Summer Internship Issue

Question

Hi there,

I am a European with no WE in consulting. My career goal is MBB in the ME. Considering the J-term MBA from Columbia, there are several questions for you. Many thanks in advance!

1. Folks from the INSEAD's September intake have no summer internships as well. Why do they do so well in MBB placement? May I follow this pattern being a J-term student?

2. J-term offers in-semester internships. Can it replace a regular summer internship or somehow bring me closer to my career goal?

3. From my understanding, it is crucial to have a summer internship to get a full-time position in the States. Can we say the same for the ME/Singapore offices?

4. I made a quick LinkedIn research specifically addressing the MBB career of CBS graduates. In fact, the majority of them have pre-MBA MBB experience (and probably sponsored). It looks like even a 2-year programme does not open the doors. May I catch this feeling by mistake?

5. A final one. Should I wait another year to apply to a normal 2-year programme? (specifically Yale).

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, you should definitely be networking and picking up the phone to talk to people about the below! Nothing beats a phone call with people in the know.

1. Folks from the INSEAD's September intake have no summer internships as well. Why do they do so well in MBB placement? May I follow this pattern being a J-term student?

Insead is an incredibly prestigious program. It churns out consultants. “Why” is a big question, but all you need to know is they are a top target school. I would assume the J-term can also be beneficial, though I don't know how much less so (note: part-time MBAs for example do have significantly reduced targeting by MBB…it *might* be the same here. Something to consider)

2. J-term offers in-semester internships. Can it replace a regular summer internship or somehow bring me closer to my career goal?

You need to talk to them to better understand this. Internships of any kind do bring you closer to your career goal as they build your resume + network

3. From my understanding, it is crucial to have a summer internship to get a full-time position in the States. Can we say the same for the ME/Singapore offices?

Having a summer internship is very helpful in the US, but there is still 2nd year recruiting. The better summary is: At any time period where the school offers internships, you should strive for the best offer and they can help you get a FT offer later

4. I made a quick LinkedIn research specifically addressing the MBB career of CBS graduates. In fact, the majority of them have pre-MBA MBB experience (and probably sponsored). It looks like even a 2-year programme does not open the doors. May I catch this feeling by mistake?

You should reach out to these people! Ask them what they think and what happened to them - they will know the ins and outs of that specific program!

5. A final one. Should I wait another year to apply to a normal 2-year programme? (specifically Yale).

We can't tell you what to do. This is a very complicated/nuanced problem that depends on your situation. Again, you're going to need to pick up the phone and talk to people more!