2011 Global MBA Internship Blog

Suffolk Global MBA - specialized MBA in international business

Full-time GMBAs do a 3-month internship outside their home country. Read their blogs below! Named among the top 15 U.S. graduate programs in global management by Princeton Review.  www.suffolk.edu/globalmba   

Suffolk Global MBA from Thailand reflects on learning experience at Menicon America internship.

Hi everybody!!! My internship program at Menicon America has ended. I can’t believe how fast it went. I had such a great experience! I can say it was definitely the right decision for me to do the Suffolk Global MBA and to do this internship at Menicon since I wanted to have a working experience in the U.S. healthcare business. This is because in Thailand, where I come from, I had 6 years experiene at AstraZeneca, in the pharmaceutical industry. And working in the U.S. healthcare industry was something I wanted to experience.

At the Menicon officer here, there are 5 employees, including me. This is because although Menicon is the largest company in contact lens business in Japan, and a very global company, it is just starting to break into the U.S. market.  So in my internship I also worked collaboratively with other staffs in Japan and Colorado. This helped me see how the company is operating and how each person works in a variety of roles to contribute to the company’s accomplishments. It is different from AstraZeneca in Thailand where I used to work, with a hundred people in one department.

In my internship I also had an opportunity to attend the 2 full days company strategic meeting, which helped me to better understand the eye health business. In the meeting, engineers, R&D, HR, accounting, sales and marketing people discussed about the first half-year achievements and review.

Projects I worked on in my internship helped me develop my marketing skills - the Global MBA internship must match your Global MBA concentration in this way.  I am in the International Marketing concentration.

• market survey of custom contact lens market
• advertisement and social media for promoting the Menicon brand and the contact lens care products
• process of import and export the contact lens microscope in the US and EU
• online contact lens care market

All of the marketing courses I took in the previous semesters were applied to real business practice in my internship at Menicon. The most helpful courses were Marketing: Challenge of Managing Value, International Marketing, Global Consumers Market and Market Research for Managers. So I not only learned the academic aspects meaning in the classroom, but I also applied this knowledge and thse skills in my relationships, work and networking with people in my internship.

The people where I worked were all are very nice and helpful. We also shared American and Thai culture. Once we had Thai food at lunch together on casual Friday. Everybody really enjoyed it because they never had anybody explain and choose the various kinds of Thai food that fit their preferences perfectly. At work, culture is mixed between Japanese and American because the home office of Menicon is in Japan. Time differences were sometimes challenging when we needed to communicate quickly.

The first month of the internship seemed so long and I thought I still had plenty of time left at Menicon. Then I began to have many tasks to handle and many activities to attend,so I completely forgot about the time.

I realized at the beginning of August that I was almost done with the internship and I was going to join my Global MBA "family" pretty soon again. Being an intern at a global company outside of my home country in the middle of the Global MBA program is as essential as studying in the classroom. To integrate both of them is so amazing for me to develop in my career and I believe that everybody in the Global MBA will grow and change professionally developing new career skills in these internships. Definitely, we all come to the Global MBA with professional skills, many years of work experience. But the internship, because we have real projects and work to do, in a global setting for us all, is the driving force to overcome and transform any deficiencies we have, and to be proficient in global business in marketing or finane. The rest of the time in the Suffolk GMBA as I finish my degree, will also give me new knowledge and skills. On one hand, I wish I could be at Menicon longer, on the other hand, I look forward to getting back to the class and studying with my friends. I hope everybody has such a wonderful time and made great memories during the summer, everywhere you went and whatever you did. Thank you Menicon! 

 That's me, second from left!
 

Suffolk Global MBA's finance Internship in Beijing: Experience of a Lifetime

I have now been back in the U.S. for about two weeks, and I miss China and the new friends that I made there. During my final week in Beijing, some sort of farewell party was organized for me almost every day. On my last day in the office, my boss and the rest of the team took me out to my favorite restaurant, which serves the best hot pot that I’ve ever had.

