It took a week and a half, but I have just about settled into the working rhythms of my b-school summer internship. You would think that after four years in the working world pre-MBA, I would slide right back into the daily grind - but it was harder than I expected. Even after nine short months of b-school, my physical and mental state had completely reconditioned to a new way of life.
In short, work is not school. Here are some of the key differences:
- Cubicles: One of the best things about school is that there are no cubicles. At Sloan we've got tables, benches, conference rooms, couches, lounges, classrooms, and (of course) chairs with built-in desks, but no cubes. At work, it's all about the cubes.
- Alarm: My alarm goes off at the same time every day. This is a novelty. During the school year, my alarm never went off at the same time for more than two days in a row.
- Diversity: In b-school, everyone is around the same age, taking the same classes, and pursuing similar business-oriented interests. Work is more diverse in that you have colleagues with a wider range of skills, experiences, and aspirations, but less diverse in the number of languages I hear being spoken in the hallways.
- Homework: You don't have any. Sweet!
- Responsibility: You are doing real work with real implications and real people depending on you. This is pretty cool because it makes work significantly more fulfilling than school. The downside is that there is more pressure. My advice, learn to love the pressure, or become a life-long student.
- Boss: A real person depending on you. See "Responsibility."
- Money: Getting paid is awesome. I didn't realize how much I missed it.
I've also learned that assimilation back into the paid workforce is much easier when you have a great office environment to ease your transition. This summer I'm working for HubSpot, a venture-backed internet marketing software startup in Cambridge, MA. HubSpot's office culture is high-energy, but with a funky and friendly vibe. While I do sit in a cube, at least the wall is painted bright orange and I've got an IKEA floor lamp next to me to spice things up. Even better is the stocked kitchen which boasts free soda, coffee, granola bars, and even Gushers (yeah, I hadn't seen those since middle school either).
So, no matter how accustomed to the workforce you think you are before coming to b-school, you will become unaccustomed to it during your first year. Give yourself some time to reengage with office culture when you start your summer internship, and don't worry if it takes a little while to feel normal again.
