Summer internships are a key part of the Darden full-time MBA experience as students transition from their First Year and the core academic experience to their Second Year, when they refine their purpose and career plans. The 320-plus members of Darden’s full-time MBA Class of 2020 is currently spread around the world in 11 countries, serving as interns at 157 companies representing 13 different industries.
The top industries for internships this year were consulting, drawing 27 percent of Darden interns; finance, drawing 24 percent; and technology, drawing 22 percent. Companies hiring the most summer interns from Darden included consulting firms Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Co., JPMorgan Chase, technology giants Amazon and Dell, and industrial conglomerate Danaher.
Every student in the Class of 2019 who sought an internship secured one last summer, and the Class of 2020 is on track to repeat that feat. Such remarkable placement success is thanks to talented students and an education experience that is ranked the world’s best (The Economist, 2011–18) and valued by recruiters for the unparalleled preparation it provides for the real pace of business. However, Darden’s Career Development Center (CDC) plays a big hand in the students’ internship success, too. For the Class of 2020, 79 percent of internships came as a result of recruiting activities supported by Darden and the CDC.
Career “WhyFinding” for Future Students
For the Class of 2022, whose next deadline to apply is 3 September for Darden’s Early Action round, the CDC is going even further to prepare students for internship and career success, before they even step on Darden Grounds. It just launched a new prematriculation program titled Career Development WhyFinding (CDWhy). The tool will help students find their “why,” or their mission or personal challenge, and help them find an internship or job that plays to their strengths and offers the pathway to a lifetime of meaningful work.
This self-directed, free and online program will kick-start students’ personalized preparation for the recruiting season. During CDWhy, students will watch instructional videos led by the CDC’s team of experts, learn valuable recruiting advice from Darden students and alumni, and engage with interactive activities and resources.
By the end of the CDWhy program, students will have learned how to articulate their purpose, explore MBA career pathways and understand how to build a robust recruiting presence.
“As Darden graduates continue to see unprecedented demand for their talents in a variety of sought-after sectors, we are thrilled to now offer CDWhy to Darden students so they can gain a head-start in the competitive MBA recruiting process,” said Assistant Dean of Career Development Jeff McNish.