 

My internship in Beijing was beneficial to me, because it had long been a dream of mine to work in China and compare both the working and leisure-time style and culture in that country with those in the U.S.  Without exception, all of my coworkers and superiors in Beijing were welcoming and friendly towards me. In fact, I have never experienced such a high and intense level of acceptance and collegiality in any other company, neither in the U.S. nor in Germany. The internship experience certainly fulfilled my personal and professional goals and objectives. I learned a lot from doing my finance related projects, and from living day to day in China. 

 

Suffolk Global MBA life-changing internship at Dunkin Brands - as it leads to a full-time job and new career!

Hello everyone

I should have finished my internship at Dunkin Brands, Baskin Robbins world headquarters in Canton, MA last week.  However I was offered a permanent full-time position within the business! So as I write my last entry for my three months internship in Boston, this really is just the start and not the end for me. I don't know exactly how to summarize or describe in a few words how this experience changed my life in so many ways, but I will give it my best shot.

This internship gave me the opportunity to work in a different industry from what I was used to.  For the last 16 years I've been working in banking in the UK. Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) is a totally new concept for me.  

My internship projects at Dunkin Brands / Baskin Robbins consisted of conducting a pricing review for a company which has over 4000 stores globally. Plus I got to lead several value platform pilots in core markets (Canada, China and Australia) and assisted the CMO and Director with the Strategic Marketing Plans.  The majority of these experiences are new topics for me and I had to learn about it in a very short period of time.  It was very similar to a consulting position and from very early on, I really started to feel part of the team.  It is very rewarding to know that I can adapt to a new working environment in a new industry, apply the skills and knowledge from the class room, and deliver value to the organization in such a short period.  

There have been so many business and personal experiences and accomplishments for me from this internship. Presenting my projects to the President, COO, CMO and Director of the International Marketing Team certainly was one of the most exiting highlights of the internship. Seeing all that hard work come to fruition; having the attention, feedback and ultimately an offer to remain in the team was a great honor.   

If I was to list just one project or result I was most proud of, it would be coming up with a new flavor of the month and name for our core category. In March 2012 this new flavor will be sold in 4000 stores globally. So please keep your eyes peeled for it!

My motivation for leaving my last company after 16 years service and acquiring my Global MBA, with an international marketing concentration, was to transition into a new industry sector. My objective was to work in the US and get extensive international experience on my resume, ideally working for a globally recognized brand. This internship ticked all the boxes for me. It has been a great opportunity and learning experience as part of my Suffolk Global MBA program. For me, completing my degree in 12 months and having this internship at the end of the program have allowed me to immediately apply these new skills and knowledge in the work environment.

Finally, my plan was to use this opportunity as a ‘stepping stone’. Being offered a couple of permanent full time positions and sponsorship is something that I consider as one of my major accomplishments from the program, as well as an indication of how my ability and potential have grown during my Global MBA at Suffolk University. I will remain living and working in the US, working within a new industry sector which meets many of my personal and career aspirations to date.

Here’s to the next chapter of my career, to a whole new life experience!  And thank you to Suffolk University's Global MBA for providing me this internship opportunity which was definitely life-changing!

To my readers and fellow GMBAs, best of luck with your journey!

Mark

Global MBA wraps up internship at Sonus PR in London - a truly career relevant part of the Suffolk Global MBA.

 
Everything must always come to an end!  Well my time at Sonus Public Relations in London has come to its end, as today is the final day of my internship.  The three months went by so quickly and I can't believe it is already over.  I feel that I've grown over these last three months, professionally and individually. I feel more secure and confident.  This experience has been well worth the wait and is one of the main reasons I chose the Global MBA program at Suffolk University. 

Last night my co-workers took me out for drinks and dinner.  After work we started with a couple of pints at a local pub.  Here are some pics of the people I work with:

 

The gentleman in the middle is the CEO Martin Smith, the lady to the left our )perations Manager Roberta, and the lady to the right Director of Accounts Jenny.  After a few drinks we headed to a Curry house in Soho for Indian food.

