The Internship Search

By Lauren

"Congratulations, we would like to offer you a position as a Summer Associate....."

Those are the words every First-Year MBA student is waiting to hear. After a TON of time and effort, I can happily say that I finally heard those words, and my internship search is over! The internship search is daunting, time consuming, and a lot of work. But it's also exciting- you get to explore new companies and career paths. Through the process, I learned a lot about myself and envisioned myself in a number of different companies and career paths.

While everyone's internship search is different, here is my advice on going about the internship search.

Lauren's Keys to Successfully Finding an Internship

1. Start Early!
2. Network, Network, Network!
3. Attend Information Services
4. Use Career Services

Start Early: Beginning in September, I met with my Career Services Advisor to identify an internship search strategy that involved networking, attending information sessions, and exploring companies I was interested in. She helped me realize that any work I did in the beginning of the year would help me later on and that the sooner I started, the more companies I could explore, the more connections I could make, and the more I'd learn about what I really want to do.

Network: I set up a number of informational interviews throughout the first semester that positioned me well to secure an internship at the beginning of my second semester. I held two informational interviews with two employees and networked with several other people at the company I am interning for this summer. Those conversations not only helped me learn about the company, but were incredibly helpful during my interviews because I had prior insight into the company, demonstrated interest in the company, and a good explanation for why I wanted to intern there.

Attend Information Sessions:  BC brings top-ranked companies to campus for Information Sessions such as John Hancock, Liberty Mutual, Hasbro, CVS Caremark, EMC, and Oceanspray, to name a few. I attended as many information sessions as possible to learn about companies and industries I was interested in as well as ones I wanted to learn more about. Every information session is a learning opportunity as well as a great way to network with company representatives and establish relationships for the future. I made connections with several representatives at information sessions and made a point to introduce myself to the representatives of the company I'm interning for!

Use Career Services:  My career advisor was amazing. She was willing to meet with me as often as I needed to help guide me through the process. At first, I met with her every two weeks to prepare for informational interviews, brainstorm new companies to target and connections at those companies. She provided helpful advice on some of my cover letters. The day before one of my interviews, I had a freak out moment, and frantically emailed her asking for advice on how to prepare. She met with me for an hour, simulating an interview, helping me build my impact stories, and providing insight on the types of questions they would ask and pointed me towards facts I should know about the company. She also pumped me up and gave me an extra boost of confidence for the interviews.

The Interviews

So, what are internship interviews actually like?

First Round Interviews: Most of the companies I interviewed with started with a 30-45 minute behavioral interview where they asked basic questions like:

• Why an MBA?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• What is your least favorite class?
• Tell me about a time when you had to use data to make a decision
• Tell me about a time when you navigated a difficult situation
• Tell me about a leadership experience

Most of my behavioral interviews were very relaxed- the interviewer was trying to get a feel for who I am as a person and if I would fit into the company culture.  

Second Round Interviews: Most of my second round interviews involved a 30-45 minutes case and a 30-60 minute behavioral interview. The cases I did were not as bad as I imagined they would be, but I would say they definitely require preparation! During the case, my best piece of advice is to take a minute to organize how you are going to present your analysis so that you come across organized and make a more compelling analysis.  

"Super Day" Interviews: Some companies host "Super Day" interviews, where they bring lots of candidates to the company's office in for a series of interview (mix of case and behavioral). During these days, they not only evaluate you on how well you perform in the interviews, but also on how you interact with others while you're waiting for your interview. They may have a room reserved for candidates, where they converse with each other and current employees. This is a great opportunity to show that you can play well with others and fit in with the company culture. Not surprisingly, the interviews during Super Days vary- for example, one company I interviewed with had four separate 30-minute, back-to-back interviews, while another had a very relaxed pace. I came an hour early for my interview to mingle in the candidate lounge and stayed afterwards to eat lunch with candidates.

That has been my experience so far!  Hopefully these tips are helpful!

My Summer Internship

by Jaclyn

I wrote in a blog post last year about the student adventure known as The Internship Search. In that post, I spoke to the amount of time that went into resume writing, networking, interviewing, etc., but also to the support that the Career Strategies Office provides in finding a placement that is right for each student’s interests and goals. Which leads me to my summer placement at...

So, I wanted to kick off my posts this year with a recap of my summer at the toy company that has brought us toys like Play-Doh, Mr. Potato Head, Monopoly, Nerf, My Little Pony, and Transformers, to name only a few. The interview process for Hasbro was rigorous, but a very positive experience, mostly because every person I met, from BC alumni to other Hasbro employees, immediately made me feel at home and excited for the summer.

I was recruited to an 11-person class, along with three of my fellow Boston College MBA colleagues. We were provided with our assignments before the summer started, in one of three brand management functions: Global Marketing, Global Product Development, and Regional (US) Marketing. I was placed in a group called Boys New Brand Franchises, which was a start-up size team responsible for identifying opportunities for Hasbro by leveraging existing brands, evaluating incoming entertainment properties or proposing new segments for the Boys portfolio.

