Five of the Hottest MBA Summer Internships of 2018

With spring around the corner, now is the time to begin thinking about your summer internship.

An internship can propel you into an exciting career, as well as build your business network and give you a salary for the summer.

There are a wide array of interesting and rewarding internship programs at leading employers to pick from, from developing the strategy of a social media juggernaut to leading us into a more sustainable future. But which one is right for you?

Maren Maland is a first-year MBA student at Duke Fuqua and she’s poised to begin an internship with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She said: “I have the chance to learn from and be inspired by people who have dedicated their careers to improving the lives of others and reducing inequality worldwide.

“I hope this experience will help guide my full-time job search post-MBA, by keeping me at the forefront of my desire to drive positive change in the world and providing me with a network that encourages me to stay true to this goal.”

To help you pick the right internship like Maren, we’ve curated the wisdom of business school careers experts to compile a list of the hottest summer internships for MBAs in 2018.

“These internships are with market-leading companies who don’t recruit a lot of MBAs through traditional channels, such as on-campus recruiting,” said Sheryle Dirks, associate dean for career management with Duke Fuqua.

“This means that they would be considered premium opportunities by many MBAs, yet not readily available and accessible.”

She adds: “These organizations work in areas that are influential, either because the focus of their work is on an important topic such as energy and conservation, is a mission-driven company, or provides products or services that significantly impact popular culture and social media.   

“They’re also in functions and roles that are important to the respective businesses, so provide real opportunity for learning, growth and contribution.”

Finance Intern, Tesla

Technology visionary Elon Musk is the world’s most-admired CEO among MBAs. After all, he founded electric car giant Tesla among a string of other tech businesses including SpaceX, which is trying to commercialize space flight.

The opportunity to work for the Musk brand is not the only reason to seek out this summer internship. The work is important because Tesla is on a mission to change energy usage and curb climate change. Any MBA student seeking meaning in what they do should consider a summer post at the San Francisco-based company.

Strategy Intern, Snap

Many MBAs are seeking impact in their careers, whether that be positively influencing people or the planet. The former is exactly what you’ll get with Snap, the company behind the disappearing messaging app Snapchat.

Over 150 million people use Snapchat every day to watch videos and pictures from friends and see events from around the world. That means you’d contribute to shaping the way in which we communicate on a daily basis.

MBA Intern, National Basketball Association (NBA)

With vast and diverse audiences all across the planet, the NBA significantly impacts popular culture. Over 10 weeks in either New York city or New Jersey, summer interns participate in a broad range of sports activities and events, giving them exposure to many different parts of the NBA’s business. This makes the internship a great opportunity for someone who is not dead-set on function yet, as well as someone seeking impact.

Finance and Strategy Intern, The Honest Company

If you want to make a good but also ethical living, look no further than Honest. This mission-driven company emphasizes ethical consumerism by selling non-toxic, eco-friendly domestic products, everything from diapers to bug spray. The business also hit $10 million in sales within a year, and has raised $303 million in funding.

So, over nine weeks in California you won’t just be contributing to people’s wellbeing; you’ll be responsible for the company’s fast-growing commercial success too.

Sustainability Intern, Strata Solar

Contributing to saving the environment is at the heart of this summer internship. The company’s mission is to make a difference by developing cost-efficient alternatives to traditional energy sources, without long-term dependence on government subsidies.

Interns will spend 12 weeks in North Carolina helping to develop a corporate sustainability strategy and to raise awareness of sustainability in the energy industry. A good fit for those who want broad responsibility — and want to sleep a little easier at night.