6 (more) insights from the internship recruiting search

The MBA internship search is a challenging, rewarding and insightful process. While there are many highs and lows, there are lots of great lessons that can help students mature and grow. To follow up on my previous post, I’d like to offer some additional insights that I learned from the internship search, based on each of the companies that I interviewed with. Note: I interviewed with a couple of more companies, but I want to highlight the ones that I was most serious about.

Company 1: Financial Services Company: An interview is just as much for you as it is for the company interviewing you – The first company I interviewed with is a very respected and reputable company and has a very positive reputation at UNC. Additionally, the role was interesting, the pay (I heard) was solid, and the feedback from the second years was strong. Despite this, I quickly learned that this company was not a great fit for me. The interview process consisted mostly of the interviewer asking me questions about my experience and my qualifications but it was also a time for me to ask tough questions and evaluate why I wanted to work for that particular company. There were a number of things that happened that made me realize that my fit with the company wasn’t that strong, and while I made it to the final round I didn’t end up getting an offer. Afterwards, I thought about some of the interactions with the company employees and the answers that some of them gave me to some of my questions I quickly realized that the fit just wasn’t there. Fortunately, because I used my interview as an opportunity to not only be interviewed but to interview I realized that it wasn’t the right opportunity for me, and I moved on to other opportunities.

Company 2: Technology Company: It’s OK turn down an offer as long as you have an action plan – I ended up getting an offer with the 2^nd company that I interviewed with. The role was good, the company was solid, and I enjoyed my interview experience and interactions with employees. However, the role was based in a city that I didn’t have any long-term interest in, and I also knew I had other interviews lined up that I wanted to explore. Unfortunately, due to the expiring deadline, I would have to choose between taking the offer and exploring further interviews. I was torn about what to do, especially because having a “sure-thing” can be hard to pass up. Ultimately, I realized that I was more interested in chasing and pursuing other opportunities that I felt more interested and aligned with rather than taking the sure thing that wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. It was daunting at first to pass-up a great offer. Given that I had success in getting an offer (as evidenced) I had enough confidence that I would eventually land one that I wanted. Even though it meant I would have to continue to interview and chase other opportunities, after I called the recruiter and made the decision I immediately felt like I had made the right decision. Passing up a guaranteed offer can be tough to stomach, but if you have other opportunities and truly believe that they are worth pursuing I think it’s OK to pass up something. Obviously, there are limits to this – you may never find the “perfect” internship and you need to be realistic about your options. But you shouldn’t feel “trapped” into taking an offer especially early on. The fact that you got one should give you some confidence in your abilities. It can be tough to stomach, but having confidence and actively pursuing other opportunities can put you down the right path toward finding something you really want.

Company 3 Internet Company: It’s okay to have “dream jobs” and “dream companies” – The third company that I interviewed with was my dream company. I loved the company, the mission, the people, and the products that they created. I knew their business inside and out and could give you tons of great reasons why I was the perfect candidate. I made it to the final round of the interview process but unfortunately I didn’t walk away with the offer. To say that I was disappointed was an understatement. I felt really disappointed especially because it was a company that I had coveted for so long. While it initially was tough to swallow, I was able to move forward especially because I had plenty of other companies that I applied to that I was still very interested in. Having dream companies or dream internships is absolutely OK, provided you don’t get too fixated on them. At the end of the day, no matter how qualified you are, there are plenty of exceptionally qualified candidates in the MBA internship applicant pool. It’s okay to have goals and dreams and chasing them as best of you can, but you also need to realize that even for the best and hardest working candidates nothing is guaranteed. Having other options and being resilient in the process is critical to staying level-headed. Sure, I was disappointed for a few days, but right after that I had other interviews that I needed to prep. Ultimately, the immediate next company I interview with gave me an offer (which I eventually accepted) and upon evaluating the two against each other I began to realize that while the dream company was a great company, the role wasn’t actually a great fit for me and the new company and role were actually both a much better fit. I’m glad that I didn’t fixate too long on the past because it helped me cash in on the next opportunity.

Company 4: Consumer Products Company: Understand your priorities and trust your gut – The next company I interviewed with had been on my radar since September. I went to their on-campus presentation and really enjoyed speaking with the people that I met. I made it through the first round interview and was asked to come onsite for a final round interview. The day of the interview consisted of two interviews, a panel and a Q&A session with a senior leader. I thoroughly enjoyed the people that I met, and the fact that the people I met liked what they did, liked working with their colleagues and liked the company they worked for really stuck out and impressed me. I was fortunate to receive an offer from this company. And while I was evaluating it with my other offers I kept thinking back to the people and their attitudes towards their company, colleauges and work. I’m someone that really values culture and people, and by far, the culture and people were the best out of any company that I interviewed with. While it was a tough decision choosing between offers, I realized that when it comes down to the wire my gut always pushes me towards good people and good culture, and this company had it. It can be easy to get confused how to make the “right decision” when evaluating companies and choosing offers, however, trusting my gut and thoroughly evaluating and reminding myself of my priorities helped me see that this was the company for me. While it was tough to turn down the other two offers, I am really excited for this summer and to get to work in a great culture and along great people.

