National Black MBA Association Career Fair

NBMBAA 44th Annual Conference & Exposition

(aka National Black

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  • What is it? Why should I go?

    The National Black MBA Association Conference (National Black) is the largest conference and career fair in the country held for business students each fall. National Black has over 9,000 attendees each year, making it one of the largest job recruitment events in the nation.

    At the conference, students interact with recruiters (and in several cases, executives) from large national and international companies. The company list crosses all industries and sizes, from large organizations like Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Dell and Intel, and consulting firms like Deloitte, Accenture, and Boston Consulting Group, all the way to small regional banks and utility companies. Students also conduct interviews with companies during the conference. In past years, Jenkins MBAs have secured dozens of interviews and some job offers from attending National Black. Attendance is open for all.  It is not closed for just the targeted affinity group.

    Attendance Benefits

    ● Bang for your buck: National Black is the best chance for MBA’s to interview with a number of many nationally-recognized companies in such a short time period. The conference is a great opportunity for all MBAs to pursue a large number of leads with national companies.

    ● Unique Access: The conference provides MBAs the chance to pitch and network with companies who traditionally have not recruited at NC State, including those that exclusively recruit at these types of career fairs, rather than individual schools.

    ● Networking: National Black gives Jenkins MBA students a platform to develop business relationships with companies and industry leaders. The conference is one of the very few events/venues where executives, industry leaders, and thought leaders gather at one place at one time.

    ● Confidence and Skills: Attending the conference, conducting interviews and participating in events helps students bolster their confidence to perform well in interviews. By practicing their pitch before and during the conference, students increase their comfort with delivery. Although everyone would love to get a job from the conference, MBAs will gain a lot of experience and bolster their skills simply by attending.

    You can take a look at this demo video for an overview of what to expect.

    Watch this video of the student experience at a previous National Black career fair.

  • Location/Dates:

     September 29 – 30, 2022 

    Georgia World Congress Center

    The conference and career exposition is being held in-person this year.
    Read here for more information

  • Conference Attire, Schedule & Costs

    Conference attire is Business Dress

    • Click here for conference schedule (including career expo)
      The National Black Conference  Most Jenkins MBAs attend just the two-day career expo, which is a sub-event within the conference. Conference attendees have access to keynote speakers, and meet-the-expert, industry insights, and professional development breakout sessions at a greater cost.
      2022 Conference and Career Fair Cost.
      The conference and career exposition is being held in-person this year.  Please attend according to your comfort level.
      The career fair registration will cover both the in-person and virtual formats.  (You will not be able to purchase an “ala carté” registration”)*
      The registration cost for Member” is $300
      * You can pay for a membership of $45.  Click here.  No need to pay as a non-member. NOTE:  you receive a 50% discount on annual event registration as a member.
      The Jenkins MBA is offering a $250 stipend to all students. Stipend is dependent on eligibility requirements. Click here for details.
      Click here to register. 
  • What is it like? What can I expect to happen there? What should I be doing when I’m there?

    Each year, nearly 250 corporations and government entities choose to seek top talent and interview candidates for open positions at our Annual Conference and Career Expo. It is important that you register early and have an opportunity to post your résumé to opportunities BEFORE the career fair.  Employers will be evaluating candidates before the start and will be contacting students whom they are interested in. Use this time to finalize companies you have been interested in working with and use it as an opportunity to close the gap on your employment.

  • How will the CMC support me?

    Before the conference, the career center will work with students to prepare their resumes. The career coaches will help to ensure your resume is tailored to reflect the needs of the prospective employers you are looking to meet. The career center will also help students practice pitches, identify and target companies, and plan schedules. Connect with John Hutchings if you have more targeted questions.

  • Your Next Steps
    1. Register – Register now.  After registering, you will get access to the job board and any other resources to get ready and answer questions for the conference. . While you can view the board prior to registration, you will have to be registered to attend in order to apply for jobs through the Conference Job Match.
    2. Tell the career center that you intend to come.   Click here to add your name to the Google Sheet.
    3. [For Working Professionals] Make yourself eligible for MBA program-hosted employer relations.  You can technically sign up for the career expo without the career center knowing; however, your ROI will be much greater if you collaborate with us in your preparation.
    4. Resume Prep – Prepare your résumé, pitch, and approach strategy and meet with your career coach – Kira Dalton (FY MBAs), Annie Murray (SY MBAs), Lisa Batts (WP MBAs), Ed Kato (WP MBAs), or John Hutchings (WP MBAs). You should have a targeted résumé and pitch for each company you plan on approaching. You also want to review and update your cover letters.
    5. Explore the National Black website and job board, plot your target company approach strategy. Research companies. Many companies are lining up their interview schedules NOW before the career expo.
    6. Apply for the $250 reimbursement stipend.

    7. Practice your interview skills with your career coach and the InterviewStream virtual interview tool.  You will find a button that takes you to interviewing.com at the top of our website. Simply login using your @ncsu.edu email address.