Editorial
internships
Summer
internships:
an important career stepping stone
By Susan Peppercorn
A
s any MBA student or top business school peers. “The competition is greater now that many need to have multiple plans, particularly if their
will confirm, a summer internship is a candidates have more years of relevant first choice had been an internship in investment
critical step in the process of enhancing experience; the more prepared a candidate is, the banking,” says Diane Morgan, director of career
your credentials and landing a full time job. With better their chances of success.” When changing services at London Business School. “These
more students doing internships, employers careers, it’s especially important to outline your options might include exploring alternative job
expect to see them listed on the résumés of value proposition to a potential employer by functions like asset management or corporate
potential employees. And, in the weakened emphasizing the skills that are necessary for finance as well as other geographic locations such
global economy, internships are even more success in the new function or industry rather as Dubai, Hong Kong, and Latin America.”
important to boosting a candidate’s Other advice is to take advantage
competitiveness. of the numerous services and job
Though an MBA internship is not postings available from career services,
a guarantee of a fulltime position, it does and attend as many on-campus career
enhance your chances. Recent surveys fairs and networking events as possible.
have shown that employers offer full It’s important to personally introduce
time employment to more than half of yourself to speakers and representatives
their MBA interns. “Companies are not from the companies that interest you.
just looking for interns, but for potential Be sure to ask for their business cards so
full-time hires. So you need to convince that you can follow up after the event.
them that you’re a good fit, not for three The London Business School runs a
months, but for three years,” says Jeanne Women in Business breakfast series
Chan, a 2008 graduate of Olin Business while QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the
School, Washington University. leading career and education experts,
Summer internships offer the host Women in Leadership and
important opportunity to work closely Diversity in Leadership forums in
with professionals in your field, and to London and around the world. Though
develop knowledge, competencies, not traditional recruiting events, these
and experience related directly to your workshops provide exposure to a range
career goals. If managed correctly, of companies, and valuable insight into
internships will lead to new contacts, their business strategy and directions.
mentors and references. With These types of events offer students the
recommendations in hand from opportunity to meet potential
business relationships developed during a than focusing on prior work experience. networking contacts.
summer internship, securing a job becomes that Evan Saroka, a second year student at
much easier. Finding MBA internships Harvard Business School attended an on-campus
According to Catherine Ahlgren, assistant If you want a summer internship, you need to presentation given by Inner Circle Sports, a
dean for career services, Boston University School start planning in the late fall, when top MBA sports-focused merchant bank in New York. He
of Management, summer internships are employers begin their internship hiring process; followed up with one of the principals and was
essential for MBA candidates changing careers, in some cases, application deadlines are only hired for the summer. “I believe I stood out
or for those with less work experience than their weeks away. “In this downturn economy, students because I made the case for how my strong
74 TopMBA CAreer Guide
www.topmba.com
TopMBA CAreer Guide
www.topmba.com 75
MBA_SPR09_pp_052-155.indd 74 17/2/09 15:32:45
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