A tough economy calls for some creative strategies when it comes time to job hunt. With that in mind, students and alumni from the best MBA programs in the country will descend on Caesars Palace Las Vegas over the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday weekend to try their luck at cards and a possible employment offer during Harrah’s 4th annual MBA Poker Championship.
“Harrah’s MBA Poker Tournament is a unique and exciting recruiting event that allows candidates and recruiters alike to get to know each other socially, and the recruiters to see how the candidates perform under pressure,” says Nikki Rath, senior manager of campus recruiting for one of the event sponsors, consulting firm Booz & Company. “Good poker players think quickly on their feet, have a high quantitative aptitude, and tend to be good at diagnosing people and situations — all attributes highly coveted by our firm.”
Brad Warga, vice president of talent acquisition for Harrah’s Entertainment, calls the tournament one of the most original recruiting events in the country, adding that “MBAs are more creative than ever in the avenues through which they seek employment, and we are confident that despite the economy, this year’s event will continue to attract top MBAs to Vegas.”
In addition to recruiting opportunities, MBA Poker delivers sponsors access to the young, educated, crowd. “I attended this event myself as an MBA, and I know it’s one of the best venues to target the ‘work hard, play hard’ MBA crowd,” says Aftershot CEO David Spitz, himself a 2006 graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. “These are people who want to enjoy themselves at night, yet are all business in the morning, and that’s exactly what our after-party recovery drink is all about.”
For those who prefer to strut their competitive stuff on the dance floor or in an interview, the event also includes a welcome reception, recruiter brunch, and club night. Registration information is online at mbajungle.com/poker.
