Lessons learned from internship recruiting | MBA Learnings

First-year student Rohan Rajiv is blogging once a week about important lessons he is learning at Kellogg. Read more of his posts here.

I hated looking for a job in my final year at university. It is one of those profoundly painful processes that I really wouldn’t wish on anyone. It seemed to bring to surface all my insecurities and really made me question if I had done anything of note in the past 20-odd years of my life.

So, when I decided to study again, one of my objectives was to understand how best to approach looking for a job. We’re in an age where we’re constant job seekers. Whether it is seeking an internal transfer within a company we work for or whether we’re looking for a role in a different company, it is clear that our age is one of many jobs, roles, careers and companies.

In that sense, looking for an internship at school felt like a perfect laboratory to test how this process ought to be approached. I’ve decided to break the whole process down into three main steps, catalogue my process and then share what I learned. I’ve attempted to bring it all together in one post. It is long. I hope it is worth it.

Stage 1- Figuring out what I want to do

This has to be the first step of any job or project search. There are always options you don’t want. And it helps to really understand what you want to do rather than follow the crowd. A simple point to remember: for every job or role you don’t feel all that passionate about, there are a hundred people who do.

MY PROCESS

1) SPEAK TO AS MANY SMART PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

I liken this stage to market research. Take time to just get some perspective from people you like and respect. Just engage with them about general advice on careers, paths and how you ought to approach them. It helps a GREAT deal if you already have a sense of the direction you’d like to take. For example, it is much easier to have conversations focused on careers in pharmaceuticals than just careers in general. Ideally, speak to people who’ve done what you’re about to do or something similar. These perspectives should give you data points and perspective to reflect on. After every such conversation, take a few minutes to take short notes of what you took away.

2) TAKE THE TIME TO REFLECT.

Now, take the time and think about what you think you’d be interested in and what you’d like to explore. Write down what you learn. The ideal outcome of this process is a short list of roles and companies that you’d be interested in working at.

3) EXPLORE WAYS YOU CAN MEET PEOPLE IN THESE TARGET ROLES OR COMPANIES. 

There are two ways to approach this. The intentional approach is very targeted and focused on getting a job. This involves looking into your LinkedIn connections and figuring out who you know in a certain industry. If you’re looking for connections in pharma near New York, it makes your search straight forward. Once you find a few people who know people you’d like to meet, you reach out and set up some informational meetings.

The other way to approach this is to do this with less intention (my preferred approach). Reach out to people you know within the industry you’d like to work with and just ask to meet with interesting people. As long as your interest is genuine, this can lead to some really cool serendipitous connections. Take the time to visit these people in person (if at all possible) and just meet. No big agenda aside from a willingness to get to know them and listen. In the long run, this approach makes a huge difference and is how good “networking” is done.

LESSONS I TOOK AWAY

1) GET STARTED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

I was told to get started on this process well before I got to school. It is one of the better pieces of advice I have received. The principle here is straightforward – some things just take time. And it is best to do so when you don’t have a burning deadline in sight.

2) APPROACH THIS PART OF THE PROCESS WITH THE INTENTION TO LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

Relationships are not built by seeking specific favors. Relationships are built when you have a genuine interest in getting to know the person at the other end of the table. At this stage, it is critical to really get to know people. The perspective you’ll receive from someone who has gone through the same process as you is one that you’ll be hard pressed to find in a book.

3) THINK LONG TERM.

This isn’t about getting what you think you want now. If it is, then you’re approaching it all wrong.

Stage 2 – Attempting to get your foot-in-the-door via an interview

MY PROCESS

1) FINALIZE THAT TARGET COMPANY AND ROLES LIST TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.

It helps having a pre-final list. Of course, it’ll change, but it helps having an idea of the direction you’re heading.

2) WORK HARD ON THAT RESUME. 

I think my resume went through at least 20 iterations. It is really important you get as many external points of view as possible, filter out the feedback that suits your style and trust a few people to help finalize on a document that you are happy with. It isn’t over until you are happy with it.

3) FIND WAYS TO SIGNAL STRONG INTEREST.

