It’s not too soon to start thinking about your MBA internship. The internship, which full-time MBA students typically do after their first year in business school, can be very important in shaping your career path. Strategizing now about what kind of internship you will want is just one more way of preparing yourself for success in your MBA program and your post-MBA career.

The Graduate Management Admission Council® recently surveyed 690 companies worldwide who hire MBAs. Of the companies that hire MBA interns (62% of those surveyed), roughly three-quarters (74%) said that when they seek to hire new employees, they first interview people who have done MBA internships with them, and then open the field to other candidates. The typical company reported that half its new MBA hires in 2003 would come from its 2002 internship pool.

These survey findings underscore how important MBA internships can be in the quest for post-MBA employment—especially in a weak economy, when employers look for new employees with experience that is directly relevant to the positions they seek to fill.

Before you get to business school, be very thoughtful in planning your future. What are your career goals? What kind of job function would you like to have? You should come to school with a pretty good idea of what you wish to concentrate in, so you’ll be able to look for internships that will give you experience in your desired field.

To help land the right internship for you, work hard academically and take full advantage of your networking opportunities. Talk to the career services professionals at your school and meet with corporate representatives at on-campus events. Ask the advice of speakers and professors in the fields that interest you. Stay in contact with people you know from previous jobs who might be able to give you advice or help you find an internship or a job. If you know students who have already completed internships in your desired field, ask them for guidance.

Start looking for internship opportunities early. If your search stalls, don’t be discouraged; you may need to revise your résumé or practice interviewing. Ask a career services professional to help you tailor your résumé to the type of internship you want, and ask a few friends to conduct mock interviews so you can practice promoting yourself to potential employers.

Once you do land that internship, you can feel good that your hard work is likely to pay off well in your job search.

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