Nimi Ajayi (Owen, ‘22) decided to recruit for healthcare marketing roles during his first year at Vanderbilt. After recently navigating the recruiting and interview process, Nimi was able to land a summer internship role in Healthcare Strategy this summer. During this interview Nimi spoke about his career journey so far, and his advice for navigating the virtual internship interview process.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and what did you choose to recruit for?
Before coming to Owen, I worked as a Business Strategy Analyst for a healthcare education software company – New Innovations, in Ohio. I recruited for marketing, strategy and consulting roles in healthcare.
MBASchooled: What was the virtual recruiting process like for you?
The experience was challenging at first, but I quickly got the hang of it. Getting recruiters to pay attention to your profile amidst thousands of resumes and job-seekers like myself meant I had to do things a little differently.
Having spent a few months working primarily virtually before business school helped. But ultimately, it took a lot of practice, learning to pitch myself in front of a computer screen. The green dot on my computer camera became my best friend. We had a lot of conversations and pep talks.
MBASchooled: What did you like about it? What were some of the challenging parts with it?
Recruiting in a virtual environment forced me to be proactive and think outside the box. I knew recruiting would be difficult in the current climate, with companies unsure what the next summer would look like as they scrambled to make sense of hiring needs due to the pandemic. I knew that relationships were going to be vital in securing a position early. I started to reach out to recruiters early in the summer to build relationships.
Many companies had summer programming for incoming MBAs, and I made sure I attended as many as I could. I loved the flexibility that it brought, though. I didn’t have to leave my home to talk to recruiters. This flexibility allowed me to jump right from an interview to class. Cutting down on transit time from one location to another helped me maximize my productivity and still get some time to relax after a full day of activities.
MBASchooled: What kinds of roles did you recruit for, and what was the interview process like? What were some of the challenging parts?
I wanted roles that had a combination of healthcare and marketing and offered opportunities to do some strategic work. The most challenging part was finding roles that fit the profile of what I was looking for. In the MBA, you get exposed to so many opportunities. We are constantly reminded to keep our minds open to a variety of possibilities.
I found myself committing to things that were not along the lines of what I wanted. I started to feel overwhelmed with managing class, group work, networking with alumni and attending information sessions. I started to narrow down my options by late September and that really helped me focus my efforts on the companies I was really interested in.
MBASchooled: How did you end up at the company where you accepted an offer?
I was looking for a company that had a great culture, where I could do great work, and was also relatively flexible with opportunities in different locations should I need to make changes down the line in my career. I was drawn to the company’s mission of cheating products that alleviate pain, restore health and extend life and being at the forefront of medical technology through investment in R&D and the best people. I loved everyone I spoke with from the company, and they spoke very highly of the culture at Medtronic.
MBASchooled: How did you manage the fact that companies have different timelines, and thus you could be at different stages in interviewing with different companies?
This was the most challenging part of MBA recruiting for me. I was fortunate enough to get multiple offers but I am very grateful to all the companies I was talking to for their flexibility. Most recruiters are willing to work with you if you have legitimate reasons why a timeline needs to be pushed up or pushed back. I think flexibility is the name of the game now both on the recruiter side and the applicant’s to be able to get the best talent.
Most MBAs want to weigh their options against each other to make sure they are making the best decisions for themselves. It helps candidates feel like they are not settling but it also helps companies retain the talent that they recruit for their internships. When you are flexible, you know that the folks coming to work for a company really want to be there because they had time to decide from their few or many options, and they still chose said company. I am not sure what the data says, but I have a hunch that companies that have lower retention rates post-internship, probably put pressure on candidates to accept offers with limited decision-making allowances.
MBASchooled: What was the hardest interview you had?
I think they were all hard in their own ways. Casing will always be more difficult than behavioral and situational interviews because you can practice so much but still not be ready for what you’re going to get. I didn’t work in consulting prior to business school so the concept was relatively new to me as was the case for very many of my colleagues.
MBASchooled: What did you learn from the interviewing process?
I learned that there is a lot expected from you as an MBA candidate at whatever company you go to work for, but the MBA more than prepares you for that with the academic rigor coupled with the networking and leadership opportunities available during the program. I am determined to get all that I can out of this MBA experience to ensure that I have all the skills I need to excel in whatever I do post-MBA.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for others who are trying to navigate the virtual interviewing process?
Start early. Get some L’s under your belt early and shake them off, because they will happen. You will build your confidence over time and you will ultimately end up at the right spot for you. Also, everyone’s timeline and goals are different. Collaborate with your classmates but do not compare, develop your areas of weakness, but lean into your strengths.