Full-Time MBA Katie Chung's next column of the Rice Report just dropped for Poets&Quants. Check out her latest advice about networking and how to break through the discomfort to form real relationships.
Katie Chung, Full Time MBA, Class of 2021
This blog post was originally featured in Poets & Quants.
We understand the pivotal role that networking plays in the MBA experience. Effective networking is about the quality of your connections, not just the quantity.
Explore Full-Time MBA Katie Chung's networking tips to start your MBA journey with confidence:
Why is networking so difficult?
That’s a question I have asked myself countless times throughout the MBA experience. Is it because I am an introvert? Or maybe I feel so awkward that I want to just back up out of a conversation (and hopefully no one will notice)! I can’t tell you how many pep talks I have given myself before a networking happy hour or a phone conversation with an alumni member. Just the thought makes me a little nervous.
However, after a recent discussion in one of my classes, I realized I am not alone in this feeling. Many classmates also dreaded those same interactions. I was shocked. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I understand why networking can be difficult for people like me. However, I learned from my classmates that networking can be tough even for extroverts.
Why is that? Well, I don’t have an answer to that question. But I can speculate. And what I have come to understand is that we put so much pressure on ourselves to talk to the right people and make a natural connection in what is normally a very unnatural setting. We forget what making a connection is all about. Sometimes I forget there is an actual human being on the other side of my happy hour conversation or networking call.
Image
Kelly DeMoya, Rice Business Full-Time Second Year
And it’s probably awkward for them too.
In my previous life as an actor and dancer, I felt the same way heading into an audition. Sometimes, I would put so much pressure on myself, I would forget there was a human being on the other side of the table who wanted me to succeed. Now that I have had this revelation, I wanted to equip myself with some tools to make networking a little bit easier. That involves trying to balance the art of making meaningful connections while also working towards my career goals.
Recently, I called in some back up; I talked to two of my classmates who pretty much beasted the networking game throughout their recruiting processes. I spoke with Matthew Manriquez, who is heading to Morgan Stanley as an investment banking associate, and Kelly DeMoya, who is off to Accenture Strategy. My classmates gave some great tips for the pre-networking pep talk!
Quality vs. Quantity
That starts with finding a certain balance. According to Kelly DeMoya,, that means having meaningful conversations and ensuring you meet enough people from each company.
“Strike that balance of making sure you hit the right people, but you also really need to network everywhere in a finite amount of time.”
While we may hope to just have one conversation at each company or school, this approach is not always enough. First semester is filled with endless cases, practice problems, and team projects. It can be difficult to throw meaningful networking into the mix. So, remember to find the balance like Kelly has mentioned. It’s in genuine, quality conversations where you can find your advocates. These are the advocates who are in the room where it happens (Hamilton fan over here) and who will vouch for you.
With quantity it is two-fold. The first thought is, sometimes it takes a few conversations to get to the individuals who make decisions. Ultimately, those are the people you want to meet and get to know. And second, the more people you speak with, the more YOU learn about the company.
Early on, I found it very helpful to keep track of a lot of the conversations I was having. I wanted to make sure I remembered what I learned and who I spoke with. I made a spreadsheet of my notes. Future business school me would be so impressed! If my goal was to try to connect with another employee, I made sure to remind myself so I could include it in my thank you email.
Remember you are building a career. The goal is that you are as much a fit for the company as it is for you. So learn as much as you can.
When juggling so many coffee chats, happy hours, and classwork, it can be difficult to bring your full self to each event. But it is important. It is important to know what the bottom line of this conversation or happy hour is. Bottom line: Know why you are there!
Image
Matthew Manriquez emphasized the importance of knowing your outcome and he dropped the mic with this one.
“Have an outcome in mind for every interaction you are going to have.”
Seems simple but can be difficult in practice. It is easy to go through the motions and check things off a list. The question is, where does that lead?
“It’s important you know what your objective is so you can structure your conversations accordingly while not coming across as too transactional, Matthew adds
This is really helpful to me in the quantity aspect. When recruiting for a job or a school, it may require speaking with a lot of people. However, a conversation with an alumni or future team member can be very different from a conversation with a recruiter or admissions officer. A recruiter is not in the job day-to-day; they will know about the company culture and recruiting timeline. But it’s your future teammates who will know what it takes to be successful. Go into your conversations understanding why you are there and what you would like to get out of it. Whatever it is, know before you go!
Level Up
Networking is a marathon, not a race. That requires you to keep track of your conversations, says Matthew Manriquez. “If you are having repeated interactions with a school, person, or company, there should be a leveling up of your questions. For banking I shouldn’t be asking the same questions I asked in August versus October.”
