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MAY 2003 MBA JOURNAL: INTERNSHIP INTERVIEWS Geoff Wilson: Navigating the Process "Academically, the Winter term at Tuck was less challenging; but a challenging summer internship recruiting cycle mixed into the Tuck experience during the winter to maintain the requisite level of activity..." Following the adequately busy fall term (see my previous entries), Tuck's winter term brought with it rumors of a lighter course load and a solid emphasis on internship recruiting. From the start, such did not appear to be the case. Classes and group activities continued to consume lots of time. My impression was that those people most involved with the on-campus recruiting cycle had to stay on the ball at all times. But, hey, that's the type of challenge I was looking for when I came to Tuck. For the winter, there are only three formal core courses: Marketing, Corporate Finance, and a technology strategy class. Offered in addition to those classes (and recruiting, and skiing, and...) is Tuck's "Leadership Forum Project." Billed as a "cross-disciplinary" project, the Forum Project gives students the opportunity to pursue either a consulting project with companies of their choice, or the development of an entrepreneurial venture. As an unstructured portion of the Tuck curriculum, the Forum Project demanded a real team effort, and in the end probably taught more about effective team function than any particular academic or business function. Academically, the Winter term at Tuck was less challenging; but a challenging summer internship recruiting cycle mixed into the Tuck experience during the winter to maintain the requisite level of activity (or was it just anxiety? I can't remember). Tuck's on-campus recruiting process is well delineated and easy to understand. The basic system for the several formal weeks of internship interviews involves an open/closed interview slot system. Like a company? Drop off your resume by the designated deadline. If the company is sufficiently interested (amused?) by your resume, you are added to the closed list of interviews. If you don't make the closed list, you are able to bid for slots in a blind auction held online through Tuck's Intranet. Overall the system appears efficient, although an open auction a la eBay might make for better informed bids. That's the formal bidding process in a nutshell. Tuck's menu of companies coming to campus was pretty strong with all the usual suspects in finance and consulting joining companies in industry, marketing, and other fields. The broad mix reflects a new emphasis on general management opportunities. In contemplating a summer internship, I focused on two important aspects of a short-term internship—fit and education. I came to Tuck with the goal of honing my abilities as a businessperson, and I hoped to find an internship that would aid me in achieving that goal. With that in mind, I sought a summer internship that would offer me a unique experience and concise, real exposure to business issues. After a plethora of interviews, I decided to take a position as a summer associate at McKinsey & Company in Dallas, Texas. I'm excited to have the opportunity to join McKinsey for the summer. Joining a firm that has a solid reputation for professional development is one of my goals for my post-MBA life; and I believe that my choice for a summer internship is a big step in the right direction. Writing about the experience of finding an internship is, on balance, dull. Students expend a tremendous amount of effort (some less than others...) preparing for and performing in interviews for summer internships; a fact that is true at most any business school in the U.S. Because of that preparation, it seems that most candidates have similar tools at their disposal, particularly for a consulting interview given the breadth of topics that may be covered. I'm not aware of any magical preponderance of skills or experience that worked for me personally. The best advice I've received regarding interviews—and it applies to most any interview situation—is to be prepared, be yourself, and don't worry. In a tough environment, those nuggets of wisdom are tough to follow, but they make sense. As dull as they can be, the internship search, interviewing, and job selection processes are integral to the MBA experience. That understood, for me the highlight of my last several weeks at Tuck is without doubt the vacation from which I just returned. Along with about 40 other Tuck students, my wife and I took a spring break trip to Peru. Hiking the Inca trail in the Andean rainforest is a solid contrast to school in Hanover, and a relaxing time on the Peruvian beach was ideal as a vacation for Tuck's comfortably long spring break (Tuck is more than generous with a two week spring break). The group I traveled with constituted a solid cross section of my class; and it was amazing that such a large group could collectively have such a great time. Now that I'm back from break, I finally have a few days to recharge before launching into the spring quarter.  Get BusinessWeek directly on your desktop with our RSS feeds.  Add BusinessWeek news to your Web site with our headline feed. Click to buy an e-print or reprint of a BusinessWeek or BusinessWeek Online story or video. To subscribe online to BusinessWeek magazine, please click here. Learn more, go to the BusinessWeekOnline home page  | | MAY Learn about your online education options |
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