 

It was a late night and I barely caught the last tube train back to my flat.  On my final day my co-workers took me to another English pub for English pies for lunch.  I also took pictures of the office, my work station, and my co-workers.

 

 
Myself and Martin, the CEO 

 
The Secretary of the building Patsy, a truly lovely lady!

So - now the real world.  I will be back in Boston soon and will see my family and friends, and my job hunt will begin.  I have a presentation for my final project in front of faculty, fellow Global MBAs and visitors on September 1st. I have one more online course, MBA 800 Strategic Management, before I am officially finished and can call myself a graduate. 

London was a great city! I hope to have the opportunity to call it home at some point in the future. The experience gained in the internship is not something you can replicate in a classroom setting.  I am thankful to Dean Hallberg for setting up this opportunity for me, thankful to Suffolk University, and my colleagues at Sonus PR. I wish my fellow Global MBAs all the best.  As they say in the UK, Cheers!

Suffolk Global MBA experiences life changing internship in Greece - opportunity of a lifetime.

Hello again, this time, from Boston.  Yes, I have finished my internship in Greece and have returned to Boston a few weeks ago.  I don't know exactly how to summarize or describe in a few words how this experience changed my life in so many ways.  I will give it my best shot.  

Since I started the Suffolk Global MBA program I knew that I wanted to do my internship abroad, this meant a country different from my own and the US.  I had no idea where this would be, however, I trusted that I would be in a place with a different culture, language, and way of doing business. Something that would make me get out of my comfort zone and open my eyes to new things.  I think that I accomplished my objective.  

Today I can say that I lived in Greece for three months, that I worked in the hospitality industry, and that I was able to deliver something that will add value to a company.

During the last three months I was in a city where I did not understand a word that people said.  I had to learn a few words in Greek to make my life easier. I had to learn how people acted according to their culture: what was normal and what wasn't. Simple things like understanding when someone is talking to you or if they were yelling at you.  It was a great thing to learn about the history and culture of the country.  To understand and see why people act the way they do according to their past is a marvelous thing.  Culturally, it was an experience that no classroom can ever replace.

I was able to work in a different industry from what I was used to.  For the last 10 years I've been working in banking. Hospitality is a totally new thing for me.  My project consisted of researching and recommending an implementation strategy for the company in search engine marketing and social media. This was a new topic for me and I had to learn about it in a very short period of time.  It was very similar to a consulting positionL something that I had never experienced.  It is very rewarding to know that I can adapt to a new working environment in a new industry, and that I can still deliver good results.  

Additionally, I had the unique opportunity of sharing this three months with my wife in one of the most beautiful places in the planet.  We were able to travel to different places in the country, some in Europe, and live in a different city together.  It was truly a life experience for both of us that we will cherish all of our lives.

Today, three months after I left for Greece, I feel that I'm a better person in many ways.  This magnificent experience was something that truly changed my life in many ways.  It was one of the most enrichingng experiences that I have lived so far.

Suffolk Global MBA Summer 2011 Singapore Internship- Final Blog and Wrap-up

I’m back at the office today for my last Monday in the office and my last Monday in Singapore. I’m excited about moving forward. I’m glad that I accomplished so much personally this summer in Singapore. I have also done some extra travel in Asia. I’ve met some great people here and in the Philippines who are no doubt friends and family to me. I will miss them when I do leave. The good thing is that technology keeps us all connected from around the world. I’m definitely planning my next trip back to the Philippines for late-December or early-January. I’m also looking to travel to some other places in Asia like Hong Kong and Bangkok. 

I have so many farewell plans from friends and family this week and so much to do. I still have to pack up. I am having lunch today with my co-workers to introduce a new employee to the department and to say farewell to me. I am having lunch tomorrow with Terence (T-Bro) and Serene to celebrate T-Bro's birthday.Then, Serene and T are taking me out to dinner tomorrow evening and taking me to a special restaurant for a surprise. This should be exciting. Then, on Wednesday night, Francis is taking me to try a great Turkish restaurant. Thursday evening before I leave, the housemates are throwing me a farewell pizza party dinner at the house. I think I'll buy a very nice cake for them. 

