Blonde MBADocumenting the life of a blonde MBA student in sunny California. Maybe some blondes DO have brains!

Disregarding the fact that I have three midterms when I go back to school next week and it’s also tax time, I have been one busy MBA on this supposed-spring break!

Simply put? I’ve been focused on the search for the “perfect” internship that will give me the RIGHT experience for the career path I want to follow. When I first graduated from my undergrad, I see now that I really did not have a clue as to what I wanted to do and the goal back then (also during a recession) was simply to get a job that would pay off the pricey incurred school loans.

Part of going back for an MBA for me was to complement my background with the precise skills required to do exactly what I want to do (as I now know what it is, as well). That said, the “perfect” internship for me is not dependent on any sort of paycheck or resume-filling experience, but is completely dependent on gaining the experience that can propel my career forward on the right path.

So how am I spending my spring break?

• Networking - following up with past contacts to ensures quality relationships can continue; meeting new contacts that have diverse experiences, fresh insight, and quality connections; and building up my profile and network on sites like LinkedIn to best promote myself and “qualify” these connections.
• Reading & Researching- catching up on non-school related reading that promotes my understanding of my chosen field, the geographic business area in which I plan to work, and the information needed to connect and relate to prospective employers.
• Blogging - on this and other sites to put what I am learning and doing into writing to provide a relevant log of activites (in this case) and to show prospective employers my level of understanding in terms of my chosen field (in other cases).

These are just a few of my current activities…I’ll try to throw some beach-time and relaxation in there, but for now, catching up to get ahead is probably the most beneficial thing I can do!

It’s that time…starting (I mean REALLY starting) the MBA internship search! An internship, for me, is 8 months out still, but it’s what most full-time MBA students come into the program already thinking about as our objective. The internship is a crucial part of MBA success, as it not only boosts our technical skills & experience, but is often the path to a full-time job upon graduation!

As I said, I’m just getting started…I’ve already been utilizing the resources of my career management center, getting my resume polished, attending networking events, participating in a mentor program, and attending professional workshops. This semester is also, for me, about widely “casting out my net” to research a number of industries & areas of interest, using Vault and online job postings, so as to narrow down my search and focus as I gear up to start applying next semester.

As I “cast out my net,” I’m not worried so much about what’s on my resume and my past experience, but I’m looking for jobs or job descriptions that best fit what I want to do, i.e. looking at a job & saying “a ha!” that is what I want to do. Now, I don’t always have the requirements, but looking at a possible “future” job can help me see what areas of my resume I need to boost via an internship and other external activities. Plus, even if I don’t meet the requirements, I can learn as much as I can now about that job to at least speak confidently about it as I’m interviewing.

It seems that MBA internships are fewer & more far-between than many full-time positions at major firms. That being said, they are probably the most important step to getting the job you want, both by gaining some technical experience and contacts in your industry and by determining if that industry is the “right fit” for you ahead of time! Thus, they require a little more effort right now…

For MBA internship search tips for next summer (starting NOW), check out this article  “I Know What You’ll Do Next Summer.” In the meantime, I’ll keep you updated on my progress, and welcome any advice you may have to give!!