Career Services and Support for MIT SCM Students

The SCM program does an outstanding job of preparing students for career success. The small student cohort in the master's program receives personal career coaching and job search support, leading to exceptional career outcomes for our graduates.

We proactively develop recruiting opportunities for students, including on-campus employer info sessions, networking events, and job interviews. 

A variety of recruiting opportunities and resources are available to students throughout the year, heavily concentrated in the Fall. A series of company information sessions, resume drops, and interviews are held. Many of these opportunities are specific to SCM students and are held independently of the rest of the MIT community. However, students are also encouraged to participate and utilize MIT’s wider network of services and resources.

"In addition to the program’s rigorous and demanding curriculum, the recruiting season kicks off in early September with world-class firms visiting campus – only two weeks after the beginning of orientation in mid-August. By Thanksgiving, many students have received employment offers. " Quote from Wassim Aouad, SCM master's candidate 2020


Recruiting Timeline

For SCMr students, and SCMb students who possess permanent work authorization (US citizens, Green Card holders), on-campus recruiting by North American companies is cyclical:

  • Period A (Aug-Nov) – heaviest activity: Multinational corporations and prominent consulting firms recruit heavily on campus September–November for start dates the following June.
  • Period B (Nov-Mar) – lighter activity: A small level of on-campus recruiting by companies that do not fit into periods A or C.
  • Period C (Mar-May) – heavy activity: Employers seeking to hire students for June start dates begin to post positions in late February.

MIT SCM encourages employers who recruit in the fall to consider eligible SCMb students for open positions. Given the accelerated nature of the program, SCMb students are encouraged to begin the career exploration process before arriving on campus in January.

 

Job Search after graduation:

It is important to note that networking is highly effective and strongly recommended. Through use of the MIT Alumni Directory and LinkedIn, students can target their job search based on their preferences; this approach has yielded considerable success for many students.

 

Career Services for all SCM students include:

  • Individualized career coaching and advising 
  • Career skills development: (job search strategy, networking, interview preparation, negotiation) including mock interview practice and role playing
  • One-on-one professional assessment of strengths and natural talents using CliftonStrengths tool
  • One-on-one counseling to define career goals and to write, refine and practice your “elevator pitch”
  • Resume and cover letter writing workshops,* and individualized writing assistance
  • Goal-setting workshops
  • Guidance on networking and salary negotiation
  • Employer site visits and facility tours
  • Access to SCM on-campus recruiting platform
For SCMb students, some of the above services (marked with *) take place or begin online, before students arrive on campus.

In addition to dedicated SCM services, students gain access to:

Residential and Blended – What's Different?

The career resources available to students in the residential (SCMr) and blended (SCMb) programs are the same; however, due to the timing and shorter duration of their residency on campus, SCMb students’ recruiting experience will differ from that of SCMr students, and most international SCMb students, in particular, need to be aware of US work-authorization realities that can affect their job search.


SCMb Does Not Qualify for OPT and STEM

All SCM students receive the same career development training and participate in the same SCM recruiting activities. However, international SCMb students are not eligible for OPT or STEM OPT visa extensions. The US Visa process makes it very difficult for students without OPT or STEM extension to secure employment from a US company. 

Foreign students who do not have OPT are required to leave the US within 60 days of graduation, even if they have found a company willing to hire and sponsor them for an H-1B non-immigrant work visa. But the company will not know until October 1 whether their H1-B visa application was successful. This makes it very difficult for US companies to hire graduates without OPT.

We strongly encourage international SCMb students to focus their efforts on securing a high-quality position in their home country, or another country where they have permission to work. Begin before you arrive at MIT: develop your network, explore opportunities, conduct informational interviews to prepare yourself for employment as MIT alumni. As an admitted MIT SCM student, you already benefit greatly from the power of the MIT brand. In a few short months you will return to your home country armed with terrific technical skills, soft skills, and a graduate degree from MIT. 

What are OPT and STEM?

OPT and STEM are extensions of F-1 visa status that allow some foreign students who have been enrolled for two semesters, or one academic year, to work in the US for 1–3 years after graduation without an H-1B visa.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) provides authorization for temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. Eligible students can apply to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization before completing their academic studies (pre-completion) and/or after completing their academic studies (post-completion). 

STEM OPT Extension: Students who have earned degrees in certain science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields may apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion OPT employment.

MIT's SCM degrees are granted by the School of Engineering and our SCM program does qualify for STEM. But OPT and STEM are only available to foreign students who have been enrolled for 1 full academic year, so SCMb students are not eligible to apply for these extensions.

Go deeper: Learn more about STEM and OPT on the MIT International Students' Office web site.