Company 5: Financial Services Company: Money and perks aren’t everything– The next company I interviewed with ended up making me an offer. It was by far the most valuable and lucrative offer and by a significant amount. During the interview process, I never felt like I made a strong connection with any of my interviewers. Furthermore, after getting the offer I did some additional vetting of the company through some extended people in my network. After those conversations I decided that the role and the company wasn’t a fit for me. Sure, the money and perks were great, but it wasn’t going to be enough. Moving past the perks and money helped me understand that this wasn’t the best fit for me.

Company 6: Technology Company: The best offer on paper might not be the right offer – The last company I interviewed with presented promising opportunities. The company was in an industry I thought I was interested in and the role was a very high-profile and sought after position. It seemed like a slam dunk – the role I wanted, the industry I wanted to be in, and the location I wanted – or so I thought. I ended up getting the offer but ultimately chose to decline the position. This offer made the most “logical” sense to take, at least on paper.  Sometimes, the internship search process leads you in a different direction. After digging and getting into the details I realized that it might not be what I wanted after all. I realized while I thought I wanted to work in the tech industry, I was actually more interested in applying technology to another industry. Furthermore, while I thought I wanted to sell, develop and market tech products, I was more interested in applying technology to helping market non-tech products. Finally, even though this position hit some of the criteria I was looking for, I felt the other offer I was evaluating hit the most important criteria better than this company did. It was tough and surprising. This was definitely the offer I thought I was supposed to take, and on paper, it made sense. Turning it down was difficult but I’m happy with my decision, and proud of the fact that instead of simply taking the thing that made sense on paper, I thoroughly analyzed my options, listened to my thoughts, and made a decision that I felt was best for me.

In the end, an internship is like a dry-run or a trial to see how you align and fit with a company and opportunity. At the end of the day, much like lots of things in life, internships are what you make of them. The internship process was an incredible learning opportunity. I’m excited to about my opportunity this summer and I’m looking forward in the future to sharing my insights and learned lessons when it finishes.

6 Lessons I learned from the MBA internship recruiting process

After many months of research, networking and interviewing I finally have decided upon a summer internship. This summer, I will be working in Chicago, IL in the marketing and product innovation group for a leading Consumer Products company. The journey to Chicago was full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and many different projected paths. Having said this, I’m excited for the opportunity and am looking forward to having a great learning experience this summer, not to mention, I have heard nothing but great things about Chicago in the summertime!

 

The internship process was a fantastic learning experience. Through this process, I was able to meet with countless alums and industry leaders, learn about many different companies, and gain greater insight to my interests, skills and career opportunities. As a result of the process I gained a greater understanding of various business models, industries, career paths and job functions. Most importantly, the lessons I learned, the people I met, and the knowledge I gained will be valuable to my further development. In addition to serving my own learning, I’m hopeful that I can pass along the knowledge I’ve gained with others who will eventually go through the MBA internship search, which is why I’d like to share with you the 6 lessons I learned from the MBA Internship search. While the list is not exhaustive, I feel these are the most important lessons and can be useful to many people as they begin or conduct their internship search

 

Things do not always seem to be as they appear – We all have ideas and plans with what we want to do, and while sometimes they work out, they also don’t. I thought I wanted to work for a tech company on the west coast and ended up working for a consumer products company in the Midwest. Part of this was just circumstance, but the other part of it was through what I learned in the networking and researching parts of my recruiting search. As I went through the search, I began to realize that there is a difference in working in technology (ex for a tech company) versus working with technology (much broader) I’m really passionate about applying technology to the things we already do, and my skillset is much more geared towards teaching and showing others how to use technology to transform what they already do. As such, building, marketing, and selling products, software and tools was not necessarily as much of a fit or interest based off of my skills and interests. This is a pretty subtle but incredibly important realization and something I was completely unaware of about 6 months ago. While I ended up in a place I didn’t expect, finding this was very helpful in narrowing my search and making my decision. Similarly, I had a handful of classmates who came in dead set on pursuing one field but then totally changing course because they realized it wasn’t for them. It’s okay to do this, the important thing is taking the time to gather this information and then understanding what it means and how it impacts your search and decision making process.

 

Networking takes effort, but makes a difference– Everyone tells you to network. Everyone says it’s important and you have to do it. I’d echo what they said and say that effectively networking takes significant work but can be a differentiator between you and the other qualified candidates.  For on-campus recruiting with companies who have an active presence, networking is the differentiator that will help you get onto the closed list to be interviewed. For off-campus recruiting, networking is what will get your resume read and not sent into a black hole of oblivion. In total, I probably talked to over 75 different people throughout the process and half of those were conversations with Alum or current employees at a company I was targeting and in many instances it involved multiple instances of communication and follow up protracted over a few months.

