Navigating MBA Careers and Admissions: A Conversation with Yale SOM's Abigail Kies

We had the opportunity to speak with Abigail Kies, Assistant Dean and Director of Career Services at Yale SOM. Abigail has spent the past eight years in Yale’s career office and close to two decades working in career development for MBAs and experienced professionals.

MBA Recruiting and Career Trends

MBA Pathfinders: What trends are you seeing in MBA recruiting and career development?

Abigail Kies: I’m seeing two major trends.

First – and this has been ongoing for many years – is the increasing importance of networking and relationship-building. Our students all have strong skills and resumes, but what differentiates candidates in today’s competitive market is the ability to build relationships, communicate effectively, and fit culturally with teams. It’s no longer just about technical skills; it’s about connection and communication.

Second – we are seeing a shift away from traditional campus recruiting. While large companies used to hire in bulk through early, structured recruiting processes, an increasing number of employers prefer hiring "just in time" for specific roles and needs.

Students sometimes get anxious because it feels less structured, but it often leads to more meaningful roles as companies are hiring for immediate, specific needs rather than hiring on "spec" and trying to fit people in later. This also means students must be very intentional and clear about what roles and industries they’re targeting.

MBA Pathfinders: Are you seeing this shift both in on-campus and off-campus recruiting?

Abigail Kies: Absolutely. The trend cuts across both traditional campus recruiting and external opportunities.

MBA Pathfinders: Are you seeing a broader diversity of roles — for example, more specialized roles within tech or consulting roles specific to industry?

Abigail Kies: Definitely. Companies are asking for greater specificity from candidates — and students need to articulate not just that they want a job, but exactly what kind of job, in which team, and why. It challenges students to think more deeply about their goals, but it also opens opportunities for MBAs to pursue a broader variety of functions and industries than in the past. Companies are more willing to hire MBA talent across different areas, not just in traditional post-MBA functions.

The Future of Work

MBA Pathfinders: Looking ahead, where do you see these trends heading over the next 10 years, particularly with AI shaping the future of work?

Abigail Kies: If I truly knew, I wouldn’t still be at a school! But here’s my best guess: AI will be similar to Excel when it first emerged. People feared Excel would eliminate accounting jobs, but it actually enabled deeper analysis and new types of work.

Similarly, AI will automate some tasks but create space for more creative, innovative work. It won't replace human creativity, emotional intelligence, or innovation — all of which remain critical across industries. AI will be a tool; people will drive how it’s used and what opportunities emerge.

Current Market Dynamics

MBA Pathfinders: We’ve all seen headlines about MBA recruiting being down, especially in consulting and product management. Are you seeing signs of a turnaround?

Abigail Kies: Honestly, I don't fully agree with the gloomier narratives. Consulting ballooned during COVID, so the recent "drop" is more a return to pre-pandemic norms than a collapse. Compared to 2019, consulting outcomes are pretty stable. Banking numbers have been lower for a while, and that’s a more sustained shift. Overall, I view it as recalibration rather than a long-term decline.

At the same time, this has actually opened up great opportunities for so many other kinds of employers. While there's still a lot of robust hiring in investment banking and consulting, many organizations are finding ways to leverage similar skills, whether in internal finance roles or internal strategy roles. They're excited to have students think more deeply about the varying places they can develop and contribute those skills.

A lot of students look at investment banking and consulting as the continuation of their MBA — the third, fourth, and fifth year — after which they can figure out what they want to do with their lives. For some students, that works out well. But in some ways, this market is forcing them to ask: "Is this really what I want to do, and why?" And if it’s not, "What is it going to lead me to? What are all the other ways I could get there?" In many cases, really going deep into an industry can get someone where they want to be just as well, if not better, than starting in banking or consulting. I think a lot of this is helpful for students.

When there’s too much demand for MBAs, it can be hard for students to swim upstream and go against the trend of "Oh, I'm just going to take this offer, this is so great," instead of stopping to think: "What do I really want to be doing? Why am I really here at school? What do I want to learn? Where do I want to go with it?"

MBA Pathfinders: That's interesting. I often tell students that consulting or banking is a necessary stepping-stone for internal strategy or PE roles. Is that still true?

Abigail Kies: It depends. Private Equity still strongly prefers banking backgrounds, because banks serve as rigorous training grounds. Some PE firms, especially those with strong operational needs, value the training graduates get in management consulting too. For internal strategy, consulting is still highly valued — many strategy teams are ex-consultants. And… we're seeing more companies hire directly into rotational or strategy programs without requiring prior consulting experience.

The broader shift? Companies are recognizing that great talent doesn’t have to follow one set path.

MBA Pathfinders: Fascinating.

Abigail Kies: We’re also seeing more companies — especially large, lesser-known ones — actively recruiting at Yale SOM. For instance, there’s a Connecticut-based global company that makes components for many household electronics. Most people haven't heard of them, but they're thriving company with expansive reach and hire students regularly. Students today are more open to considering roles at these kinds of companies. They realize a great career can happen at a brand name they've never heard before.

Yale's "Social Impact" Reputation

MBA Pathfinders: Yale still carries a reputation for social impact. Is that still a major focus, or is the school now equally strong across industries?

Abigail Kies: Yale SOM has long been known for social impact —for decades now though, it hasn’t been the only thing. And frankly what does "social impact" even mean?

If you look at our employment reports, about 5-6% of students go into nonprofit roles (from the footnotes, because only foundations are categorized as “nonprofit”). However, social impact shows up everywhere — finance, consulting, healthcare, tech. I believe that what really differentiates Yale SOM is that students care deeply about why they're doing what they’re doing.

Whether choosing between two consulting firms or two finance offers, many students make decisions based on the impact they can create. I remember one student who chose to join a major consulting firm rather than take a supply chain role for a prestigious retailer. He picked the consulting firm because he realized he could work with C-suite executives right away and push for environmental initiatives that would have a much bigger reach than what he could achieve in sourcing for one company.

MBA Pathfinders: So it's less about the company itself and more about what students want to achieve within it?

Abigail Kies: Exactly. You’ll see students pursuing sustainability roles at Google, Amazon, American Express — big names that may not look "social impact" on paper, but the mission behind the work Yale SOM graduates take on matters deeply to them.

Yale Career Resources

MBA Pathfinders: Before we wrap up, could you share how Yale’s Career Office is structured? Any distinctive resources for students?

Abigail Kies: Sure. Our office has two sides: Career Coaching & Education (student-facing) and Employer Partnerships (employer-facing). The coaching team provides individualized support and programming, while the employer team builds and manages relationships with recruiters, alumni, and hiring managers. We really view employers as partners — it’s a two-way relationship, not just a job board. Both teams work closely with professional clubs, too, ensuring students have rich access to expertise and industry market updates.. Finally, we also hire second-year students as Career Advisors

On the coaching side, our team is industry agnostic — we don’t assign coaches by industry.

Our philosophy is: once you're out of industry for a year or more, your expertise is dated.. Students should tap alumni for current industry expertise — and we organize a lot of programming with alumni for that reason. Our coaches are experts on career management and understand the differences and nuances across many industries.

We also deliberately hire coaches with different styles — some are more patient and nurturing, some more direct and action-oriented. All work with students to define and accomplish their goals, and students can choose the coaching style that resonates best with them (or leverage a variety of coaches at different times in their search).

One thing to note – we coach, not advise. We don't tell students, "You should do this or that,” for your internship or after you graduate. We want students to take ownership. We're here to guide them, provide feedback (even when it's hard to hear), and support them in putting in the work themselves. Everything is focused on results – students are never in it alone, and it’s up to them to keep things moving forward.