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Technology Recruiting in 'Facebook Nation' Now that business schools have used blogs and podcasts to recruit prospective students, some are taking the next steps to meet many students where they virtually live: the social net- working site Facebook. On the pop- ular networking site, individuals or organizations can create "groups" dedicated to a common interest, which users from around the world can join. Last fall, the University of Toron- to's Rotman School of Manage- ment in Ontario, Canada, created its group, Rotman MBA Admissions, on Facebook. In November, Rot- man attracted 73 participants to its Facebook MBA question-and-answer session, where Cheryl Millington, its director of MBA recruiting and admissions, chatted with prospective students. By January, the Rotman group had 158 members. Joining Facebook to reach out to its community—particularly those interested in business education— promises to become a regular part of Rotman's recruiting, says Richard Powers, assistant dean and execu- tive director of MBA programs. He notes that social networking does not replace face-to-face meetings with prospective students at MBA Fairs around the world. Even so, Facebook helps the school connect to many more students than it could otherwise. "It enables us to talk to candi- dates whom we are unable to reach through traditional methods," Power says. The school plans to hold another information session on Face- book this spring. 64 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2008 Personalized assessment is as important in career development as it is in academia. And in a world of 24/7 access to information, business students want more than daytime on-campus access to career develop- ment tools. They want help at any time, from any loca- tion—which means b-school career services are providing more tools on the Web. The MBA Career Services office at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business in Philadelphia, Pennsylva- nia, recently added Inter- viewStream, an interactive online interview tool. Inter- viewStream provides students instant, anytime feedback on their interview skills. InterviewStream is now part of LeBow's MBA Career Services' online Career Gateway, a portal that includes a resume assis- tant and manager; a calendar, con- tact, and correspondence manager; and salary and relocation tools. Before InterivewStream was put in place, students who sought help with interviewing had to be on campus and visit the office during business hours. "Career Gateway offered a great deal of information and tips about interviewing, but no practice," says Kay Ford, senior director of MBA Career Services. "Now, we can work with our stu- dents from a distance." InterviewStream requires that students use a computer equipped with a Web camera, computer microphone, and Internet connec- tion. The student sits in front of the camera to record an interview with a computer-simulated questioner, Teaching Students to Ace the Virtual Interview who asks eight questions selected from a question database. Once the interview is completed, the student can upload the interview to share with a career counselor, as well as family and friends, for constructive criticism. When possible, the student can meet with a career counselor for a follow-up discussion. A LeBow student practices her skills in a virtual interview. For example, the program indi- cates when a student uses repetitive speech patterns, such as "like" and "um." Counselors can also work with students to eliminate distract- ing body language or to increase eye contact. "It's not uncommon, once they see themselves, for students to announce they wouldn't hire themselves for a job," says Marilyn Tietjen, associate director of MBA Career Services. Through the use of online tools such as Career Gateway and Inter- viewStream, Ford and Tietjen note that their students' job searches have become, on average, about 40 percent shorter. They can keep track of their contacts, build their resumes, and refine their interview- ing skills in a way that helps them see their progress and keep them- selves on track.