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Finding an internship is just like getting a date

When we first got the internship process beat over our head the Career Management Center made this great analogy about the internship search . . . it’s like dating. Initially I thought this was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard, and if this was in fact the case I was definitely not going to have any luck getting an internship for the summer! Tonight I had a pre date/speed date to my interview date. There were four people I had to work around the room to shake hands, smile and get as much information out of them before I moved on to the next person. There is always a lot of initial awkwardness during the pre date, but it went very well and I was able to listen to what they had to say. Listening proved to be very valuable and helped me prepare better for the interview. It even got me a second date!

Despite the ridiculous analogy getting an internship is like dating. There is a lot of courting as student’s network like crazy with alumni and any contact they can get at the company. Then they get invited on a date and the two meet up to see if they are compatible. A lot of internships are looking for “fit” which is really just a nice way of saying if they like you and want to introduce you to their group of friends. Hopefully they ask you to be their girlfriend of boyfriend for the summer and ultimately everyone hopes they get married after they graduate. Kind of a weird way to put it, who knew dating, was so much work!

Discover Weekend

Another successful Discover weekend. I had a lot of fun with it because I had an insider’s view as the “cruise director” for the weekend. Initially the job of riding a huge bus and picking up nervous prospective does not sound that appealing, but it was a great opportunity to connect with the prospective on neutral ground. Overall, there was a very diverse group. The class seemed significantly younger and there was an overwhelming interest in the MSF program! As well there were a lot more women who were interested in the MBA program. This was amazing and encouraging considering that there are only ~60 women in the first year and ~30 in the second year. As well, a lot of very diverse backgrounds which is important to create a well rounded class. I met high school teachers, financial analysts and even guy that spent his day playing with monkeys. 

Discover weekend is also a great time to reassess the proverbial “why am I here?” question. This time I felt I had finally defined what I was doing here and what I liked so much about the program! On a final note, prospectives QUIT freaking out, believe in yourself and if your are supposed to be here you then i will see you at welcome weekend!