Making the most of the internship experience to land their dream jobs
Internship is a critical path in the entire MBA journey. MBA students can take advantage of such unique and practical exposure to do real, meaningful work as well as making a positive impact on businesses. It is a platform for students to apply and showcase the skills and knowledge they learned to step up a career that encompasses industry and location change.
To the four Indian alumni at CUHK MBA, Internship was the springboard to land their dream jobs in Hong Kong and Asia.
For Arnab Neogi (Full-Time, Class of 2016), working at Casetify for his internship was truly one of the most memorable moments in life. The internship gave him the opportunity to work with creative and innovative people from diverse backgrounds and cultures which inspired him in many ways.
“I was fortunate enough to intern at the HQ of the world’s second largest & fastest growing consumer tech accessories company. I learned the nuances of social media marketing and inculcated the energy from being part of a highly motivated team that had the confidence of leading a change in the tech accessories industry through their innovation.“
His training led him to a Marketing Manager position at Emerson Commercial & Residential Solution based in Hong Kong, overlooking operations in Asia and the Middle East.
Ishwant Singh Saluja (Full-Time, Class of 2019) is now the Regional Planner at Apple, based in Singapore. According to Ishwant, the internship experience at BASF in Hong Kong was “a blessing for his career” because it brushed up his analytical skills on many fronts. He also gained in-depth knowledge about the various concepts and strategies in managing supply chains, which are the bases of his current role at Apple.
“I believe that an internship is a ‘Must Have Experience’ during the MBA Journey. It warms you up before re-entering the real world. I did my internship over summer and took 2 courses at the same time. To manage both your classes and work, assignments in school and projects at work, submissions in school and presentations at work is a great way to enhance your time management skills. It is also a first-hand opportunity to apply the knowledge you have learned in past months to real-life business scenarios.”
Vaisag Raghavan (Full-Time, Class of 2016), felt that internships work like extended interviews. His dedication and commitment to the internship at Schneider Electric has enabled him to earn a permanent position at the same company. “I was able to convert my internship to a full time job and currently work at Schneider. Internships work like a launch pad for one’s career!” He is now the Channel Strategy & Development, Retail Programme Manager for Schneider Electric based in Hong Kong.
This is echoed by Jha Shruti (Full-Time, Class of 2019), who is now working at Infiniti Motor, same company where she did her internship, as Senior Sales Operation Analyst.
“It was a great learning opportunity for me. I learned hands-on and practical knowledge in a real business setting, solved real business issues, and managed projects in a very detailed way. I got to know many people from the automotive industry and got a chance to network with them. I am grateful that I got a permanent role at the same company where I did my internship!”
The career paths of these alumni might have been very different if they did not go through their internship experience. Thanks to CUHK’s extensive network, MBA students can easily be exposed to a huge array of internship opportunities. Such opportunities are instrumental in determining their career direction and students should take full advantage of these which can eventually help achieve successes in their careers.