Kellogg Tech Club | FAQ

KTech Student Resources

Everything you need to know about recruiting for Tech,
your MBA journey, and how our club can help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I join the technology community at Kellogg?

What kinds of events does the club host?

We have several types of events specifically designed to attract amazing Tech talent to grow and share their knowledge, prepare Kellogg students for a successful life in the technology industry, and cultivate a culture of passion for tech and continuous learning.

Attract: In our Tech Talks series, experts from the world's top technology companies engage with students about industry trends, strategies, and challenges within their roles. Speakers cover various segments of the tech industry, including hardware, software, digital media, and telecom. Past topics have included "A Look Into the Challenges of Branding a Technology Company" by Google Brand Studio, "Mapping the World's Digital Economy" by LinkedIn and an "Internet of Things" (IoT) presentation by Cisco.

Prepare: Our Company Intern Panels and Career Fairs give students an opportunity to speak with 2nd year students who interned at their target companies to gain an insider's perspective of the recruiting process, company culture, and functional roles.

Cultivate: The club hosts social events to provide students the opportunity to mingle with others also passionate about tech. KTech hosts fall and spring social events for members of the Kellogg community to meet and strengthen the tech community's shared passion for the industry (as well as have fun!) Last but not least, the Annual KTech Conference is an amazing time to see what KTech has on offer.

How can I transition to a great tech career at Kellogg?

Do tech firms really require an MBA?

Historically, MBA's weren't a priority at tech firms. In recent years, however, many companies have established large MBA recruiting programs and recognize the value of the MBA skillset. Highly sought after roles have been created to utilize this unique skillset; roles like Product Manager, Product Marketing Manager, and countless other roles in functions like finance and strategy. Take a look at the job sites for major tech companies and you'll likely find that an MBA is either preferred or required for many non-technical positions. The functional knowledge, leadership and teamwork skills stressed at Kellogg are directly applicable to the tech industry dynamic and culture.

What recruiting resources are available to club members?

KTech hosts a wide array of resources in a repository unique to Kellogg to help you on your recruiting journey. KTech aims to help you discover your dream role, prepare for the realities of that position, and nail that interview when the time comes.

Discover: In participation with the CMC, Kellogg students organize a number of treks to visit company offices, traditionally in person but also adapted to virtual modalities. These treks are a great opportunity to learn about key companies within the tech industry and network with experts within each of those firms.

Prepare: KTech manages recruiting and interview literature that are shared with all tech club members ahead of recruiting- the KTech Case Guide and KTech Recruiting Guide. These resources offer company-tailored insights into their respective recruiting processes as well as suggestions for how students can spend their time preparing for interviews. Specifically, the proprietary Tech Recruiting Guide is an amazing resource to help you prepare for interacting with a wide variety of companies.

We also provide interview prep focused workshops such as a "Tech Recruiting Primer" to help 1st year students with tactical interview preparation advice and tips. These everything from culture fit to technical crash courses on topics like SQL, Tableau, and other skills.

Interview: Resume reviews and mock interviews: second year students help incoming students tailor their resumes and prepare for interviews in the tech industry.

Interview Prep Groups (IPGs): second year students prepare first-years for interviews with companies in a casual, judgement-free environment. The groups meet each week during recruiting season and help students with all facets of the recruiting process. IPG participation is open to all Kellogg students, free of charge.

What kinds of roles do technology companies recruit for at Kellogg?

Tech companies recruit for a wide range of roles at Kellogg. Primarily, companies recruit for internships and full-time positions in product management, product marketing, corporate strategy, business development, finance and operations. Check out Kellogg's Employment Report to see all the positions Kellogg students have taken in tech, and visit the KTech Testimonials page to learn about several students' summer internship experiences!

I am interested in a Product Management role. Does Kellogg have anything for me?

