MBA Internship Profile: Adobe

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Want to know what it’s like to spend your MBA internship working on corporate responsibility initiatives at a top tech company? Liz Lowe attended UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and is now innovation lead with Adobe’s corporate responsibility team. In this interview, she discusses how she got her start at the company as an MBA intern, as well as her work on Adobe’s social and environmental initiatives.

Which department did you intern in and what kind of projects did you work on?                          

I interned with Adobe's corporate responsibility (CR) team and had the opportunity to work on a range of projects looking at social and environmental impact. My favorite project was exploring how Adobe's current strategic business partners could also be partners on social or environmental initiatives to increase our collective impact.

For this project, I met colleagues across the company and other individuals working in corporate responsibility at peer companies.  At the end of my internship, I presented my research and recommendations to Adobe's operations staff, and one of the projects is still moving forward.

Why did you decide to intern at Adobe?

I was initially attracted to an internship at Adobe because of the culture, products and growth potential. But after my first phone call with Adobe's CR director, Michelle Crozier, I was determined to intern with that team because of Adobe's current and future CR initiatives. Social impact is at the core of Adobe's history and the CR team has a number of exciting new initiatives on the horizon. I wanted to be a part of the transformation.

What did you enjoy most about your internship?

I enjoyed my projects and getting to know people across the company. The projects that I worked on gave me such a wide and in-depth experience of what the work at Adobe would be like that it made it easy to know I wanted to return full time. Plus, everyone was always so helpful and willing to support that work even if it fell outside of their daily jobs.

What was your first impression of Adobe's corporate culture?

My first impression of Adobe's corporate culture was its strong focus on professional development. My manager holds regular check-ins with me, to talk through both current work and future career choices. I've had the opportunity to attend innovation workshops, called Kickbox, and to meet with other MBAs. There is a focus on continuing to grow professionally and in a direction that fits both the individual and the company. Since my internship, I've joined full time and all of my first impressions hold true. I love it here!

What were some of the challenges you faced during your internship?

My biggest challenge was (and still is!) navigating driving programs with a social and business impact. As Adobe evolves towards more shared value initiatives, it can be difficult to explain how programs can have both a social and business benefit. But, my manager and teammates are always incredibly supportive and we work on having exploratory conversations across the business units to move towards more shared value work. 

What was the application process like?

The application process is very straightforward, although certain components are unique to the team. I submitted my résumé and cover letter and was contacted by a recruiter who set up an initial call with the CR team. After a few interviews, the recruiter reached back out with next steps.

What advice do you have for MBAs who are interested in interning at Adobe?

First, find a team that fits with your past and future career goals. Through reading articles and reaching out to current workers, understand the landscape of your team's work, the competitors and growth opportunities. Be prepared to have suggestions or recommendations on how you want to have an impact on the company.