I've wrapped up all of my project assignments including my papers and Power Point presentation for this internship. So I'm glad that all of the work stuff is done. Now I can just relax (somewhat) and focus on packing and other logistical things going on. It's going to be one long day of flying. Saturday will last forever. I'm flying across several time zones for a total of 30+ hours of travel, including stopovers and layovers between SG, Dubai, Houston, and Memphis. I still have to move back to Boston so I'll only be in Memphis for a few days with family and friends. 

This has been a good experience. I've enjoyed my time in SG. I've met some really great people here who will be friends for a while. I completed 3 projects at my internship and have made good contributions to the company. I am looking to use this internship as leverage for jobs now that I'm about to embark on the finance job market. I have had some really amazing travel experiences during this 3 month time frame. My trip to the Philippines has got to be the hallmark of my summer. Four days in the Philippines is just not enough.

I am glad that I joined the Suffolk Global MBA program and have gotten this Global Internship opportunity. It's a great thing to be able to put on a resume and hopefully helps me stand out from other job applicants. Adding additional international experience to my resume is giving me leverage for the international finance jobs that I will be looking at in my job search. I have one more semester of classes and will graduate in December. I am happy with my decision to join the Suffolk University Global MBA program. Goodbye and thank you Singapore. I'm sure I'll see you again soon.

 

Global MBA Summer 2011 Singapore Intern did some traveling in Asia.

Last week, I had an amazing trip for 4 days to the Philippines. I was in Manila and Olongapo mostly. In short, I have to say that I absolutely love the Philippines. Maybe I've only seen metro Manila and Olongapo, but I can tell that I will be back to this country many more times over the next few years. I might even invest in a new luxury condo here soon! I'm starting to feel like I'm a Filipino at heart.

Recently, my housemate friend Neil and I both took a trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the weekend. We left Singapore at 11:30 pm and arrived in KL at 04:30am. We took a bus from Lavender MRT station area into Times Square KL. It was a very short bus ride to KL, a lot shorter than I thought it would be. I enjoyed the ride. Neil slept most of the way. I did not. I stayed up, listening to my iPod and looking at the sights on the road. We arrived in KL and every business was closed, except for the 24 hour McDonalds on the corner so Neil and I went there for a meal. We stayed for about an hour then decided to go to the famous Petronas Twin Towers for a tour and pictures. We arrived in the lobby at 6am and had to wait in line until 9am because tours don’t start until 9am. The reason we got there early was because the line is always long and the earlier you get there, the more likely you are to make it on the tour. They cut off the line after so many people. We made it just in time because there were only about 20 people ahead of us in line. 30 minutes after we were in line, the line was outside of the door. There had to have been about 200+ people in line after 30 minutes. Then the line swelled as we were shifted down stairs to the ticket lobby. An entire group of people were told they could not tour the towers that day. It looked like 100+ people were in that line. It was worth the early wait because the view from the towers was great. Neil and I got some great pictures from the walk bridge between the towers. 

After the tower tour, Neil and I went to the mall in the lower part of the towers. We walked around a bit and then decided to take some lunch so we went to the food court at the mall. We then decided to go to a different mall that one of his friends recommended. It was a very nice mall and I’m forgetting the name of the mall right now (still recovering from lack of sleep). We did walk around and shop in the mall and then decided to go to a more local area, a place where we could search out and find Malaysian people and products. We asked around to some people and ended up going to an area called Central Market. It was a nice area to find some local flavors of food, shopping, and culture. We ended up going to a mall in that area that really reminded Neil of a mall here in SG called Lucky Plaza. Lucky Plaza is a shopping mall that caters to the Filipino population in Singapore. Most of the stores are Filipino-owned and operated. It’s a great mall and is known for having great products for low prices. So, this mall in Kuala Lumpur was very similar to Lucky Plaza in that respect.