In school, this means showing up to company events and speaking to recruiters. Outside of schools, this means speaking to people within the company/within teams of your interest and making sure people within the company know of your interest.

4) WORK HARD ON THAT COVER LETTER.

There are a few companies out there who just expressly forbid cover letters. Aside from those, take the time to work on that cover letter. This is a wonderful way to signal interest and explain why you are a fit for the role you’re applying to. This is especially important if you are switching roles or careers. Make sure you run your company-specific cover letter with at least one person from each company you are applying to. The goal isn’t to use every piece of feedback you get. The goal is to filter it for what works for you, trusting a few people whose style suits yours and getting to a version that you are happy with.

5) SEND YOUR APPLICATIONS IN EARLY

Seriously. Don’t wait for the last minute.

LESSONS I TOOK AWAY

1) NARROW OR BROAD? FIND AN APPROACH THAT SUITS YOU.

There are many, many ways to go about this process. But, the biggest difference tends to be whether you prefer casting a broad net of target roles and companies or whether you prefer a much more targeted and narrow approach. I honestly don’t think there is a right or wrong answer here as I’ve seen both work exceptionally well. The important thing is to pick an approach that works for you. I’ve come to prefer a narrow approach that is very focused. But that’s just preference. It has its downsides as you put your eggs in fewer baskets. But the upside is that you only work on roles that really interest you.

2) DON’T DO THINGS TO CHECK THE BOX — DO IT BECAUSE YOU CARE.

This is a general life lesson but really applies here. Don’t reach out to recruiters to check the box. Do it because you have a question. This is not everyone’s approach. But I’d find it hugely frustrating if I found myself on a call that was motivated by a desire to check the “I spoke to someone within the company” box rather than out of genuine desire to learn.

3) SEEK AND GET COMFORTABLE WITH HARD FEEDBACK.

Better to have hard feedback early on your resume and cover letter than just receive rejections when you apply. Seek hard feedback and celebrate when you do receive it.

4) PERSONAL CONTACTS MATTER.

If you’ve taken the time to build relationships at the places you want to work, interview calls come much easier. They know you, they like you, they’d like to give you a shot and your resume submission is just a formality. Makes it easy for them and yourself. I know it is cliche, but who you know does actually matter a lot.

Stage 3 – Be the best you can be in those interviews

It is easy to imagine the process of attempting to get an interview as a game where you notch up points. Once you have received that interview call, however, your score gets reset to zero. Now, you walk into territory where your previous contacts and relationships matter a lot less (if at all) and where your competence gets a shot at shining through.

MY PROCESS

1) MASTER THE BASIC PIECES: BEHAVIORAL, THE FOUR WHY QUESTIONS, AND YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES.

There is a tried-and-tested approach to doing well at behavioral interviews. I’ve written about that and added my enhancements to the approach in an earlier post on the topic. The key here is to just put in the time, write down all your key stories, take time to understand your own thought process as you approach different kinds of problems and work on communicating it.

With the four why questions — Why industry? Why company? Why role? Why you? — it matters that it feels passionate and genuine. Boring, prepared answers fail this test almost immediately. If you’re not able to find enough passion to explain these in your practice, I’d really question if you’re interviewing for the right role.

Finally, with strengths and weakness questions (especially weaknesses), speak to people who know you well and practice your responses. This needs to feel genuine.

2) USE THE “TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF” / “WALK ME THROUGH YOUR RESUME” QUESTION TO SET THE TONE.

This is an important question. Once you’ve taken the time to write down all your key stories and answered the “why’ questions, a clear pattern on your main themes should emerge. I am a big fan of thinking about the one thing you’d want the interviewer to remember about you. Then, think about three things. Structure your “Tell me about yourself” around these three things rather than a chronological order. This question is important because you can already lead in to the why company/role questions if done well. Really take the time to get this right. The final product needs to be succinct, and it definitely needs to reflect YOU. Practice and feedback goes a long way with this question.

3) WORK HARD ON TECHNICAL/CASE INTERVIEWS.