In addition to my individual projects, the intern class was challenged with a group assignment: “The Future of Retail.” We researched the limitations of the current retail environment, consumer shopper trends, and upcoming technologies and worked with designers on what a long-term retail strategy might look like for Hasbro. Our intern class had the unique opportunity to present our solution to an audience of 60+, including senior executives. 

The Hasbro internship was also extended through social events, a mentorship program, and roundtable sessions. The roundtable sessions were scheduled every week with representatives from the Executive Team, who each provided insight on career planning, lessons learned, and the direction of the company. The entire intern class really appreciated having this time to personally meet and ask questions of such respected and successful individuals.

If I could share only 3 things about my summer internship at Hasbro, they would be: 1) toys are awesome, and so is working with them, 2) some of the friendliest and smartest people I've ever worked with are at Hasbro, and 3) I still can’t believe how much I accomplished and learned, from my manager, my mentor, and my peers.

For all those currently looking for a summer internship, GOOD LUCK!

On the Home Stretch...

by Matt

Hey everyone! It's down to the wire here in the MBA program. Five weeks left until the end of our first year, and we're gearing up for summer break and internships. For most first year MBA students, the summer internship is a way to gain some additional insight and experience into their chose field. Luckily for us here at BC, our Career Services office does a great job of bringing in companies to recruit from our program. So instead of hearing more from me today, I wanted to hand it off to some of my classmates and let them tell you about their upcoming experiences for the summer:

Siobhan S. -

This summer I will be interning with Fidelity Investments in Boston in their Financial Leadership Summer Internship Program. I will have the opportunity to work with Fidelity's finance and business leaders, participate in development activities, and learn about Fidelity and Fidelity Finance. The intent is to provide me and the other interns in the program with the necessary exposure, development and training to potentially begin a successful Finance career at Fidelity. Although I don't yet know my assignment for the summer, past assignments have included pricing, product, competitive, cost and business driver analysis. Since my background is in the nonprofit sector, where my roles had elements of finance infused into my day-to-day functions, I am excited - but nervous at the same time - about leveraging the quantitative skills I have developed over the first of the MBA program at Fidelity. I'm looking forward to working on a strategic project that is guaranteed to have an impact on the business and can't wait to show myself how the skills I've learned over the last year will be instrumental in my future professional success.

Peter S.-

Eaton Vance is one of the oldest investment management firms in the United States, dating back to 1924. Eaton Vance and its subsidiaries offer institutions and individuals investment products and wealth management services. In my Summer Role with Eaton Vance's Investment Operations Business Unit, I will primarily be working in the middle and back offices providing functional support to portfolio managers, traders, and portfolio administrators for Eaton Vance’s portfolio and order management systems, monitoring trade affirmation and settlement of market transactions. I will also be working with brokers and custodian banks to resolve trade settlement problems and to identify opportunities to improve transaction processing.

Kelly C. -

This summer, I was able to find two internship opportunities. The first will be an internship with PwC in Boston working in the audit department, focusing on financial services clients. The second will be in Shanghai, China for five weeks working for a start up cookie company. The owner moved to China for her job after graduation, and she found that she really missed American desserts, especially cookies! She decided to start her own cookie company in Shanghai but has no finance or accounting background. I will be responsible for setting up her accounting system, working with her new investors, and creating a framework for her to use after I return to the U.S. I have started to do research for my internship projects, and my education at BC has proven to be extremely valuable already!

The Internship Search

by Jaclyn

I can't believe it's almost February! One semester down. Most of the core courses are behind us. Our groups are just getting into the Consulting Project. And for the first time, in a long while, I'm scanning companies, deciphering job titles, and writing a ton of cover letters. That's right, it's time for...

Internships.

This word has always seemed innocent enough. It's an opportunity to explore a new career, figure out what you want to do, or just as importantly, what you don't want to do. But as innocent as it seems, it's a ton of work. And I do mean a ton. And because of that, I can honestly say the Career Strategies office has been a huge asset for me at BC, and here's why:

Information Sessions - These sessions are with top ranked companies, some of which have included Hasbro, GE, J&J, Liberty Mutual, Fidelity, etc., where internship/employment programs are presented, you can meet employees and recruiting managers, and have any questions answered. I would encourage everyone to go to as many of these as possible, regardless of the area of study, and treat them as professional networking events. Making connections in these sessions can be extremely beneficial later, in the internship AND job search.

Resume/Cover Letters - Leverage the years of experience in this office, as well as the relationships they've already formed with many of these prospective employers. They are more than willing to help ensure you are highlighting your strengths and matching them to the needs of the role and business.

Interview Prep - This would be my #1 recommendation for internship searchers. The insight I have received from my assigned Career Strategy advisor has been invaluable in helping me successfully position myself, in practicing and fine-tuning interview answers, and calming my nerves before each one. If I could schedule these meetings daily, I probably would.

Other Resources - While each student should also be looking outside of the school for internships, reaching out to old colleagues, classmates, and LinkedIn connections, the Career Strategies office can get you started with the internal job board, MBA Focus, and guide you along the way.

There's certainly an art in juggling classes, assignments, group work, and the internship search. But remember, this is probably one of the most important reasons why you're returning to school, so the tools and resources are here to help you succeed.