And that is a great point! Use early conversations to get to know the basic details, such as the job and travel requirements. As you move through the process, level up your questions. As you begin to have conversations with future teammates and bosses, use that time to dig deeper and understand what the work is really like. For example, you can inquire about what keeps team members motivated or what constitutes growth in the position. These deeper conversations will build your rapport with the company.
Image
Be Yourself
As discussed earlier, there is a person on the other side of your conversation and they have likely been in your shoes. As important as it is to make a good impression, you want to make sure it is a true impression. This is hard. It has always been difficult for me to balance ‘serious, best foot forward, business Katie’ with the ‘awkward, slightly introverted Katie.’ I have found my pep talks before any networking event to be very helpful. There are three points I like to make: focus on making genuine connections, be myself (which is not always easy) and now I remind myself why I am there (thanks Matthew!).
Hard skills can be learned. If the fit isn’t right, that is a bit more difficult to change says Kelly DeMoya. “Really making it about connecting with the person it’s easy to forget that there is that relationship component.”
The people you network with are in your industry, in your city and potentially on your MBA team. These are people whom you can hopefully help one day. Take networking as a time to make lasting connections. When you remember to be a human and put meaning behind your conversations who knows: your 20-minute coffee chat could lead to a lifelong career supporter and teammate.
Networking is a crucial skill for MBA students and professionals alike. It opens doors to new opportunities and provides insights that are critical for career advancement. At Rice Business, we equip our students with proven professional networking tips that help them stand out and connect effectively in any professional setting.
Ready to harness the power of effective networking? Dive deeper into our networking strategies for MBAs and start building relationships that propel your career forward. Remember, the right connection can open the door to countless opportunities. Begin your journey to networking mastery and professional growth at Rice Business.
Rice students bring an average of five years of experience to the Full-Time MBA program. From stronger cohorts to high-powered networking, here’s why work experience is important for top business programs in the U.S.
Ready to prepare for your Rice MBA interview and essays? It’s time to practice, review and research so you can tell your best story and get into a top MBA program.
Season 1, Episode 6 Runsi Sen ’04 talks about her transition out of the corporate world and the life circumstances that led her to found an ovarian cancer non-profit foundation, Ovarcome.
Owl Have You Know
Season 1, Episode 6
Runsi Sen ’04 talks about her transition out of the corporate world and the life circumstances that led her to found an ovarian cancer non-profit foundation, Ovarcome.
The Rice MBA spring boarded David into a career in investment banking with a special focus on agriculture and food. Now he's applying his industry expertise to his own investment banking firm.
Now an investment banking associate at Bank of America, Chris discusses his military experience and how the Rice MBA helped him make a major career transition.
Rzan shares how her father's pursuit of the American dream inspired her, why she was drawn to the Professional MBA program and how her experience at Rice has left a mark on her forever.
Yan “Anthea” Zhang, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Management at Rice Business, is the new president-elect of the Strategic Management Society (SMS). The SMS consists of over 3,000 members from more than 80 countries including academics, business practitioners and consultants.
Avery Ruxer Franklin
Yan “Anthea” Zhang, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Management at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, is the new president-elect of the Strategic Management Society (SMS).
The SMS consists of over 3,000 members from more than 80 countries including academics, business practitioners and consultants. Members work on developing and sharing strategic management insights around the world.
“I seek to both expand SMS’s presence on a global scale and increase the diversity and inclusivity of our community,” Zhang wrote in her nomination statement.
From my own experience, I understand the career hurdles that are sometimes faced by junior, female and international scholars, and I want to see SMS play a critical role in fostering an inclusive academic community for strategy scholars from all backgrounds.
Yan “Anthea” Zhang
Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Management
The organization is governed by a 14-member board of directors, who elect presidents for a six-year term. Zhang will serve as president-elect for two years, starting Jan. 1. She will be president the following two years and past-president for the last two.
Zhang aims to increase SMS’s international reach, further engage practitioners and leverage the diversity of SMS membership. She has previously served the society as associate editor of its Strategic Management Journal, representative-at-large for its Global Strategy Interest Group and representative-at-large for its Corporate Strategy and Corporate Governance Interest Group.
“I am honored to have been part of SMS for the past two decades. … I intend to work closely with all members to make SMS a more inclusive and impactful society,” Zhang wrote.
Rice Business professor Alessandro Piazza explains why companies are largely silent as immigration enforcement reaches workplaces, showing how political and economic risks now discourage corporate activism.
Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business today announced the launch of its Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management program, a 10-month, credit-bearing professional credential designed for current and aspiring leaders seeking deep expertise in the business of healthcare.
