Getting summer internships, especially in business school, is incredibly competitive, and the MBA who has two or more tempting internships to choose between is lucky indeed. Most students feel they must choose one over the other, but there is another option. Vault estimates that about one in ten MBAs split their summer internships - that is, intern at more than one company. In the vast majority of cases, internships are split between companies in different industries, say, consulting and investment banking.

While split summers are still relatively uncommon, the question has arisen often enough for many top firms to establish policies designed to stamp out internship excess, whether these policies be informal or formal. But in many cases, with enough effort, it is still possible to spend your summer doing two separate internships. You won't get any time off during the summer, however - most firms will ask for a minimum of 8 or 9 weeks, and many will require you spend at least 10 or 12 weeks at the company. Since many business schools have summers lasting only 16-18 weeks, splitting your summer may even require you to take a couple of weeks off from school, either during finals week, the first week or two of your second year, or both. In general, smaller firms and firms in less formal industries, like high tech, will be more open to fitting you in at a time convenient for you, while at most investment banks and consulting firms, the time limitations are likely to be more stringent and the internship programs themselves less flexible.

The Pros and Cons of Splitting

Let's weigh the pros and cons: On the one hand, splitting your summer will allow you an inside look at two different companies or industries, and you'll have two valuable names on your resume. However, remember that internships are, in part, designed to reflect your deep and abiding interest in a particular firm or industry when you go looking for a full-time offer. Splitting your summer may suggest that you lack commitment - not a good sign to hold up to companies who want to make sure that you'll stay with them. You'll also have to show up late to at least one of your internships which "never looks good, and then you'll have to explain to everyone where you were the first half of the summer," one MBA tells Vaul. In addition "you run the risk of pissing off the companies who've offered you the internship," says one MBA student. "So, if you think you might definitely want to work for one of the companies, you should take that into account." ~ A quantitatively-inclined MBA student who split his summer advises: "You shouldn't split your summer if you are only 5 or 10 percent curious about what it might be like in another industry. Your minimum curiosity level should be around 25 percent." In general, says one MBA grad, "it makes more sense to split your summer if you're interested in the two industries involved, but perhaps not the firms in particular. Remember that summer internships are normally much more difficult to get than permanent employment, so you may be able to trade up to better firms during full-time job interviews. In other words, if you split a summer interning at two places you're not interested for permanent employment, you don't have to worry about what the firms think."

Structuring a Split Summer:

According to insiders who've done it, here are some useful strategies for structuring a split summer internship. First of all, never let on that you intend to split your summer during your interviews. Express full enthusiasm for corporate finance, or strategy consulting, or whatever you're interviewing for - you can bring up a split summer if you get a job offer. Secondly, decide which internship is your priority internship, and put that one at the beginning of your summer. That way, you'll enter with the rest of the intern class, and your leaving early will attract less notice.