Later, we returned to Times Square and then caught the return bus back to SG. The trip back was good as well. We left KL at around 4:30pm and returned to SG at around 10:30pm. There was some rain on the way back and it took a bit longer because of the traffic jam in downtown KL. All in all, the trip was fun. It was a good short, quick weekend get-away from SG.

Pictures with friends/family in the Philippines:

 My family in Olongapo. MomMom Norie, me, Daniel, lola, Daniella. 

The 4 Amigos (well, 1 real Amigo and 3 honorary Amigos). LtoR: Rico, Daddy Megz, me, Allan. In front of the beach across from the Mall of Asia in metro Manila.

Me at Robinsons Land Mall in Manila on a kiddie ride. Yes, I have not changed a bit. I'm still very fun-loving (a.k.a silly)!

One of my big bros, Danilo "DanDan" Amigo. He's a huge basketball fan and a good bball player. He gifted me with one of his jerseys. 

Suffolk Global MBA says good bye Turkey, you will be dearly missed! She leaves an internship with Mavi Jeans in Istanbul and moves on to the next chapter in her life

Hello everyone!

Over the past couple of days my bathroom has flooded (due to a broken water hose), my washing machine has broken and I no longer have internet in my apartment...I think this is Istanbul's not-so-subtle way of telling me it is time to go home!  And home I shall go on Friday. 

As Anthony, a fellow Global MBA doing his internship in London has mentioned, I have mixed feelings in that I am sad to leave Turkey, a truly beautiful and unique country that has, for the most part, been very hospitable (save for the last few days!); on the otherhand, I am extremely excited to get back to the US to see my friends and family and start the next chapter in my life.  As soon as I present my summer internship project on September 1st at the capstone seminar, I will officially have my Global MBA!  (Sidenote: If anyone is aware of B2C international marketing job openings in NYC please e-mail me: hilary.dunn@gmail.com) =)

Because I presented my project to Mavi's CEO yesterday and my last day is tomorrow, I have a couple of days to wrap up all the lose ends and say my goodbyes.  My e-commerce strategy for Mavi was very well received and I am happy to report that I presented the CEO with some novel ideas he had yet to hear about.  I am excited to follow Mavi's e-commerce development over the next year to see which recommendations and strategies will be implemented.  It is truly incredible the amount of knowledge I have acquired over the past few months, not only in regards to e-commerce and the apparel industry but also, and just as importantly, the Turkish culture. 

Turkey is truly a unique country: a perfect mix of East meets West.  Just today, I was walking into the newly constructed 54 story Sapphire skyscraper with the Muslim call to prayer singing in the background. It is not an unusual site to see girls with headscarves walking arm in arm with girls in shorts and t-shirts.  I felt that, for the most part, everyone was very accepting of everyone else no matter your ethnicity or religion.  The major challenge for me was the language barrier, as I expected it would be. But I have to say that I am now a professional at communicating with my hands. I believe this is a good communication skill to have even if you are speaking the same language.  I also managed to pick up several Turkish words that have helped me get by these past few months.

In addition to growing professionally and culturally, I have become stronger personally.  I am a much more confident and independent person than I was three months ago.  Moving to a foreign country I had never visited, that speaks a language so different than any I had ever been exposed to, and knowing only one other person when I arrived, was definitely the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life.  The first couple of weeks I kept telling myself "it's not better or worse, it's just different."  Over time I learned to adapt and appreciate Turkey for what it is, and I am a better, more well-rounded person for it. 

The Global MBA has been an incredible journey along which I met many amazing people and friends, gained a wealth of knowledge in global business and experienced different cultures first hand (both in the Brazil Global Travel Seminar and my internship in Turkey).  At its very least, I am a much more interesting person than before I started my degree based on all of the experiences the program has provided over the past year and a half!

One example of my more independant self is my trip to Cappadocia a couple of weeks ago.  I couldn't find anyone to join me so, instead of missing out on seeing a truly unique place, I decided to go by myself.  I'm sure you can see by the pictures below, I was not disappointed!

