We're looking for someone who can recognize the potential of the Internet, and who can explain the process by which the business can maximize that potential. Given the disparities between what Gouin and Wilkins need at this point, they find themselves gravitating to different pools of graduates. Ford's Gouin scours Wharton, Harvard, and Penn State for e-smart, but more traditionally trained, MBAs. Wilkins at SenseCorp combs Duke University and the University of Texas at Austin for MBAs with deep tech roots. Simultaneously, B-schools are maintaining their traditional core curricula.
Every company wants individuals coming in as part of a portfolio of management talent.
At the very least, a company wants people who can think about commerce in an Internet setting. Carnegie Mellon, for instance, offers three tracks. In this hybrid degree, the curriculum is split evenly between the science of information technology and the fundamentals of the Internet business environment. Third, Carnegie's School of Computer Science offers a specialized MS, focused on the technology of e-commerce. Rather, it routes the degree candidate into a specific niche.