Having said that, simply talking to these people isn’t merely enough. If you want the networking to lead you somewhere your conversations need to demonstrate your interest, capabilities, and personality. The person you’re speaking with needs to know that you A) care about the company and the position B) would want to work with you if they were to vouch for you. Finally, networking takes time and persistence. Simply meeting someone at an event and getting their card isn’t nearly enough. If you are hoping for it to lead to something you’ll want to stay on their radar and top of mind by occasionally reaching out to them either to ask questions or let them know of any updates. The more you demonstrate interest, capability and personality, the more they’ll be willing to help you.

 

We are in the information age; use it to your advantage – This is the information age. Information has never been easier to come by especially with the internet and social media. Finding information on companies, positions, employees etc has never been easier. Use these tools to your advantage when you researching companies, finding alum to network with or preparing for your interviews. Simply doing some research can help you understand the company, the position and the industry that you are targeting. Furthermore, it can also help you tailor your questions you have for perspective employers. Having thoughtful questions for company presentations, informational interviews and real interviews can set yourself apart from others and demonstrate your knowledge and interest. One example: I was doing an interview with someone who I knew was an active contributor to a very respectable website. I looked up and read through a number of her articles and even referenced them during my interview. She was impressed with my knowledge and that I had read through her work.

 

Don’t underestimate the power of curiosity and initiative – Even though networking may seem invasive or very motive based to some, it really is about how you frame it. In general, my experience has found that people do appreciate thoughtfulness, curiosity and general inquisitiveness. Additionally, considering most people are comfortable with talking about themselves, and you have a recipe for opportunity. In my experience, simply being curious about what people do, how they got to where they are in their life, and what they think about careers and jobs can go a long way. Through simply reaching out to people and asking them for a few minutes of their time to ask some thoughtful questions I’ve gotten a plethora of great information, sound advice, and in some cases, referrals, additional contacts and interviews. They key to this is taking the initiative. If you want to become great at building relationships you need to be proactive and about it. You’ll definitely get some rejections but what you have to gain from being proactive far outweighs what you have to lose.

 

There are lots of things you cannot control – This is one of the hardest things I had to come to terms with. In the interview process, there are so many things that are beyond your control. The interviewer, the candidate pool, and the questions they ask you, and the mood of the person who is making the hiring decisions to name a few. While it can be hard to accept, worrying about these things or getting upset about these things won’t be very productive. The only thing you can somewhat control is how well you present yourself in the interview. Did you prepare for the interview? Did you do your homework on the Alums that work for that company? I had an internship that I really wanted and I ended up getting a final round interview. Unfortunately, the final round did not go as planned and I did not end up getting the offer. I was pretty disappointed, and spent a few days reflecting on the experience. Upon further reflection, I realized that there were things I could control and that I couldn’t control. For instance, there was a case interview component to the interview and I didn’t do as well on it as I would have hoped primarily do to my lack of preparation. I realize that I could have done some more prep work to prepare for the interview, and vowed to myself that I would remember that for the next one. On the things that I couldn’t control part: I got a pretty tough interviewer, the candidate pool was full of HBS, Wharton and Stanford grads, and there was only 1 position. None of those things I just listed were things I could change or influence, so I had to let them go. Moving forward, I vowed to myself that if I didn’t get the offer, or get the 2nd interview, I would only be disappointed about things that I could control and I wouldn’t waste time on the things I couldn’t.

 

Decisions are tough, but internships are short-term commitments – Some of you will have the good fortune of obtaining multiple internship offers. That is a fantastic accomplishment but also comes with added pressure. In many cases, there are multiple great offers and it can be hard to choose. I was fortunate to be in this position and had a difficult time choosing my offer. The best advice I can give is threefold. First, understand your criteria and priorities. Doing this will help you evaluate how well each internship fits these priorities and criteria.Second, understand opportunity cost and trade-offs. Each decision you make will have things that you have to forgo. There may not be a perfect answer, but by truly understanding what you may have to give up you may find it easier to make a decision. Finally, also understand that internships are 10-12 weeks and are designed to give you a feel for what it’s like to work for that company and that role. While many of us want to covert then internship to a fulltime opportunity (and thus not have to recruit again!) it’s very important to view the internship as an evaluation opportunity for both you and the employer. You may realize at the end of the internship that while it would be great to have the offer, it’s not something you actually want to do. It can be easy to get caught up in trying to find the “perfect” fit or perfect offer, but it’s important to understand the internship is still just a trial period for both you and the employer.

 

Last but not least, understand that there is a lot of great advice out there on how to navigate the internship search. Some of this may apply to you and some of it may not. Ultimately, you’ll have to use your judgment to decide for yourself.