Everyone Summits! The BYU MBA Sherpa Program

The greatest climbers in the world don’t do it alone! In fact, they have a significant amount of help along the way from trusted companions who have been to the summit before them and know well the path that leads to the top. Of all the valuable things we take from the BYU MBA program, there may be nothing more defining to setting the trajectory of our careers than the first job experience coming out of school. The ascent to the summit of securing an internship is not always a leisurely stroll up a well-groomed trail. Some encounter unexpected detours, while others find the climb more technically challenging than anticipated. Whatever the path, climbers need not navigate the ascent alone! At BYU, trusted companions who have successfully reached the summit help shoulder the load as first-year MBA students embark in their ascent to the top. Everyone summits!

Congratulations to all who have been admitted to the BYU MBA program! The Sherpa Program, the MBA program’s peer-led mentoring program, is excited to help you navigate your journey to securing an internship. As a first-year student, you will be assigned a ‘Sherpa’, a carefully selected second-year student who has successfully secured an internship, to help guide you through the recruiting process. Recognizing that every ascent is unique, your Sherpa will work with you individually to understand your background and career focus in customizing an approach that will enable you to reach your internship summit.

Despite what many believe, the most important difference between successful and unsuccessful job seekers is not education, skill, age, or ability, but the way they go about their job-search. Together with your Sherpa, you will engage in fine-tuning the necessary skills to be successful on the recruiting trail. As an incoming student, you can expect that your Sherpa will be reaching out to you sometime in June, 2010 to begin internship related discussions and preparation. In addition, the Sherpa Program will also provide a series of conference calls over the summer to help kick-start the process so you hit the ground running when you arrive at orientation! Emphasis will be placed on things such as the following:

· Clarifying career focus

· Targeting companies

· Building effective resumes

· Developing interview skills

· Networking effectively

Ultimately, every individual climber owns his or her own internship search. However, the Sherpa Program provides you the insight, mentoring, and network of somebody who has been to the top and knows the internship search terrain. The greatest climbers in the world don’t do it alone, and with the help of the Sherpa Program, neither will you. Everyone summits!

-Mike Christensen, Head Sherpa, Class of 2011, OB/HR