Wednesday’s Headlines: Candid MBAs are Most Successful at Getting Jobs

Puffery is tempting. But keep it real, concludes a study which found that honesty is indeed the best policy for MBA students during their job search, according to a Businessweek story.

Professors at London Business School and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s Kenan Flagler Business School followed 146 MBA students over their two-year B-school careers and shortly thereafter. Considered in the study were feedback from admissions staff who’d interviewed the MBA students before they matriculated, final grade point averages and student surveys from summer internships and the four months following graduation regarding how they perceived themselves. Questions included: “I like to be myself rather than trying to act like someone I’m not,” and “It’s important for an employer to see me as I see myself, even if it means bringing people to recognize my limitations.” The magazine reported:

Those who were forthcoming about their self-image had a high level of job satisfaction, a strong commitment to their jobs, and high ratings from their supervisors. … In addition, the authors found that business school admissions officers can do a better job predicting future academic performance of applicants who are more forthright about how they view their strengths and weaknesses.

Over-promoting one’s self can lead to landing a position for which you are under-qualified, as well making your colleagues hate you, the researchers found.

 

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Goldman is looking to improve its social media image to cope with negative press. [Financial Times]

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Opposition to an SEC plan to tighten regulations on money-market funds is intensifying. [Dow Jones]