Student Internship Experiences

 

Venky Kuppuswamy, MBA '06
Concentration: Supply Chain Management
Company: Halliburton, Texas

 

Q. Why did you pursue an internship this summer? And why did you accept the one you did?

A. I wanted to have a first-hand experience of working in the supply chain industry and to get an insider's perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of the industry. I knew that the internship opportunity at Halliburton would provide me the opportunity to apply what I learned and also to learn new things in the field - things which cannot be taught in a classroom.

 

Q. What in your MBA program or prior experience prepared you for the internship?

A. My international experience and various client interactions, coupled with my education, have enabled me to connect the dots and see the big picture; this has helped me immensely.

 

Q. What did you hope to gain from the internship?

A. I have worked in the IT industry for the past six years. I am interested in supply chain, but am not sure if I want to make a career with – more importantly, I did not know if I would like the new environment and able to adjust. Hence, the internship decision was crucial for me as I wanted to have a first hand experience of working in this industry and field. Now I am at a better position for deciding which industry to choose.

 

Q. How did you personally prepare for the internship, so that you could achieve your goal and bring value to the company?

A. Be myself: open-minded, eager to learn as much as possible, and strive to maximize my time at Halliburton.

 

Q. What would you say to first-year MBA about the internship experience - from the search to actually working on site?

A. It is an immense learning experience - nothing better to prepare you for your actual job search. And it is an invaluable opportunity to try out new things. You need to realize that this probably is the only time when you can actually test the job/industry without any implications. For instance - I now have a good perspective of the oil and gas industry and how sourcing operations in this industry are done - what are its good aspects and where it lacks. More importantly I was also able to get a taste of the work culture in this industry.