Student Internship Experiences

 

Souyma Rao, MBA ’06
Concentration: Innovation Management/New Product Development
Company: Last Mile Communications

 

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

A. I’m an engineer by training and I was an engineer by profession until I came to get my MBA. I wanted to apply my newly acquired skills in the business environment, preferably in an industry similar to that in which I have work experience, to see how much of a difference this change of perspective makes. That’s one reason that I accepted my internship with Last Mile Communications. The role they offered me was that of a business analyst, and they sought someone with a strong understanding of technology.

I did not have any internships at the beginning of summer and I was worried about being able to find one. But within three weeks, I had about four offers, all in different industries and all of them very, very interesting. I chose Last Mile Communications not only because the work was interesting, but also the work environment. I had a virtual office; I worked from home (or anywhere else), and the team members all worked from different geographic locations. It was very interesting to see how wonderfully this setup works. I took this internship because this is how I envision the future offices and work cultures to be.

 

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

A. A simple answer would be everything. My experience as a programmer analyst/software consultant helped me in making decisions as to whether a technology or project would work in a practical scenario, whereas the MBA training prepared me to take a “working idea“ from the laboratory and formulate it into a money making business in the real world.

 

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

A. I hoped to gain the full circle of learning regarding how the company works, what it makes, how it makes it, and how the product makes money. I wanted to see not only see the fine print but also the final big picture, and to be able to pinpoint on both levels what needs improvement.

 

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

A. My preparation was very simple:

• Keep the lessons learned both in real work experiences and in the MBA classrooms at my fingertips, to be able to use them whenever required
• Read about the industry and its markets in general
• Be open minded to suggestions
• Never hesitate to question and/or clarify
• Keep communications clear and concise

 

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

A. An internship experiences is very valuable, mainly because it gives you an opportunity to try out all the things you have learned while they are still fresh in your mind. Do not waste this opportunity. Prepare for your internship well in advance, but know that while you may be the last one to be picked, your experience may be the best! Enjoy the roller coaster ride, from selection, interview, rejection, acceptance and finally recognition!