Kellogg is an amazing place to hone the skills needed for a PM role- in fact, it's the most recruited role for Kellogg students interested in Tech! KTech's Interview Prep Groups and career bootcamps prepare students to interview for Product Management roles. We also host PM specific bootcamps and PM Challenges throughout the year. Kellogg also features a course in Product Management and experiential opportunities to gain experience building products. We recommend you commit to preparing yourself by using interview guide books such as Cracking the PM Interview and Decode and Conquer. Additionally, Kellogg students will have access to the Rocketblocks library, a great resource to brush up on more technical interviewing skills.

Do I need to have a technical background to get offers from tech firms?

No! Kellogg is uniquely situated to prepare you for a number of career paths in the industry, regardless of background. Most technology firms look at career switchers favorably, and while some firms may prefer coding or technical experience for some limited roles, the vast majority of positions are accessible with the right preparation. These specific technical roles are in the minority of what firms recruit for at Kellogg. If you can illustrate solid industry knowledge, analytical skills, strategic thinking, and problem solving abilities, you will be considered for the vast majority of positions. Kellogg offers a popular Introduction to Software Development course to help those interested in learning more. Additionally, the IPG's are a robust resource to prepare for anything a recruiter might throw your way.

Why is Chicago/Kellogg a great place to join the tech community?

What tech companies recruit Kellogg students?

A broad range of tech firms, in terms of size, stage, and industry vertical, hire Kellogg grads- for a complete listing and breakdown, see the annual hiring report here. In general, the tech recruiting process is a mix of on campus, off-campus, and just-in-time recruiting. Leveraging the networks of current club members and alumni will be helpful in navigating your personal recruiting journey.

For those interested in start-ups, there are a number of resources including a local start-up incubator such as 1871 and opportunities to intern full time during the summer as well as throughout the academic year. VC Lab - Program B, a program where tech startups look to Kellogg specifically to partner with MBA students, is also an incredible resource for tech experience.

Do Tech firms hire international students?

While this varies by company, yes. A number of technology companies will sponsor Kellogg students for full-time employment. Feel free to reach out to Kellogg Career Services with questions regarding eligibility. The KTech alumni network is always there to support you on your career journey, both at school and in your future endeavors.

How big is the Kellogg alumni network in tech?

The Kellogg alumni network in technology is large and widespread (from the Bay Area, to our backyard here in Chicago, to major global hubs in China, India, Brazil and beyond). In the most recent graduating class, about 26% of students chose to pursue technology careers after Kellogg, and the KTech alumni network is an expansive and helpful resource.

What can I do to prepare for my time at Kellogg?

Your time leading up to Kellogg is a cherished time- so make the most of it! We'd recommend 3 things -

Think about what you want to do 5 years from now. Do this by meeting people in companies that interest you and finding out more about their roles and career paths. Learn more about your professional options and reflect on what might make sense for you.

Begin building up a perspective on technology. Stay up to date on the latest trends in tech by reading news outlets such as TechCrunch and blogs such as Ben Evan's blog and Stratechery by Ben Thompson.

Build up your skills if there are obvious gaps. The summer can be a great time to take a class in programming or to beef up your analytical skills.

We often get questions about pre-MBA internships for inbound admitted students . These are definitely not required for a successful recruiting experience and there is a lot of value in focusing more on what you want to accomplish at Kellogg than there is padding a resume for the sake of it! However, if you do want to pursue that experience, we recommend LinkedIn or LinkedIn Premium to search for small companies (<100 employees) with Kellogg alumni. Smaller firms are more likely to have projects they might entrust to an intern and often lack the formal HR run intern programs of larger companies. One approach might be to reach out to several firms to try and set up time to connect with them virtually for a 20 minute call. During the call, ask about their company, roles, and experiences at Kellogg. You might end each call by mentioning that prior to starting Kellogg, you are interested in getting some hands-on experience in X, note flexibility to work part or full time over the next few months, and mention that if they had any projects that needed short term help or knew anyone that did, you would love to be kept in mind.