Pre-MBA internship – A Stepping Stone for Your Corporate Career
TL;DR: Got admission in a B-school but waiting for the session to begin? A Pre-MBA internship is your stepping stone to get into the corporate world! Apply to these great MBA internships and kick-start your management career.
Akshat had been pretty busy for the last couple of months- after appearing for a number of MBA entrance exams and intense GD-PI sessions, he finally got admitted into a reputed institute. The first semester is still a few months away and to use this time constructively (and not just sleeping or partying), he has decided to take a marketing internship at a startup.
A rising number of students, like Akshat, are opting for an internship after they grab a B-school admit. This phenomenon, known as Pre-MBA internship, has already been established in US and Europe where many companies and institutes have created intensive pre-MBA programs. With the fast growing startup ecosystem in India, many students are exploiting the opportunities to intern at a startup after they get admission into a B-school. Here are a few benefits of going for a pre-MBA internship:
1. A confident and self-assured personality:
After working on real projects and managing big responsibilities, you gain that sense of self-assurance which is normally not observed in students. Aakriti, for example, handled Ad-Sales during her internship and interacted with a lot of companies. That experience helped her while leading the organizing team and approaching sponsors for her college fest.
2. Relate to the theoretical concepts taught in the classroom:
Once you start your B-School journey, you’ll get acquainted with case studies and Class Participation (CP) grade. After interacting with many professionals and handling various projects during your internship, you understand the nuances of running an organization. With a better understanding of the case studies, you are more likely to participate in the class activities, thereby improving your CP grade.
3. Clarity about the specialization you want to pursue:
You’ll have to choose a specialization in the second year of your MBA. So, by doing an internship beforehand, you can test drive a potential field of interest. For example, a Marketing or Finance internship will help you understand the nuances of that particular specialization and clear any biases/stereotypes that you may have.
4. Get your finances in order:
You will be spending a huge amount on your MBA tuition fee. An internship is a great opportunity to earn a good stipend and lessen the financial burden on your parents; you won’t need to depend on your parents for the monthly allowances. After all, a penny saved is a penny earned!
5. More ammunition to your application for MBA summer internship:
Having a bit of real-world exposure under your belt makes you more competitive and gives you an edge when you interview with recruiters for a summer internship at the end of your first year. Many times, the professional network you develop during your internship can even help you find a summer internship; you can even spend your summer at the same company if you had a good experience during your pre-MBA stint.
We hope this was useful and you grab a pre-MBA internship before embarking on your B-School journey; you can find some amazing management internships here.
If you are also planning to go for an MBA and have something to add, we would love to hear; please comment below.
