JMSB recruitment drive expands across borders
After Errol Lobo left his home in India for an MBA at the JMSB in 2004, he had no idea that the next time he returned it would be as graduate recruitment officer of the business school.
But last month he spent three weeks visiting six different cities across India encouraging graduates to study at the JMSB.
“We offer quality education at an affordable price,” said Lobo, who was VP Events in the Commerce Graduate Students Association before earning his degree last June.
The fact that the JMSB offers interesting specializations and the lowest fee structure for an AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accredited institution in North America makes it attractive to international students.
Lobo came to Concordia when his sister moved to Montreal and recommended the program. For most of December, he did likewise, having arranged individual meetings with students in India who had already contacted the JMSB looking for information.
“At recruitment fairs, you can meet 200 students in just four hours, often four or five at a time. You can’t really answer specific questions.”
Lobo said the students he spoke with appreciated the one-on-one time, particularly coming from a program graduate.
Last fall, Lobo convinced Dean Jerry Tomberlin that there was a need for this kind of direct international recruiting. He was officially named Graduate Programs Recruitment Advisor in October and this was his first trip. He has also been in contact with Liselyn Adams, Vice-Provost, International Affairs.
“India is doing really well right now, and they graduate hundreds of thousands of students a year,” Lobo said. Most of them study in English. “It’s the French that can be a challenge here.”
He is anxious to see how many students that he spoke with will apply to the JMSB. If the response rate is positive, he would like to expand this initiative to other countries as well. But travelling to his own country first made sense.
In addition to students, Lobo also met with a series of education consultants. These unaffiliated individuals work with graduates, informing them of existing programs and resources abroad, to help them decide where to study. Having advocates among these consultants is an asset in a competitive context.