MIT Sloan “Tech Trekkers” begin annual job-hunting travels

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- More than 120 MIT School of Management MBA students will get an on-the-ground look at the economic current recovery beginning this week as they visit dozens of cutting-edge companies in Silicon Valley, Seattle, and the Boston area during their annual job-hunting, network-building MIT Sloan Tech Treks.

As they embark on their separate trips, some of the MBAs expressed cautious optimism that job prospects are improving, especially in technology. “One of the companies we tried to book last year gave us the cold shoulder, which I assume was because they didn’t have any open positions,” said Ryan Thurston, who is joining the Trek to Seattle, where he spent eight years at Impinj, Inc., a tech startup, before enrolling at MIT Sloan. “This year, the same company is at least willing to sit down and discuss a visit.”

While the Trekkers will visit major players such as Microsoft and Amazon, they will also meet MIT Sloan alumni and others at lesser-known companies, such as Seattle’s Madrona Venture Group, which invests in smaller, seed-stage companies seeking to grow. “Visiting such a range of companies will give Trek participants a good sense of what the Pacific Northwest offers in terms of technology and job opportunities,” said Thurston. The Seattle trekkers will sponsor a venture capital panel and “startup mixer” to give participants more insight into the region’s entrepreneurial community, he said.

Trekkers are also utilizing social media as they Trek and network. “I plan to send Tweets,” said Deirdre Athaide, who is on the Silicon Valley Trek. Other trekkers have set up a Facebook page.

Manjul Sahay, an engineer by education who turned toward being an entrepreneur right after college, is looking forward to meeting with companies in Silicon Valley. “I want to experience first-hand the famous start-up culture of this area,” said Sahay. “I hope to become aware of many interesting and cool ideas and companies.” Among the companies included in the Silicon Valley trek are Facebook, Google, eBay and LinkedIn.

MIT Sloan students participating in the Boston area trek will also meet with a wide range of companies, including Novell, Nokia, Akamai, and Skyhook Wireless. Boston Trekker Mayank Kapoor, who hopes to work for a technology company as a product manager after graduating MIT Sloan, also anticipates a more favorable jobs climate, at least in technology. “Technology companies are definitely upbeat about the economy,” said Kapoor. “In their presentations, they are telling us how their revenues and profits are growing this year compared to previous years. And they are actively looking to hire people as well.”

Note: MBAs are available for interviews at company site visits, or by phone.

CONTACT:

MIT School of Management
Paul Denning, 617-253-0576
617-851-9819 c
denning@mit.edu
or
Patricia Favreau, 617-253-3492
pfavreau@mit.edu

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