Summer is drawing near and Tippie first-year MBAs are ramping up for the valuable internship experience. Keeping focus on her goal of starting a new career post-MBA, Deanna Sorak utilized many resources to secure an internship with United Stationers.
Reflecting back on my first year as an MBA student and my internship search, I was actively engaged in multiple avenues of preparation and career development that ultimately resulted in an offer. As incoming students start their own internship search, I recommend utilizing all of the career resources available to students. I remember last fall it seemed a bit overwhelmingly to have so many resources available, but having a breadth of resources allows each student to find what works for them and opens opportunities they might not otherwise have found.
The Career Services team, Academy business and faculty directors, and second-year student coaches were available for advice and to brainstorm with me throughout the search. I also networked heavily with Tippie alumni and second year students to learn more about specific companies, jobs, and industries.
I set a goal to spend a certain number of hours each week preparing my resume and cover letters, submitting applications, preparing for interviews, conducting interviews, and networking. I also invested many hours on company and career websites applying to jobs. This was a tough goal to keep with my studies some weeks, but staying disciplined was key. After all, the goal of obtaining my MBA is to get a job!
I attended the Midwest Career Fair in the fall, where I networked with a number of companies I was interested in, including the two I received offers from. It was at the Midwest Career Fair that I first met the MBA recruiter from United Stationers. She visited campus a couple weeks later with some division managers and a Tippie alumnus, with whom I had the chance to interview. The Tippie alumnus is very supportive of the program, and he helped me throughout the recruiting process.
This summer I will be interning at United Stationers’ in the Public Sector division doing business development. I am most looking forward to combining the skills from my previous career with those I have learned over the past year as an MBA student. It will be great to have the opportunity to bring it all together!
