After a busy few days in New York, we’re all now back in New Orleans. As a first-year MBA focusing on marketing and consumer research, I’ve been told I need to start looking for a summer internship now. After attending Freeman Days in New York this past week, I think I now know what I need to do to get that internship. During Freeman Days, undergrad and graduate students can fly up to New York to meet with potential employers. Later this fall, Tulane will hold also Freeman Days events in Houston, New Orleans and Washington, DC.
Most of us were on the same flight from New Orleans on Wednesday night with Thursday and Friday set aside for making connections that will hopefully land us all good jobs. As a marketing guy – my first stop was Lowe New York, an ad agency. Lowe’s offices could be the set for a TV show. The US office of this London-based agency occupies a whole floor in a SoHo office building that virtually has no walls I(but it does have a video game area and a foosball table). You could say it was pretty much the opposite of Mad Men (we were the only people in suits). The HR representative who met with us is a Tulane grad, and she told us how much she misses campus and New Orleans. Another plus – their building has a killer roof deck with amazing NYC skyline views.
Thursday afternoon I went to the Coach and Macy’s presentations back at the Marriott in Midtown. Our Coach representative is a Tulane mom, and all three of the Macy’s employees were Tulane grads. I think the most helpful part of the entire program was the Alumni Reception that night. I got to meet up with a number of undergrad and MBA alumni who all gave me good contacts and advice for my internship hunt.
Friday – I felt like I was at home in Louisiana. Rain pummeled the streets of Midtown Manhattan in sheets. I had always been told that hard, heavy rain was rare outside of the Gulf Coast. I guess I heard wrong. Dodging downpours in a suit in New York is not fun – but it was all worth it to see David Letterman’s studio! One of the shows business managers met with us to let us know the ins and outs of putting on a daily TV production. I have a background in TV, but it was still cool to see that set. It seems much smaller in person.
A number of us stayed in New York for the weekend to visit friends, and when I got on my flight Sunday morning there were quite a few Freeman Days t-shirts on board. I know most people think the meetings were worth the trip – I did.