Two Rice University faculty members have been recognized with national awards from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), highlighting the university’s impact on research that shapes understanding of work, well-being and organizational life.
Season 1, Episode 5
Sean O. Ferguson '01, former associate dean of Rice Business, catches up with host David Droogleever. Sean covers his career path from electrical engineering to pursuing a doctorate in global education and his current work as the associate dean of the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur.
Owl Have You Know
Season 1, Episode 5
Sean O. Ferguson ’01, former associate dean of Rice Business, catches up with host David Droogleever. Sean covers his career path from electrical engineering to pursuing a doctorate in global education and his current work as the associate dean of the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur.
The Rice MBA spring boarded David into a career in investment banking with a special focus on agriculture and food. Now he's applying his industry expertise to his own investment banking firm.
Now an investment banking associate at Bank of America, Chris discusses his military experience and how the Rice MBA helped him make a major career transition.
Rzan shares how her father's pursuit of the American dream inspired her, why she was drawn to the Professional MBA program and how her experience at Rice has left a mark on her forever.
Congrats to Samantha Lewis ’17, who recently joined the Houston-based Mercury Fund as principal. Formerly a director at GOOSE Capital, her passion for entrepreneurship and proven experience will serve her well. Good luck in this next chapter, Samantha!
“Employers are interested in attracting the best talent to their organizations. The delivery method of the program is less important than the level of talent that it graduates,” says Philip Heavilin, executive director of the Career Development Office.
Rice Business placed in the top 10 of five categories in The Princeton Review’s latest rankings of the Best Business Schools for 2021, including the number 6 spot for our newest program, MBA@Rice.
Avery Ruxer Franklin
Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business placed in the top 10 of five categories in The Princeton Review’s latest rankings of the Best Business Schools for 2021, including the No. 6 spot for its newest program, MBA@Rice.
Rice Business ranked highly in both the On-Campus MBA and Online MBA classifications. MBA@Rice graduated its first cohort this past May, making it eligible to be ranked.
The Princeton Review rankings are based on data from its surveys of nearly 24,000 students enrolled in MBA programs at 369 schools and of administrators at those schools. Among the factors assessed were career outcomes, technological infrastructure, academic rigor and affordability.
Rice Business was in the top 10 in the following categories:
“All courses at Rice Business are taught by a team of dedicated, nationally recognized faculty who integrate insights from their own rigorous, peer-reviewed research to help students understand topics in accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behavior and strategy in the context of today’s business landscape,” said Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez.
Today’s rankings are a reflection of the school’s commitment to excellence in teaching and serving our students.
Rice Business rose in the 2026 U.S. News Best Online MBA rankings, placing No. 21 overall and earning top 10 spots in finance and general management, highlighting the strength and reach of the online graduate program.
Rice Business climbs to No. 7 in the 2026 MBA entrepreneurship ranking, rising five spots and standing out for strong support, resources and outcomes for startup minded MBAs.
The Rice Business School at Rice University has secured the No. 1 ranking in graduate entrepreneurship education for the seventh year in a row, as named by The Princeton Review in partnership with Entrepreneur magazine.
Rice Business alum Duncan Dickerson helps advise the world’s biggest oil companies on how to navigate the great carbon transition as the vice president of investment banking at Lazard in Houston.
Rice Business now has more programs — a response to Houston's growth as a global business hub. Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez explains why the Rice Business Community is now a bigger pond with more fish.
Updated from original post that was published on 12/02/2020.
Why Rice Business is Growing
Q and A with Dean Peter Rodriguez
As one of the top MBA programs, Rice Business has always been intentionally small and selective. It’s an educational approach that has launched the careers of thousands of top-tier, versatile business people able to solve some of the biggest organizational challenges.
We recognize the tremendous advantages of getting an MBA. Our programs are designed to meet the increasing demands of today's industries and equip our students with the skills necessary for leadership roles. We've launched new offerings to respond to the demand for top business school graduates – especially within Houston, where waves of new residents, innovators and Fortune 1000 businesses create an ecosystem full of opportunities for MBAs.
Houston needs top caliber MBAs. Rice Business is accommodating the demand
Here, Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez explains why the Rice Business community is now a bigger pond with more fish.
PR:The MBA is the most successful post-graduate degree program in history, largely because it directly addresses the knowledge and skills that translate into leadership opportunities. Leading in organizations, whether established or being created, is challenging, multi-dimensional work. It requires far more than discipline in one specific skill delivered by one individual. It demands accountability for others and the skills to shape and influence their work as individuals and teams.
No undergraduate degree and few graduate degrees prepare one for that, or for understanding how to sustain and grow an organization in competitive markets. The MBA does this like no other degree, and in that sense, it’s the pathway degree for growth in one’s career across many fields.