My interviews required me to get really good on case-style interviews very quickly. For the roles I was looking at, these were either technology product cases (easier) or broad strategy cases (harder). In some ways, I was a bit late into this realization for broad strategy cases and had to work really hard over a three-week period to catch up. I ended up looking back at three weeks where I read two books, worked out around 30 cases by myself, 20 with my wife, and 15 mock cases with friends and ex-colleagues. Work with people who’ve mastered the process and aim to find your own path.

Four books helped me greatly in the process:

• Product cases: Cracking the PM interview (Gayle Laakmann, Jackie Bavaro) and Decode and Conquer (Lewis Lin)
• Strategy cases: Case in Point (Marc Cosentino) and Case Interview Secrets (Victor Cheng)

All this reading and interviewing led to two synthesized approaches that I could apply across these two kinds of cases:

• For product cases, I had a five-step process:
  • What is the problem the product exists to solve?
  • Who are the users/buyers?
  • How does it perform?
  • What changes would I recommend?
  • How would I prioritize these changes?
• For strategy cases, I’ve synthesized my one-page approach here.

I’m staying away from any more specific advice on technical/case interviews as it is important you do all the reading required and develop a style that works for you.

4) CUSTOMIZE YOUR PREPARATION FOR EACH COMPANY.

Consider developing “snapshots” of your research of the company you’re interviewing for. Here’s an example of a page full of publicly available information on LinkedIn. This stuff takes time, but my belief is that this sort of preparation just comes through in the interview.

5) DEVELOP A PRE-INTERVIEW ROUTINE.

Confidence matters a lot in the interview game. Develop a routine that helps you feel good. I used to generally wake up early, scribble a few notes of my approach to case interviews, read through my snapshot and behavioral interview notes. Just before the interview, I’d listen to the same collection of songs. I’ve heard of others who did a few “power poses” before their interviews. This is very personal, so experiment with a few different routines and then settle on what works for you.

LESSONS I TOOK AWAY

1) THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PRACTICE AND PREPARATION. 

Nothing more needs to be said here.

2) TRY AND DO THREE INTERVIEWS OVER TWO WEEKS WITH ONE PERSON WHOSE OPINION YOU TRUST.

While it is important to get as many mock interviews under your belt, I’d highly recommend doing two-to-three interviews over a two-week period with one person whose opinion you trust. This way, you’ll be able to monitor your progress better than just doing five mock interviews with five different people.

3) PACE YOUR PREPARATION.

It is hard to sustain intensity over a long period of time. So pace your interview preparation as far as possible. You will have peaks and troughs. If you pac e yourself well, your peaks will come on your most important interview days.

Bringing it all together

If I had to look back at the past few months and give myself advice for the next time I did this, I would tell myself three things.

First, it is a team effort. So take the time to build and nurture this team. Any successful process has a team of people who worked on it (e.g., your applications to school were successful because of recommenders, parents and mentors). Similarly, it helps to have a support system of folks who want you to succeed. Ask for help when you need it (and you will). And remember those who help; say thank you often, keep them informed of your progress (or lack of it for people who are very close to you), be nice and commit to helping them in any way possible and/or paying it forward.

Second, allow luck to find you. In all of these processes, there is always a certain amount of dumb luck involved. Just remember – chance favors the prepared mind. So be prepared.

Finally, aim to be the best version of yourself. We often attach ourselves to outcomes we don’t control. I’ve written about how admissions and hiring is largely a crap shoot after a certain point. Neither of these are easy processes. That said, they can be very educational. Just aim to learn and celebrate the fact that you’ve given it your best shot. In the long run, the habit of being prepared, showing up and giving it your best tend to matter more than most other things. And, besides, it is my belief that good processes lead to good results.

All the best. I hope it helps.

Rohan Rajiv is a second-year student in Kellogg’s Full-Time Two-Year Program. Prior to Kellogg he worked as a consultant serving clients across 14 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. He interned at LinkedIn in Business Operations and will be heading back to LinkedIn full-time after he graduates in June 2016. He blogs a learning every day, including his MBA Learnings series, on www.ALearningaDay.com.