CU's Johnson School wows MBA recruiters with its new 'Just About Jobs' fly-up event

In a tight year for MBA jobs, Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management got ahead of the curve with an innovative "Just About Jobs" event and a little help from its friends last Friday, March 28.

Corporate recruiters arrive at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport on their way to Cornell's Johnson School as part of the school's innovative "Just About Jobs" event, March 28. Thanks to the generosity of donors, who arranged for private planes, 25 companies conducted 202 interviews with MBA students at the school. Nicola Kountoupes/University Photography

With the economy backsliding into recession, many firms that normally send recruiters to the Johnson School and other MBA programs in non-urban locations simply haven't had the budget to do so this year. Enter Sam Johnson '50, CEO of S.C. Johnson and Son and major benefactor of the Johnson School, who offered to fly recruiters to Ithaca and back in a day with a company plane and two other jets rented from the private firm NetJets Executive Jet Aviation. When word got out, demand among recruiting companies exploded, and Johnson School alumnus Charles Lynch '90, MBA '95, a vice president with NetJets, came to the school's aid as well with a fourth jet. Planes left from Boston, New York City and Chicago. There also was a waiting list of companies that wanted to get on board the planes that left from New York City but couldn't, for lack of room.

All in all 28 future employers from 25 large, mid-sized and small companies -- "from MasterCard and Merck to Medsite and Flexline," wrote The Wall Street Journal -- came to the Johnson School last Friday and conducted 202 interviews with 112 second-year MBA students. Calling the results "a recruiting windfall," the venerable financial daily also noted that Cornell's and the Johnson School's network of alumni helped spread the word at their companies. The fly-up event received glowing coverage in other media as well.

"It's hard to describe the energy and excitement throughout the entire school," said Karin Ash, director of career management at the Johnson School. "Four corporate jets filled with recruiters coming to Cornell is unique in the history of the school and the university."

The biggest raves came from recruiters, staff and students. "Every recruiter I talked to was truly impressed with both the students, the quality of the event and the commitment of the Johnson School," said Richard Shafer, associate dean for corporate relations.

"The event was amazing and made me feel really proud to be a student here," said Colleen Poirier, MBA '04. And MBA student Patricia Murison wrote to Ash: "My hat is off to you -- you couldn't have been more successful in creating a banner year despite today's economic climate. The buzz around the student body is that they felt it was a wild success. As a Canadian-Australian would say: 'Good on ya, mate, eh!'"