The internship search can seem pretty daunting at first for an MBA candidate. With so many opportunities to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Here are a few tips that can help you with your search:
Start your search early: Getting a head start with your research can help you be better prepared to tackle the internship search head on. The more time you are able to allocate to the internship search, the better off you will be in the long run.
Don’t limit yourself: You may find that what you expected to do before you began your MBA program is rather different than what you end up doing. Keep an open mind in the internship hunt. Explore all the possibilities. The perfect internship may be in a company or a role that you may have never considered.
Network: This may be the most overused word for MBA students, but rightly so. Networking helps you gain valuable information on career options and may land you an internship. Contact your school alumni, friends, family or anyone else that you think will be helpful in your internship search. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with other professionals.
Attend career fairs: Career fairs are an excellent way to meet with employers and get yourself out there. Those face-to-face meetings with recruiters can convey that you’re the perfect fit for the company, far better than your resume might. Career fairs can also expose you to other companies that you may not have considered before. Remember to have your elevator pitch ready.
Utilize career services: Career coaches are your friend. Maryland Smith’s career coaches will connect you with alumni, inform you about the internship market and point you to additional career service resources that other business schools might not have. Those resources are free to MBA students and can give you a meaningful advantage over the competition.
–By Ashraf Khan. Khan is a 2020 MBA candidate and Dean's Fellow at Maryland Smith. He is originally from Potomac, Md., and worked as a civil engineer in the Washington, D.C., area prior to pursuing an MBA with a concentration in marketing.
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.