Guide to Business School Internships
Whether you’re an undergraduate business major or an MBA or master’s student, an internship can be a very important part of your business school experience. This guide will help you understand why business internships are so valuable and how to get the right internship for you. You’ll also learn how internships fit into a complete business education here at American University’s Kogod School of Business.
In this guide, we'll cover:
- Why should I get an internship?
- Types of Business Internships
- How do I get a business internship?
- Our Approach at Kogod
Why should I get an internship?
Internships allow you to take what you’ve learned in class and practice applying it in the real world. You’ll get to see up close how a particular organization or industry works. If you’re not sure exactly what type of business career you want, an internship is a great way to try something out.
You’ll get work experience you can put on your résumé. You’ll build your network and make connections that may lead to future opportunities. You may even pursue a longer, more intensive internship, like our co-op program.
At Kogod, internships have led to students getting hired full time after graduation at companies like:
In an internship, you’ll do real work—things you might do at your first job post-business school. But you’ll do that work in an environment that recognizes you’re still learning. When you do begin your career, you’ll have both knowledge and confidence from your internship experience.
Types of Business Internships
The world of business is incredibly broad. You may know exactly what you want to do after business school, or you might want to take some time to explore. Internships are a great way to confirm your dream industry is the right fit or to experiment with different ones.
At Kogod, we’ve identified seven market-focused career paths we help students find internships—and eventually, full-time jobs—in:
- Accounting & Taxation
- Analytics & Technology
- Consulting
- Entertainment
- Management & Innovation
- Marketing
- Sustainability
- Finance & Real Estate
Because of our location in Washington, DC, we also find many of our students are interested in the intersection of the public and private sectors and choose to pursue government or nonprofit internships.
How do I get a business internship?
Searching for Business Internships
You’ll begin the internship process by searching for opportunities that sound interesting to you. We recommend searching both the open and hidden markets.
The open market consists of publicly posted opportunities. At Kogod, we use Handshake to connect you with jobs posted specifically for American University students. You’ll also want to search broadly using job sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter, as well as directly on the websites of specific companies. Attending career fairs on campus is a great way to find out about opportunities and make a personal connection with someone at the hiring organization.
The hidden market consists of opportunities that aren’t widely publicized or haven’t been publicized yet. Share your interests and goals with your network. Reach out to friends, relatives, and professors who may alert you to openings or refer you to hiring managers. Attend a networking event or career panel hosted by the Office of Career Engagement. Join professional associations and membership organizations and keep up with their listservs and resources. Hidden market opportunities are great because you or your contact often has an existing relationship with the employer, and you’ll typically be competing with a smaller pool of applicants.
Preparing for Business Internship Applications and Interviews
When you’ve identified the internship opportunities you want to pursue, you’ll focus on crafting an application that represents who you are and highlights your strengths.
You’ll make sure your résumé is up-to-date, concise, and tailored to the role you want. Generally, your résumé should be no more than a page. It should be easy to read, and you should emphasize the experiences most relevant to the internship you’re applying for.
A good cover letter makes the case for why you’re the best person for the internship. You should directly tie your experience to the desired qualifications and responsibilities of the internship. Most cover letters sound the same and follow the same formula, so a well-written one specific to the company and internship can make you stand out. Don’t just swap out a couple of words and use the same template for every application. Spend some time getting to know the company’s values and make it clear you’d be a great fit. Provide examples of specific successes you’ve had.
Applying for internships is a great time to hone the interview skills you’ll need throughout your career. Take the time to prepare for each interview. Anticipate common questions and practice your answers. You’ll want to know what points you want to hit but not give a rehearsed answer where you’ve memorized every word. Be sure to have a few questions of your own ready for your interviewer!
Don’t prepare for applications and interviews on your own; take advantage of the resources available to you. Ask trusted friends and mentors to read your materials. At Kogod, our Office of Career Engagement offers résumé and cover letter assistance, as well as mock interview sessions to make you more comfortable in a sometimes nerve-racking setting. Mock interviews help you practice your answers while also training you to think on your feet when you’re asked questions you didn’t anticipate.
Our Approach at Kogod
At Kogod, experiential learning—learning by doing—is at the center of our business education philosophy. Internships are a major piece of that, but they’re not the only piece. We encourage all of our students to pursue internships but also to take advantage of our many other experiential learning opportunities, including:
- Pro bono consulting projects
- Co-op program
- AU Center for Innovation Entrepreneurship Incubator
- Capstones and practicums
- Built-in certifications
Learn more about our approach to a holistic business education, or contact us as you start your business school journey.