So I finally got into a few programs. Did a quick search and didn't find anything substantial about a Pre-MBA internship. I'm not even sure where to start looking or in what function. Anyone have any experience with this? How is the payment structured?
Also, I am currently in corporate finance at a F500, and may be pursuing consulting, banking, or tech during the MBA, haven't made a full decision yet. Not sure if that even matters.
where'd you get in? congrats bro! and I have nothing to add, I'm a lowly nontarget PWM guy in the South (aka preftige level 0).
Thanks for the kind words bro...fessor. I got into a few schools ranked from 10-20, not as prestigious as @"Prestigious Pete" or @"mbavsmfin", but I'm happy.
I'm in the same boat as you....eerily similar. I've been researching and from what I can tell it's a rising trend but by no means typical. Banks and consulting shops seem to have some very short (1-week) BS programs that basically allow them to start selling to you and for you to get on their list. A few F500 CPG firms have marketing programs. Other than that it seems like everything must be self-sourced.
We aren't that similar. I'm not going to Harvard! And since these firms either don't pay or don't pay substantially, I think I'll be working until late into the summer.
with few exceptions, none of the well-known pre-mba internships are open to non-veteran asian or white males (only exception I remember is Deloitte, and even there they had a very big pro-diversity bias in there pre-mba internship). Most of them are for women, URM, or veterans. So keep that in mind.
I'm honestly not sure how hard I'm going to work to do this....how likely is it really that you'll be able to find a paid internship? The only thing I can imagine is that you manage to get a spot that a company was planning to give to a current student, has anyone heard of this?
Well then, it sucks to be an ORM then. And curse my Y chromosome! I did see a few MLT type pre-MBA internships, but they are irrelevant to me. At least I have ultra elite beard genetics.
On the same boat also, want to use this to try out another industry since I don't really know what i want to do after. Do you guys just reach out to alums?
i'm in the same boat. want to do something in sports.
I'm also in the same boat and my research seems to corroborate what OpsDude says about most things being geared toward URMs. That being said, it looks like most of those programs are only a few days to a few weeks at most. I'd be interested in an internship that's something similar to the internship you get between your two years...
I'm also interested in this. I will try to use my network though for a PE summer internship prior to going to school if that helps
Same boat as well, got into a top 5-10 ranked program. I am looking to transition into VC but have no relevant experience. Looking into unpaid internships at VC backed start-ups prior to B-school. Let me know if you hear of any opportunities!
With regards to other opportunities, I know that McKinsey has a pre-MBA internship, and I heard they dish out some scholarships as well ($2k-$5k I think). I don't believe they're diversity oriented.
current 1st year: highly recommend you just take a break and recharge before school starts. recruiting will come at you like a truck
I agree with this for people pursuing consulting/banking or more traditional paths. However, if you want to do VC or other buyside jobs and don't have super-relevant experience, the time before business school is a really good opportunity to make yourself much more competitive. I would say to quit your real job super early and do a mix of work/travel/relaxing.
@westcoastanalyst what program are you in?
thats why preMBA interns are hard--you dont yet get access to the alum network for your MBA yet, but it'd be very helpful for your preMBA internship also from a weird angle, I dont know if recruiters would think that--you just dont like your current job so much that you need a sweet escape via preMBA intern.
From the other side, it's helpful that you get two chances with MBA before searching for your FT offer postMBA
Internship right before an MBA? (Originally Posted: 11/03/2009)
Okay, so I am applying to MBA programs right now, and as the timing should work out, I will have a summer off in between my leaving the military late May and whenever school starts (I am assuming September). I have time to take a financial modeling course (like Deal Maven or something like it, or maybe even a full-up college finance course). If I completed a program like that and did a lot of independed study over my last year, would I have a shot at getting a summer analyst internship before starting my MBA? Is this unheard of? I figure this way I would have some experience to draw from when completing a summer associate internship.
I should mention that I can leverage a lot of different alumni contacts, and if it were a prestigious enough shop, would be willing to work for free (like a BB or elite boutique).
prestigious shops would not care about intern pay...its usually small shops that want free labor
but yes i've heard of many friends getting pre-mba internships
if you try hard enough shouldn't be a problem
Sweet! Moelis here I come...
Just kidding.
I already hired a secretary or else I would've hired you and have had you help with some paper pushing work. However, I get handjobs under the desk which I wouldn't really enjoy coming from you so I guess it was a fair enough tradeoff hiring a girl.
Yeah, you would want a navy guy for hand jobs.
