Striking out in MBA recruiting: What actually worked for this UNC KF grad

Описание: Akash entered his UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA focused on pivoting from data analytics to investment banking. Like many candidates, he went all-in on the traditional recruiting pipeline, only to find himself still searching for an internship midway through the recruiting cycle.

Rather than giving up, he leaned on his prior experience and network, landing a non-traditional internship at Novartis that ultimately led to a full-time role. We spoke with him about what it’s really like to strike out in MBA recruiting, how to think about Plan A and Plan B roles, and why networking, especially during internships, can matter more than the pipeline itself.

The Questions:

00:00 - Introductions
00:27 - Tell us about yourself.
01:33 - Can you tell us about your MBA application journey?
06:13 - How did you get your internship at Novartis?
07:56 - What advice would you give MBA students who miss out on traditional pipelines?
10:20 - Is this “Plan A / Plan B” approach becoming more common?
11:10 - How did you convert your Novartis internship into a full-time role?
14:14 - How did your MBA help you in the recruitment process?
17:09 - Can you tell us about your current role and where you see it evolving?
19:54 - What trends are you seeing in healthcare finance, especially around AI?
22:00 - How does the culture at Novartis compare to JP Morgan?
26:36 - What advice would you give your younger self?