Ivey – Landing a Job in Toronto: Myths and Realities

IveyMBA

Ivey – Landing a Job in Toronto: Myths and Realities

June 27th, 2013 by Chris Asper

When I speak to prospective students, especially those who are from outside of Canada, one of the questions asked is, “If I want to land a job in Toronto, don’t I need to attend an MBA program in Toronto?” I’m unsure where this idea originates from because it’s a myth for two reasons.

The first reason this is a myth is because hiring companies don’t settle. The criteria for employing new talent aren’t based on geography. During job recruiting, the goal of hiring companies is to attract the best person they can find. Even though the company may be based in Toronto, these companies consciously expand their search by investing time and money to visit the top business schools. Top tier companies that recruit MBAs decide which schools to visit, create a schedule, and host information sessions at each one. During Fall 2012 recruiting, 97% of the companies that hosted an on-campus information session for our MBA students were from Toronto/Greater Toronto Area. If companies hired only from schools in Toronto, we wouldn’t have the high number of grads who end up at Toronto-based firms each year. Just last year, roughly two-thirds of our graduating class found employment in Toronto/Greater Area by September 2012. Companies in Toronto consider Ivey because of the reputation of our program and the success of our graduates.

The second reason this is a myth is because when it comes to hiring, people would rather hire someone they know versus someone they don’t. While it is true that being in Toronto allows you to be closer to a company, would you show up unannounced not knowing anyone at that firm to inquire about opportunities?

Ivey has the largest and most influential network of all Canadian business schools — 22,000 alum with greater than 40 per cent of all alums in Director-level positions or higher. They also remain very engaged with the school. For instance, a couple of weeks ago, Career Management organized an event for our MBA students in Toronto where 218 alumni and recruiters participated (representing 119 firms). One of the networking events alone had 157 young alumni (MBA grads from 2007-2012). Ivey alums are proud of their degree and eager to help the next generation of graduates. It’s part of the pay-it-forward mentality that is the fabric of the Ivey community.

So, when it comes to finding a job in Toronto, the reputation of the program, the success of the graduates, and the engagement of the alumni matter to your success, not the proximity of the company.