Consider this a statement of concern. As students of the Illinois MBA program, it has become impossible to ignore the continued inability of our Business Career Services to provide opportunities and contacts for gainful employment. With employment less than 40% as of the 1st March, the program is facing the specter of another large drop in rankings next year if immediate action is not taken to alter course. We believe that we have received the best possible education from world-class instructors. However, an MBA is a terminal, professional degree that leads ultimately to employment. BCS has been consistently unable to leverage our educational strengths to the benefit of students and the program. Here are some issues we believe management must address immediately to preserve the image of the Illinois MBA brand. • Networking is a tactic, not a strategy. The only advice BCS has had the past two years is to network, however this does not constitute a valid strategy, and the results speak for themselves. • A network without connection is a list of names and not a network. Why does the school advertise the alumni network if it is nearly impossible to get contacts? Advising students to use LinkedIn instead of leveraging our network is an insult to those of us who believe in the program. • The MBA is a professional degree. BCS offers careers that are for undergraduates with an undergraduate salary. The complete inability to place our students is causing irreparable harm to our brand image. We feel compelled to write this statement of concern to raise awareness of the issue before even more harm comes to the program.