General Management & Leadership Development Programs

So you want to work in a Management Rotation Program? Learn more here!

Leadership Development Programs, also called rotational programs, are meant to provide entry-level hires with a cross-functional perspective of an organization. These programs can vary from a few months to a few years, where the employee spends several weeks or months in each of the key functional areas of the employer. The goal of these programs is to expose high potential employees to multiple aspects of the company with the hope that they will advance in the future to lead across those functions. Keep in mind that a number of these programs may have application timelines during the fall semester.

Leadership Development Programs should not be confused with Gap-Year opportunities, which are structured for an employee to stay with the organization for only a set term. In contrast, Leadership Development Programs are an investment the organization is making in their employees to prepare them for advanced leadership roles within that organization.

The Nuts & Bolts

Leadership development and rotational programs provide you with in-depth experiences, ongoing mentorship, and targeted training across a range of business areas within a company. Companies usually use these types of programs to hire interns or post-graduates and train them through rotational programs (i.e. rotating through different parts of a company) or specific, structured training programs. The goal is to recruit and develop leaders for their organization. Given the diversity of tasks and projects that candidates are exposed to Management Rotational Programs make a great option for advanced-degree candidates who are looking to establish a career in a more “corporate” organization but are unsure of where to do so. While programs are traditionally designed for undergrads or MBAs, some technical related programs are open for Masters/PhD students. Programs open to MBAs usually require 0-3 years of work experience. Programs open to masters or PhD require 0-2 years industry or related work experience. Sometimes PhD experience could be counted as work experience.

To help you explore these programs, we link to Leadership Development resources below. Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list; we intend for you to use it as a starting point. You can also meet with an OCS advisor to further discuss your options.

When should I start?

One important thing to keep in mind when launching your job search is that many of these programs have special recruitment timelines (usually in the fall semester). Each program may have unique components, length of time, pre-selected rotating work assignments, optional rotating work assignments or specific, in-depth experience in one area – meaning start planning out your calendar now!

Management rotation programs are frequently found in large consumer packed goods (CPG), financial services firms, pharmaceutical companies, engineering companies, and technology companies.

What can I do now?

Start Studying! Start Networking! Start Practicing Your Case Studies!

Employers expect candidates to begin the program fully ready to dive into the work. To brush up or improve your skills, consider taking courses via Coursea or PreScouter on Project Management, Marketing, or Intro to Data Analysis. Additionally, take advantage of your time on campus by getting involved with the following organizations:

Remember employers want to see demonstrated interest and experience working within their industry/ realm of expertise.

Meet with an Outreach Coordinator!

Need help planning your career or finding funding for your goals? Why not start by speaking with our Student Outreach Coordinators?

Click here for Full Details on their Spring Schedule

The Office of Fellowships and Office of Career Strategy (OCS) …

By Lisa Blees
Lisa Blees Assistant Director, Programming & Internal Relations
Send Email
Read more

Yale SOM Master’s in Asset Management Applications Open: Special Consideration given to Yale College Students

Do you have a quantitative skill set and an interest in finance or investing? Or do you have a background in computer science or engineering and are considering different fields to apply your expertise? The Yale School of Management’s one-year …

By Reed Srere
Reed Srere Senior Associate Director
Send Email
Read more

Forage’s Virtual Experiences: Great Resume Builder!

Forage offers free, very-short virtual work experiences, which are online programs designed and delivered by leading companies. Each virtual work experience contains a series of resources and tasks designed to simulate the real-world experience of starting a career. Forage experiences …

By Yale Office of Career Strategy
Yale Office of Career Strategy
Send Email
Read more

Sidebar

Job Search Resources

2023 Peer Networking Class List

; This content is restricted to certain users. Please login or sign up to see if you are eligible to view this content.

Candorful

We know firsthand the difficulties of military transition and the job search that follows. Job seekers who are Service Members …

Read More

Student Veterans of America

Student Veterans of America® (SVA) is the premier organization leading service, research, programs, and advocacy for veterans in higher education.  

Through a network …

Read More
View All Resources

Explore Job Market InsightsIn partnership withLightcast logo

Search continually updated U.S. market trends to learn about job types (job functions), growth trends, and desired skills. The results will include general information about each job (functional area), employment trends from the past two years and projections for the next 10 years, employers that have that role, desired education level, skills for the position, and more!

TWO WAYS TO SEARCH:

  1. Find Career Data by Selecting Keywords: Enter keywords of various job titles and choose a state or search nationwide to learn more about that job.
  2. Filter by Industry and Occupation: Search by industry and choose among popular occupations/job titles within that industry.

First, choose an industry of interest, then filter for occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

YC Career Outcomes

The Office of Career Strategy collects information about Yale College graduates. This tool allows users to search outcomes by year and major. Please visit Statistics & Reports for more information on our data collection.

  • First Destination summaries are based on the Knowledge Rate of graduate outcomes six months after graduation according to National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) guidelines.
  • Knowledge Rate, defined by NACE, includes direct survey responses and basic employment or graduate school information confirmed through LinkedIn. Yale’s information below on Starting Salary and Time of Year Offer Received is based only on direct survey responses.

Helpful Tips for the Interactive Tool:

  • There is no Enter or Submit Button, results will appear automatically
  • The default is ‘All Years’ or ‘All Majors.’ Choose specific years or majors for more granular results. Uncheck the selected major(s) to reset your search.
  • The tool returns results with at least five responses. For small majors, choose ‘All Years’ to show results
  • To ensure confidentiality, results are reported in the aggregate
  • If you require additional information contact the Office of Career Strategy

Most Recent Class Overview: Class of 2024

Knowledge Rate Employed or in Graduate School Mean Starting Salary Top Five Industries
91.4% of those graduating between July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024.

  • Survey Responses: 1,227 (80.6%)
  • Confirmed through LinkedIn: 299 (19.4%)
 93.5% employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation $90,097 among graduates employed full-time in the United States Financial Services, Education, Technology, Consulting, and Healthcare

 

  • First Destination
  • Top Employers
  • Employment Industry and Function
  • Size of the Organization
  • Starting Salary
  • Time of Year Offer Received
  • Internships, Research, and Study Abroad Experiences
  • First Destination Locations
  • Top Universities
  • Advanced Degrees Pursued

First Destination

First Destination refers to the postgraduate plans of Yale College graduates six months after graduation. The pursuits of Yale graduates include employment, graduate school, independent research, military service, and more.

SERVICE HOURS

Day of the week
 Academic Year Summer Hours
Monday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm

The office is closed weekends, holidays, and recess days.