegates were enthused to be able to share their expertise in such as close-­‐knit environment. The event really does provide a rare platform for business schools to form new working partnerships of mutual reward, from which we can start working together for the benefit of our students and alumni.”

 

The next MBA CSC event is the 2013 Global Conference, June 25 to 28 in Washington, DC. The conference is the largest gathering of careers professionals and employers across the globe, coming together for information sharing and networking. For more information, visit www.mbacsc.org.