Haverford Inc.?  "There's no reason every Haverford student couldn't have their pick of jobs," says Brad Sutton '94. With this enviable possibility in mind, Sutton and our other alumni profilees were both candid and constructive in their observations of Haverford, its students, and what the College can do to better prepare them for life in the business world.

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The Interview

What's a price-earnings ratio? How many marbles will fit in a Volkswagen? Don't laugh. For all the high-minded praise our alums lavish upon their liberal arts training, they point out that the job interview--filled with questions like those above--is still what gets you in the door. It is also the point where current Haverford students may find that door closed. "Few students from Haverford are competitive in the interviews," says Sutton of the candidates he sees and interviews on Wall Street. "They're some of the smartest people interviewing in terms of intellect and curiosity, but they get crushed when they go up against people from New York."

Business, like law or medicine, is a profession with its own distinct culture, language and body of practices. Students interested in becoming a part of that profession must at least be familiar with those practices in order to "talk the talk" and present themselves and their goals with confidence in their interviews. "Students at Haverford are super smart," says Dina Pruzansky, "but they come across as a lot less knowledgeable about the business world." Jackie Brady agrees: "There's just a basic level of being prepared for business interviews," she says. "It's not the measure of who you are and how you're going to contribute to the firm, but if you don't have it you never get the chance to show what you can contribute."

The Curriculum

So should Haverford start offering degrees in business management so that students can "talk the talk" in interviews? On the contrary. "Don't change a thing," says George Parker '60, associate dean of the Stanford Business School. "Literature and history are just fine." Parker's fellow alums agree, although they stress that "a course or two" in corporate finance and accounting are in fact needed to provide the practical business basics that students will need to compete. (The two courses are currently offered by the economics department.) "I'd hate to see it become a predominant part of the curriculum" says Brady, "but

John Hurford '60 shares his thoughts with some aspiring Haverford executives

it's a necessary fundamental for students to speak the language." Pruzanksy concurs and suggests that a course combining the theoretical with more practical aspects like accounting, statement analysis, and business valuation could be extremely useful for all types of students-- including future physicians or attorneys who might be managing a business themselves some day.

The Alumni

The more practical solution is the alumni themselves, they say. "The College could make greater use of alums in the interview process," Brady suggests. "They can come down for a day, or just a class, and talk about a deal they worked on, or a practical case study." Brady, who recently shared her work experiences with students at the inaugural function of the Howard Teaf Business Society (see following article), points to the efforts of the society as a "tremendous improvement" from her days at Haverford-- although she jokes that she probably wouldn't have been a member herself.

David Morrison claims that sharing the achievements of Haverford's business-world alumni with students is crucial. "We've got a bunch of alums who are huge," he notes. Matthew Jennings, himself a current Haverford senior, agrees. Students, he claims, "don't understand the amazing amount of talented people [from Haverford] out there in virtually every aspect of business." Sutton explains that students need to know that they've got an invaluable resource only a phone call away: "You've got this whole thing going on that's perfect for business," he says of Haverford, "but students are not getting on the phone with alumni and asking them, 'Help me train to get this job.'"

The Culture

The real challenge, it seems, is awakening students on campus to the possibilities that await them in the business world-- and the relevance and marketability of their degrees and training. "In the process of providing one of the highest quality educations in America," Parker muses, Haverford should "expand the horizons and visions of students into the world of commerce and production of goods and services so that some will choose a career in executive management." He should know. Out of the 7,052 applicants to

Matthew Jennings '99, Professor of Economics Vernon Dixon and Jackie Brady '89

Stanford Business School last year, he notes, only two were Haverford graduates. By comparison, Stanford received five applications from Swarthmore grads and around twenty each from Amherst and Williams.

Amy Feifer, associate director of career development, experiences similar difficulties on campus. "We must help students make the connection of their liberal arts background to business jobs," she says. But a recent day of mock-interview training-- with eight actual employers visiting the campus to meet with and train students -- saw half the slots go unfilled. Feifer also hears from recruiters that one of the more endearing qualities of Haverford students is at the same time potentially limiting: they seem uncomfortable talking about themselves and their achievements. "With the Quaker traditions, Haverford students aren't so good at publicizing themselves or standing up and saying, 'Hey, look at me,'" says Jennings.

The challenge runs deeper, however, than mere Quaker humility. Jennings, who has seen students teased for wearing a business suit on campus, explains: "Haverford is known for producing people who have done great social work or great service, whether that's becoming a teacher or a doctor, or going to graduate school and becoming a professor so you can educate people," he says. "It's hard to say you want to do business, because a lot of people think that means you don't care or that you're selling out." Pruzanksy admits that she was herself "embarrassed" to ask for a recommendation to business school and not for graduate school in history. "I kind of felt like I was selling out," she recalls. "There was a lot more encouragement to go into academia, and places like Harvard Business School were made fun of."

The Bottom Line

All suggestions aside, the clear consensus of the group is that Haverford need not change its basic mission to better prepare its would-be executives. "Haverford is about something," says Morrison, summing up the prevailing opinion of the group. "If you put too much business in there," he continues, "it's going to change the nature of the school, and I would not want to see Haverford fundamentally change."