Planning Your MBA? Lay the Groundwork Now for Your MBA Internship

Two of the most important decisions you’ll make is deciding when and where to earn your MBA degree. A third, almost as important decision, is deciding on where you want to intern in the summer between your first and second years of your MBA program. For many full-time MBA students, the choice of an MBA internship is a critical step in achieving career and job-search success.  Regardless of whether you entered your MBA program with years of work experience or with a limited work history, studies show many employers use MBA internships as a critical recruiting tool as a three-month trial in which MBA candidates have a chance to participate on key project teams, network with numerous executives, and make a name for themselves within the organization.

In fact, several studies show that organizations that offer MBA internships strongly prefer hiring their interns. In one study, not only did employers say they hired more than half of their MBA interns—but that they also paid those they hired a higher salary than other new hires. In another study of employers who offer MBA internships, almost three-quarters said they first interview previous MBA interns for new positions before opening the position to other candidates.  Finally, in a study of MBA candidates, almost 90 percent of interns were offered fulltime positions with their employers, further stating that the internship helped them make key networking contacts as well as find a mentor.  Besides being groomed for a full-time position, some candidates are offered extended internship opportunities as well as part-time positions when they return to school for their final year. 

Thus, right after choosing the best MBA program for your needs, you should begin the process of finding the best MBA internship that fits your plans for your future career including job function, industry, location, and employer.

This article takes you through a five-step process for finding and applying to the MBA internship programs that best fit your future career aspirations.

Step 1: Determining Your Career Specialty, Choice of Industry, and Geographic Preferences

Three key decisions you first need to address deal with the particular field in which you wish to intern, the industry in which you wish to intern, and the geographic location where you want to intern.  In terms of your particular field, the ideal scenario is that you know exactly what career path you seek. The