Columbia Business School
Black Business Students Association
Career/Professional Development
Interview Preparation: The BBSA facilitates interview preparatory workshops focusing on key interview skills such as behavioral interview essentials, case interview methods, and elevator pitches.
Recruiting Panels: During the fall semester, BBSA and our corporate sponsors host on-campus opportunities for companies to speak just with our members about internship opportunities to first-year students and full-time positions.
Professional Development Workshops: The club, with support of our corporate sponsors, faciliates interactive professional development workshops covering leadership styles and technical skills that help our members ensure success during summer internships and post-MBA careers. This is an excellent post-recruiting opportunity to interact with your summer internship employer as well as continue to learn about other companies.
Academics
BBSA offers academic support, particularly for our first-year members, to assist with both core and elective courses. The club provides the following academic support:
Tutoring: Second-year students leads group and one-on-one tutoring sessions for various core courses.
Study Aides: BBSA members have accesss to study guides that can assist with individual or group study sessions.
Events
Community Service: An integral part of the Black Business Students Association’s mission is to actively serve its community. BBSA seeks to make a positive impact on the Columbia University and greater New York City community. We partner with local organizations such as Defy Ventures and The Harlem Tutorial Program.
Social: There are various activities for the BBSA community to get to know each other better outside of Uris Hall. The club also co-sponsors events throughout the year with parallel organizations both on and off the Columbia University campus. For example, we’ve hosted events with the Columbia Black Law Students Association, Yale Black Business Alliance and the NYU Stern Association of Black and Hispanic Business Students.
Executive Speaker Series: This two part series provides students with the opportunity to learn from various industry leaders in an intimate setting.
Welcome Retreat: First formal introduction for incoming first-year MBA students to the BBSA family. Incoming students get to know second year BBSA members, learn about BBSA membership and upcoming events and what it means to be a part of the BBSA family.
Alumni
Mentoring: The Alumni Mentorship Program pairs current BBSA members with BBSA alumni who have similar career interests, professional affiliations and personal aspirations. Alumni critique students’ resumes and conduct mock interviews. In addition, mentors will provide guidance and insight on academic preparation and professional development. The kick-off event in September/October to introduce mentors to their mentees and a closing event to be held in mid-April. BBSA alumni mentors will have the opportunity to highlight the merits of their respective organizations prior to the start of the academic year. The event will be hosted by the BBSA in conjunction with the African-American Alumni Association (4A).
Networking: The BBSA hosts a fall and spring semester Alumni Networking Night. These events are intended to strengthen the bonds between current students and alumni.