So it's been a week now since I started my internship with a multi-national US company.
I've moved to another state, dealt with storage issues, cleaned out my apartment and felt the rush of having steadier income once again, even if it's only for the summer. I cannot believe that I came to this country with two 23-kg suitcases and 1 bursting-to-the-seams carry-on, and now I have -- what, 15 boxes of stuff??? And that's not even counting the appliances, full suitcases and carry-on bag too.
I feel so blessed and fortunate to land this internship -- not every company offers its interns a housing and relocation package, and even cab rides to and from the office for those who don't drive. The apartment isn't shared, and is fully furnished. It's very spacious and is in a good location that if I had to search for an apartment, this would be way out of range for me. The salary I receive is also beyond my expectations. In short, this is my dream internship package, and I am so grateful to have it! (Thanks, Lord!)
How did I land my internship?
Well, I found it through our career services website. Aside from my resume, I have a customized cover letter for every application I make, which I then show my career coach for review. I have a list of interview questions that I practice my answers for -- my answers are usually stories from my work experience, and I follow the context-action-result format. I went through eight (yes, eight!) interviews, and received the offer the day after the last seven interviews. Amazingly, I did not have to flex my networking skills at all for this. I just asked my coach and some second-years for advice when it came to accepting the offer.
What advice can I give for the internship search?
Start early and do those mock case interviews. Have a shortlist of companies. Do whatever your career office tells you to do. Ask for advice and job leads from your coaches; they are paid to provide you with career advice so ask away. Go over your resume and cover letters as many times as needed. Ask help from second-years. Do those mock case interviews again. Networking can be a big help, but is not required. Finance and consulting positions typically open in the fall; a lot of other positions (including marketing) open in January. February and March are the months when most students have interviews, and receive internship offers. If you want to attend a major career fair, go to the one sponsored by the National Black MBA Association. For the minor ones, attend those in or near your school. And, finally, pray a lot and have lots of faith!
As of this writing, there are still international students in my class who have not landed internships. And they are smart, competent individuals -- which is why I feel really bad about their situation. I guess even if the US market is recovering and more jobs are opening up for MBAs, it really is much harder for international MBAs out there. Many companies who hire internationals as interns are already evaluating them for full-time positions, which means that these companies are of the kind that sponsor H1B visas.
Among my classmates who have not landed an internship position is one friend who spent the first semester flying out to Chicago and New York on weekends to network with alumni. He scheduled mock interviews and coffee chats one after another in a single day. Career services people say that this is how you do it if you want to land a job in investment banking. My friend received an offer for a corporate finance position back then, but he rejected it. Come second semester, he would be flown out to different states for face-to-face interviews, and he reached most last-rounds. In the end, however, he didn't receive another offer. These past few weeks, he has been applying to all kinds of finance positions that he finds, and has secured graduate assistantship positions for the time-being.
I guess everyone has to find the right balance between applying for specific positions and applying for every single opening, and between being a student and an applicant. I myself did targeted applications, and it worked for me, but I guess there was luck involved too. I had another friend who applied to every single opening he was eligible for, and the many interviews tired him out and disrupted his classes and group meetings. You are still a student while you're applying, and if learning is important for you (as it is for me), then you still need significant time for your studies and groupwork.
