HBS student interest in retail remains steady, with approximately 3% of the class joining the industry full time. This dedicated group of students has a passion for the dynamic retail space across different segments including luxury, specialty, and mass market brands. [...]

For Consumer Products companies interested in hiring HBS students for internships or full-time roles, Lauren and Katja stress the importance of connecting with the Career & Professional Development office for referrals. “The connection with our office has been an important source of referrals for Consumer Products companies, even for those companies who do not plan to post a position or are not quite ready to recruit” said Lauren. [...]

I envisioned many scenarios for my summer and often questioned whether or not I would end up picking the ‘right’ thing. But deciding what is right for me can be a selfish way of thinking about where and how you’ll make a difference in the world. For me, the difference is deeply tied to surrounding myself with kind people, creating more good in the world, and protecting our wild and public lands. So much of my experience at Patagonia has shown me how to advocate for change, to live with authenticity, and to build beautiful products customers can appreciate without causing unnecessary harm. [...]

It all started with a cold LinkedIn mail to Aaron Gailmor, the founder of Brass Roots, an early-stage startup that I happened upon while tracking Expo West 2019 (World's largest natural, organic and healthy products event) with a classmate. I had no expectation that I would hear back, since there was no MBA internship opening, so I was pleasantly surprised when Aaron replied and gave me a shot anyway! After going through multiple interviews and being asked for numerous references, I realized that no matter how resource constrained an early-stage startup might be, a founder will never under-invest in recruiting diligence. [...]

As a former consultant at EY-Parthenon, part of Chicago native and Northwestern University graduate Tayler Danziger’s (MBA 2020) job included travelling all over the U.S. and Europe, advising clients on growth strategy. Little did she know then, this experience would be the perfect prerequisite for not only graduate school at HBS—but also a summer 2019 retail strategy internship with Ford- and Amazon-backed electric car startup, Rivian Automotive. [...]