{"id":42300,"date":"2026-05-26T08:48:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T12:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/?p=42300"},"modified":"2026-05-26T16:04:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T20:04:17","slug":"mba-networking-referrals-informational-interviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/mba-networking-referrals-informational-interviews\/","title":{"rendered":"The mbaMission Podcast: MBA Networking That Leads to Referrals and Job Offers | Ep 104"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building a strong network is one of the most discussed benefits of attending business school\u2014and one of the least understood in practice. MBA programs regularly emphasize the strength of their alumni communities and professional networks, but many applicants and students still struggle with a practical question: How do you actually use those networks to generate meaningful conversations, referrals, and career opportunities?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MBA Networking That Leads to Referrals and Job Offers | Ep 104\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ffpHvrTECkI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this episode of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mbaMission Podcast<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, host Harold Simansky and mbaMission Executive Director Jessica Shklar speak with guest Jeff Yolen, CEO and founder of Career Connector, about how to approach networking more strategically. Drawing on his experience in executive search and career development, Jeff explains why the standard \u201csubmit your application and wait\u201d approach is so often ineffective, especially in a competitive job market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-mbamission-podcast\/id1748825410?i=1000769617615\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-41854\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button-300x100.jpg\" alt=\"apple podcasts button\" width=\"300\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/2BgBGYbLitEB0sevrHfWqk?si=930f15050f124ffd\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-41852\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button-300x100.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button.jpg 563w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the episode\u2019s most memorable points is Jeff\u2019s explanation of the value of referrals. As he notes, cold applications rarely lead to offers, which is why networking and informational interviews can be so important. Rather than asking directly for a job, Jeff recommends using early conversations to build rapport, gather insight, and identify the next person to speak with inside an organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conversation also offers practical advice on how to begin the job search process. Jeff suggests starting by creating a target list of companies and then prioritizing them based on your level of interest, their hiring activity, and any available connections. He also shares useful guidance on outreach: Keep your messages short, make the subject line specific, and ask for a brief informational conversation, rather than a job.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harold and Jessica also explore the equity side of networking. For candidates who do not come from highly connected families or professional circles, alumni networks, shared experiences, and common backgrounds can be powerful starting points. The discussion makes clear that networking is not about exercising privilege; it is about approaching specific people thoughtfully and professionally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, this episode reframes networking as a long-term skill rather than a short-term transaction. Done well, it can help MBA applicants and students not only improve their recruiting outcomes but also build relationships that matter throughout their careers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New episodes of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mbaMission Podcast<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are released every Tuesday on all major streaming platforms, with full video episodes available on mbaMission\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@mbaMission\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">YouTube channel.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Sign up for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/consult\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a free 30-minute consultation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with Harold, Jessica, or another member of mbaMission\u2019s admissions team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information about Jeff Yolen and Career Connector, contact Jeff at jeff@careerconnector.coach.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building a strong network is one of the most discussed benefits of attending business school\u2014and one of the least understood in practice. MBA programs regularly emphasize the strength of their alumni communities and professional networks, but many applicants and students still struggle with a practical question: How do you actually use those networks to generate &hellip; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/mba-networking-referrals-informational-interviews\/\">Read&nbsp;More&nbsp;&nbsp;<i class=\"fal fa-sm fa-angle-right\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":42301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[643],"tags":[81,222],"class_list":["post-42300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mbamission-podcast","tag-career-change","tag-networking"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>MBA Networking Tips: Referrals, Informational Interviews, and Jobs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how MBA applicants and students can use networking, informational interviews, and referrals to improve recruiting outcomes in this mbaMission Podcast episode.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/mba-networking-referrals-informational-interviews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MBA Networking Tips: Referrals, Informational Interviews, and Jobs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how MBA applicants and students can use networking, informational interviews, and referrals to improve recruiting outcomes in this mbaMission Podcast episode.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/mba-networking-referrals-informational-interviews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"mbaMission - 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