 
 
 
 
 
 

To all of my fellow GMBA's, safe travels for those who are still abroad and I can't wait to see you all next week at the GMBA Welcome / Welcome Back Social! It will be great to meet the incoming GMBAs also!

To all other readers, I hope I was able to shed some light on the Suffolk Global MBA program and I hope you enjoyed the snippets of my incredible Turkish journey over the past three months!  Thank you Dean Hallberg for your tireless effort and guidance over the past year and a half, it is truly appreciated!!!

Hilary

Global MBA interned in London: enjoyed the culture and cuisine of Paris in my last week in Europe.

How is everyone?  Most Global MBA's that were placed overseas have returned to the United States already but I am still in London until this Saturday, August 27th.  Time has gone by incredibly quickly and I have mixed feelings on returning.  On the one hand it will be nice to go home, see my family and friends, but on the other hand I will miss London and Europe and all the experiences I have had over the last 3 months. 

I just returned from Paris last night and I had a great time.  Paris is beautiful and it was my first time to France.  I left London on Thursday via the Eurostar and within 2 1/2 hours I was in Central Paris.  I stayed north of Central Paris in Montmartre and of course I saw all the sights and had great French food.  Here are some of my pics:

image of the Sacre Coeur

Notre Dame

sunbathers on the River Seine

Arc De Triomphe

and of course the Eiffel Tower from the Champ De Mars!

Everyone take care and will see all my fellow GMBA's soon!

Traveling Turkey in my last few weeks; future executive presentation at Mavi

Hello readers!

My time in Turkey is quickly approaching its end.  Two weeks from today will be my last day at Mavi Jeans and I head back to the US the next day.  I have been very busy with both work and play!  I am wrapping up my report and power point slides which I will present to Mavi's managment team before I leave.  It's amazing reviewing everything I have compiled over the past 2 1/2 months at Mavi, an incredible amount of details and information that I hope I have organized in a comprehendible way so that Mavi can use my ideas in the implementation process.  I have to say, my most valuable tool throughout my internship has been Google translate given the fact that I was asked to re-design Mavi's website which happened to be 100% in Turkish.  I am meeting with my manager next week to review my work and make any last minute adjustments before presenting to the executives.

I have been taking advantage of every free moment I have in Turkey.  I went to a Joss Stone concert a couple of weeks ago and was able to get a front row center spot.  She is absolutely amazing live, and the setting could not have been better - in a small outside amphitheater with Istanbul as the backdrop! Unfortunately my pictures didn't come out!

I visited Heybeliada Island with a fellow intern a couple of weeks ago. It is one of four islands about an hour ferry ride from Istanbul.  There are no cars allowed on the islands and horse drawn carriages are the main form of transportation.

 

This past week my friend from the US visited me and we took a three day trip to the beautiful seaside town of Cesme, located about an hour drive from Izmir.  The sea was the most beautiful greens and blues, up close the water was crystal clear.  One of the amazing things about the beaches in Turkey is that they provide these huge comfortable pillows to lay on.  These pillows were heaven after our 6:40am flight!  Another great thing about Cesme was that there were shuttle buses that ran every 10-15 mintues bringing people to various beaches and town centers.  They were so convenient either picking and dropping us up right in front of the hotel or a few minutes walk away (depending on where our destination was).  Without them we would have paid a fortune in cab fairs during our various explorations around Cesme and surrounding areas. I was able to meet up with a fellow Suffolk classmate, Leyla, who I graduated with this past spring (I officially graduate once I complete my internship).  I had become close with her during the Brazil Global Travel Seminar this past January.  She is originally from Turkey and is currently living and working a couple of hours from Cesme.  One thing about Suffolk is you meet people from all around the world so you are never far from a friend when you travel abroad!  Here are some pictures from my trip:

 

As my final travel destination in Turkey I have chosen to go to Cappadocia, located in the center of Turkey.  It is supposed to be a truly unique place with gorgeous rock formations, reminding many of something out of this world.  I leave tomorrow after work, I will be sure to blog about it next week!!