How COVID-19 affected HBS & summer internships

<First year at HBS>

My first year at HBS ended unexpectedly due to COVID-19, but I am grateful for my experience so far.

I was fascinated by the breadth and depth of business issues we covered in class – a valuation of Burger King, the pricing strategy of a Norwegian luxury cruise line, the branding strategy of Muji, which literally means ‘no brand’, the evolution of Disney’s business scope, the ethics of launching an opioid-based painkiller at Johnson & Johnson, etc. Every case was intriguing, and I smiled as I prepared for class, pondering what I would do if I were the protagonist. 

Although I walked into class confidently with my own action plans, my views often changed during the heated 80-minute discussions with 90 brilliant section mates from around the world. In addition, we were privileged to have prominent case protagonists – including the former CEO of Vodafone and the founder of CrossFit – in the classroom to discuss their decisions. By studying hundreds of diverse cases, I learned to analyze business issues through different lenses and sharpened my business acumen. 

But more than hard skills, a significant portion of the value of business school comes from interpersonal skill development and networking. In a truly risk-free environment, I tested different leadership and communication styles, received candid feedback from peers, and worked on my areas for improvement. Leveraging the HBS network, I connected with many business leaders to open new professional possibilities. Outside Boston, I explored new worlds with my HBS friends, listening to street jazz in New Orleans, skiing in the Swiss Alps, and hiking in Patagonia, experiences I will always cherish. Some claim that former bankers or consultants like myself have nothing to gain at business school, but I have found tremendous value in studying at HBS. 

<Impact of COVID-19>

Since late March, HBS shifted from in-person to Zoom classes. The last time HBS had to makeover its operations so drastically was in the 1940s, against the backdrop of World War II, when the campus was turned over for military training. Understandably, the move to online classes made students and faculty anxious. 

I was heartened by how well HBS handled the transition. There were no major technical disruptions, though there were some hiccups due to unstable WiFi connections, inexperience in pulling up the virtual blackboard, etc. My initial reaction was, “This is not too bad.” But after a few days, I missed in-person classes badly. At the same time, I found advantages to online courses. Note-taking on a computer was much more efficient than handwriting, which used to be the only option as we were not allowed to use any electronic devices in class. In addition, the ‘break-out room’ feature on Zoom gave us the opportunity to exchange ideas with students anywhere in the world. Overall, I did not have any issues building hard skills in virtual classes.

Yet, the class experience was not the same. It missed the dynamism and pace of in-person discussions as students had to switch their microphones on and off on Zoom. There was no loud laughter, gasps, or other group feedback because everyone stayed muted when someone was speaking. It was also hard to feel the vibe of professors’ usually amazing class facilitation as they walked among the tiered seats, asked hard questions, and moved partitioned blackboards up-and-down. 

As I mentioned, much of the learning at HBS comes from socializing and networking. So, not being able to connect with people in-person was a difficult new reality. Although the school and students came up with creative ways to stay connected virtually, the online experience felt “diluted”. 

<How I received four internship offers>

Securing a summer internship this year was especially challenging given the uncertainty posed by COVID-19. Many companies decided to not hire interns at all, and some of my friends’ offers were withdrawn. 

The HBS career office provided support in many ways. They asked alumni around the world to provide internships at their companies, provided interview training and personalized coaching to identify target companies, and increased the number of entrepreneurial fellowships to allow students to start their own businesses.

Like many other HBS students, I started applying in December 2019, and ultimately received four offers. Before that however, I received around 50 rejections in just a few months.

But why was getting an internship so hard? First, I was competing with overachieving HBS students. Companies usually have a limited number of spots for HBS interns, so I had to demonstrate I was better suited than my peers to win the position. Second, international students are disadvantaged. If you are a non-US citizen, companies must sponsor your visa if they decide to extend a full-time offer. Compounding the sponsorship costs is significant uncertainty over the long-term work eligibility of international students given the current US administration. So, if companies have two candidates with comparable skillsets, one with US citizenship and the other without, they tend to choose the safer option and hire an American student. Lastly, as already mentioned, companies were cautious about giving internship offers while their business performance was hurt by COVID-19.

From January through March, it was pure rejection. However, starting in late March through early April, I received four offers, three from biotech firms and one from a VC firm. The key to success was perseverance and networking.

I kept applying via multiple channels, such as the HBS recruiting platform, company websites, LinkedIn, etc., and that’s how I eventually landed biotech offers in Boston and San Francisco. There was no magic spell. I also leveraged connections I made at HBS. I met with several executives at a large biopharma in Boston, received career advice, and was introduced to other key persons in the industry. I attended casual dinners with healthcare workers and researchers around Boston, and several of them kindly connected me with healthcare start-ups in Boston and the Bay Area.

My VC internship was a result of networking and serendipity. In March, HBS hosted a business conference where many business leaders shared their professional experiences and perspectives. I heard one of the speakers was from my country, so I attended the conference and signed up for a coffee chat with him. When I introduced myself and shared my long-term career vision, he asked if I would be interested in working at a VC where he was a board member. That was it.

After much consideration, I decided on two internships this summer. Currently, I am working at the VC and testing how I can achieve my long-term career vision. Starting next week, I will intern at a major global biopharma in a strategic role, fully leveraging my consulting background and what I have learned so far at HBS.