I think it’s a great idea for someone with no business background and I don’t think you should let pay really influence your decision. I think B-School internship interviews for BBs are in January. Start networking after you finish your apps and maybe you can lock up a spot.
I know some programs like MLT come to mind that help people get pre MBA internships
Related question: Do MBA students intern while working on their degree? Undergrads often have internships while simultaneously taking classes, but does this also happen at the MBA level? If so, how rare/common is it?
yes, doing a pre-MBA internship will go a VERY long way to helping secure the internship, and ultimately, career of your dreams. it's much more helpful than a finance class.
since the big banks probably have no use for someone like you, you'll probably need to pull strings and ask favors to land a "custom made" internship. any bank should do, really.
mba students VERY rarely work in banking during their MBA. these finance internships are highly structured and they don't usually give out "piecemeal" assignments. internships happen during the summer, and that's that.
some of the venture capital kids will do stuff like this during school.
during your mba your time will be 100% consumed with looking for a job. you'll need to be in nyc networking with bankers every friday and setting up those meetings & traveling to nyc takes a ton of time.
Pre-MBA Internship (Originally Posted: 01/13/2013)
All,
I'm heading to an MBA program in the fall (top 10), with hopes of breaking into the buy-side upon exit. Background is in management consulting, and so i'm looking to begin building my experience with a pre-mba internship on the buy side.
Besides utilizing my existing network, what are some good ways to find a role for this summer?
For those who think i should instead focus on travel - travel is all i do as a consultant. between flex trips and a variety of clients, i've done all the domestic travel i need for a while, and some international too, so traveling this summer isn't a priority.
Appreciate any thoughts, fellow monkeys.
Interested - looking to do something similar. Going from management consulting to PE, but looking for startup experience over the summer.
Cold calls and networking 100% - on the one hand you're willing to work for cheap/free, on the other hand you're applying for a job that doesn't exist. There aren't established "pre-MBA internship" programs, but I've known a handful of people who were able to pitch a fund on letting them have some office space and a computer for a few months to demonstrate what they could do. Put together a quick pitch, maybe including an investment idea, and explain how you can make them money - do you have some industry expertise or contacts you could leverage, perhaps? You may find someone with interest, but expect a low hit rate. And don't expect much in the way of commitments - training/support/pay/full-time potential - but the odds are good you'll find someone willing to take you on if you're persistent.
Getting finance part time/internship gig before MBA (Originally Posted: 08/25/2011)
Coming from unrelated field to finance, is it at all worthwhile to try to do an internship or part time job (say 12 hours a week or something) while working (ignore time constraints, my main thing isn't a 9-5)?
1) For the MBA app itself it's probably fairly useless
2) For the finance jobs/internships coming out of the MBA it might be useful to have some prior finance exp?
3) Maybe should just do a pre-MBA internship the summer before which would be more legit than the internship thing
4) Time may be better spent pursuing things like CFA, volunteering, other normal/fun things?
if you can get one....sure why not?
May seem unfocused for the MBA app (though could just not mention it if its a negative), uses up lots of free time to find them since they'll be smaller shops, may be able to accomplish same thing or better with a single pre-mba internship
I'd just ficus in getting your story about the switch an getting unto the best program you can and then swing the pre MBAibterbshIpi from there no use to talk about it if it hasn't happened yet
Finance Intern prior to 1st year MBA (military) (Originally Posted: 01/07/2010)
I was recently admitted to a top five MBA program, graduating in 2012. I am an Army officer, in Korea at the moment, and getting out in April or May. I am interested in going into Asset Management directly, not stopping in i-banking if that's possible.
The problem is that I have zero financial work experience, my undergrad is in mechanical engineering, and I have been a helicopter pilot working general management jobs for seven years.
That said, it was recommended to me by another MBA student that running through an internship in the summer prior to the MBA would be a good way to squeeze some work experience into the resume prior to the normal internship search and it is one more internship to determine if this is the direction I want to take.
Is this a feasible goal, and does anyone have recommendations on how to prep for / find such an opportunity. It maybe a bridge too far, but I'm willing to teach myself modelling or whatever else if I can position myself out of the two MBA ruts of ibanking or consulting.
It is definitely a good idea and if you can swing it good for you. I would honestly try and use the alumni network at the school you will be attending...you have a good story to tell and just highlighting you want to get some exposure to an area where you think you have an interest is great...
Look and see if you have military alumi from both your undergrad who attended the same MBA program.
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