About Career Development
Consistently ranked among the best in the U.S., Darden’s Career Development Center (CDC) guides students in taking ownership of their job search while at the school. To facilitate this, the CDC offers a range of programs and resources designed to help students identify, pursue and secure positions consistent with their career goals.
"We recognize that our students’ goals are not limited to the pursuit of an academic degree, but are also focused on finding the right job opportunity that will be the cornerstone of a successful MBA career," says Everette Fortner (MBA '87), Executive Director for Corporate Relations. "But in addition to securing that first internship or full-time position, we want our MBAs to leave Darden well-prepared to chart a rewarding long-term career path, so we emphasize career exploration, self-assessment, long-term career planning, and networking skills, in addition to critical job search skills and strategies."
Along with an intense focus on students’ success, the CDC is committed to 
creating and maintaining positive relationships with corporate employers. Darden’s CDC team manages active relationships with companies that recruit students, working to ensure that the recruiting process is smooth, hassle-free and rewarding. In concert with administration, faculty, corporate relations and students, the CDC works continually to bring new companies on-Grounds and to expand existing relationships.
The CDC also maintains an intranet that facilitates many technical aspects of the job search, allowing students to manage their search electronically from computers on-Grounds or online. Using the CDC site, students can research companies and contacts, search for employment opportunities, apply for jobs, sign up for company presentations, schedule on-Grounds interviews and much more.
Interviews on-Grounds
On-Grounds interviews, conducted in the CDC's suite of private interview rooms, are the main hiring method for many companies. Participating firms pre-screen students based on their resumes, connections made at company briefings, or by direct student contact. Students not invited to interview with a company may still secure an interview slot via a bidding system accessible through the CDC intranet.
While on-Grounds recruiting is an important part of the career search for most Darden students, the majority of students also target companies that recruit beyond Darden’s borders. We encourage our students to view their job search with a wide lens, researching companies in their areas of interest and even exploring companies that don’t traditionally hire MBAs. Our students have historically been very successful with off-Ground search methods.
The Power of Networking
The Darden Networking Partnership is an online directory of nearly 2,000 Darden alumni who have volunteered to assist fellow graduates with their career searches. Networking partners represent a broad cross-section of industries, job functions, and locations. Partners can help expand students’ networking capabilities by sharing their own contacts. Darden Second Year students also have access to UVa’s Career Assistance Network, a database of almost 20,000 UVa alumni partners, who have volunteered to offer students and graduates career-search guidance and information.
The professional success of our students is a top priority for everyone at Darden. The school consistently produces leaders who turn ideas into action, make smart decisions under pressure, and harbor a passion for delivering results. Recruiters recognize this and continue to hire and promote Darden students to fill roles in a range of industries at ever-higher levels of responsibility.