The onset of the COVID-induced recession prompted more and more potential applicants to invest in their education to expand their career options. The larger trend of growth, though, is in the same direction -- and extends beyond that unforeseen event.
Rice Business is uniquely suited to meet this demand, offering the best MBA programs in Houston. Its entrepreneurship program ranked #1 nationally for excellence for the sixth year in a row by Princeton Review & Entrepreneur Magazine. The faculty is top-notch, known for both classroom teaching and groundbreaking research, and the rigorous curriculum is STEM certified and ranked #3 in Finance. In addition to top academics, Rice Business also emphasizes leadership and communications training, with a careful mix of coursework, action learning projects, and the expectation that students take on leadership roles at major conferences such as Houston’s Women In Leadership Conference and Rice Energy Finance Summit.
Finally, one of the program’s most distinctive strengths is its culture of entrepreneurship. At Rice Business we believe that an entrepreneurial mindset is critical whatever you do in business: whether launching a startup, acquiring a company or making changes in an existing organization.
Q: What does the growth of Rice Business student mean for professionals considering an MBA here?
PR: Having more students to study with at Rice Business enrichesthe classroom experience and brings a wider perspective to conversations about careers and how best to pursue one’s professional aspirations. Today’s growth will also result in a deeper and more diverse network of fellow Rice alumni – which in turn sustain the value of a Rice MBA for years into the future. We’ve managed to grow while still retaining the balance and personal touch that larger programs can’t match: a hallmark benefit of studying at Rice Business.
Q: What are the practical reasons for investing in a top-quality business school?
PR: You only get an MBA once. Some people mistakenly analogize choosing an MBA program to large consumer purchase decisions, but it’s quite different. You get a redo on most consumer decisions, even if it’s as large as a home purchase. You choose your university degree once and so you must choose the highest quality available to you.
Quality endures, and it’s even more evident in a top-quality education than in any other choice. It’s sometimes easier to see why quality is so essential if you ask someone what kindergarten they’d choose for their 5-year-old, or how carefully they’d consider the choice of an eye surgeon. It may seem different, but choosing a top-quality MBA program is similar in that it’s a highly-consequential choice that matters for the long run.
That’s why at Rice, as our degree programs have become more and more favorably recognized, and our format options have grown, applications have increased.
Q:What role does the city of Houston play for Rice Business students before and after graduation?
PR: Houston’s economic size, concentration of top firms, youth and diversity make it a hotbed of career opportunities for those students who choose to stay in Houston. It’s the fourth largest city in the country, site of the fourth largest number of Fortune 1000 companies, the most diverse U.S. city – and a national center of innovation.
Any successful city and region is a magnet for talent. Houston is no exception. Our industries and young, innovative firms attract the best and brightest from around the state, nation and world. Their differences and creativity fuel the innovations that keep our city thriving. In turn, they attract the investments in healthcare, energy, and renewables that keep Houston in the lead in these fields.
Coupled with the opportunities for study at a top business school and the density of Rice graduates throughout the city, the career prospects here are as good -- or better -- than in any city in the nation.
Bringing students from around the nation and world into our MBA programs are part of this virtuous cycle of attraction between talent, investment and the career opportunities that follow. What we have to offer is rare and special: a highly-ranked business school in a diverse, large, economically robust and welcoming city where you can afford to live well and be ready for the future too. That’s why some of our students end up choosing to stay in Houston.
Wondering why Rice Business is a top MBA for healthcare professionals? Between access to the world’s largest medical center and a robust healthcare curriculum, Rice delivers an MBA experience that’s immersive, entrepreneurial and globally relevant.
Houston is where top industries like energy, tech and healthcare go hand-in-hand with a top-ranked Executive MBA. This is why our EMBAs chose Rice Business.
Season 1, Episode 4 Julianne Katz ’21 talks about her decision to switch from a career in fine arts in NYC to a graduate degree in business. She also discusses what it was like to have to shift from in-person classes to virtual learning during a global pandemic.
Owl Have You Know
SEASON 1, EPISODE 4
Julianne Katz ’21 talks about her decision to switch from a career in fine arts in NYC to a graduate degree in business. She also discusses what it was like to have to shift from in-person classes to virtual learning during a global pandemic.
The Rice MBA spring boarded David into a career in investment banking with a special focus on agriculture and food. Now he's applying his industry expertise to his own investment banking firm.
Now an investment banking associate at Bank of America, Chris discusses his military experience and how the Rice MBA helped him make a major career transition.
Rzan shares how her father's pursuit of the American dream inspired her, why she was drawn to the Professional MBA program and how her experience at Rice has left a mark on her forever.
