They should also try "digging deeper" to learn the truth about the seamless company ideals presented in information sessions. He gave the example of the term "mentoring," which firms often use, but can mean many different things.

"We know at Harvard there are advising structures that don't always work," Rahn says. "It's the same in the business world."

Friends in High Places

Most information sessions are staffed by recent Harvard graduates, and companies and students say this is to give potential recruits a chance to speak candidly with their friends. But what does this mean for the student who walks into an information session without knowing a soul there?

Christine M. Rohrbeck '00, who has accepted an offer to work at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in New York next year, says such students face "an awkward social situation."

Recruiters admit that already knowing people in the firm can be a point in a candidate's favor. It helps executives determine whether a new hire will mesh with a company's culture.

"When you're dealing with a lot of the recruiting companies, you're not talking about something that necessarily requires the brainpower of a genius," Rohrbeck says. "I don't think they're necessarily looking for how smart you are, or how good your grades are. They're looking for intangibles, and I think it's really hard to portray that on a resume."

In addition to the resume, potential recruits usually submit a cover letter and transcript. About three interviews then lead to a job offer. Thus any contact that gives the company another data point to judge a candidate helps.