When I started the Wisconsin School of Business MBA program, I expected to grow in my career. What I didn’t expect was how quickly that career would begin to take shape.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern at AbbVie. Like most MBA students, I went in hoping to learn, contribute, and hopefully prove to myself that I was ready for what comes next. What I didn’t anticipate was just how transformative that experience would be. It wasn’t just an internship. It was a preview of the kind of work I want to do, the kind of teams I want to be part of, and the kind of impact I hope to make in my career.
And now, before my MBA has even ended, that preview has become a reality.
Laying the Groundwork
My internship experience at AbbVie was everything you hope for and more. I was placed on the Benefits Team, working on a large-scale change management initiative tied to a new vendor transition. On paper, that sounds like a typical HR project. It was a complex, cross-functional effort that required communication, coordination, and strategic alignment across multiple stakeholders.
By the end of the summer, I wasn’t just more confident in my skills. I was confident I wanted to work for AbbVie. I wanted to be a part of something large and bold. I wanted to keep learning from the talented colleagues I rubbed shoulders with on a day-to-day basis.
Starting Before the Finish Line
Fast forward to now, I have the pleasure of starting my career at AbbVie in Organizational Excellence as part of my first HRLDP rotation. What makes this experience unique is that it is happening before my MBA is even complete. I was asked by AbbVie to start part-time in February before graduation in May. There was something both exciting and overwhelming about that. On one hand, I felt incredibly grateful. Landing an amazing job with an amazing company is why I chose UW-Madison, and here it was. However, it comes with a level of responsibility that pushes you to grow quickly.
But for the right role, I knew the challenge would be well worth it. Organizational Excellence is exactly where I hoped to land coming out of my MBA. As an internal consultant, the work is centered around improving how organizations operate, making processes more effective, and helping teams perform at a higher level. It is not just about identifying problems. It is about building solutions that actually work. And that is where the MBA has made all the difference.
Applying the MBA in Real Time
What I’ve realized very quickly is that this role is a direct reflection of the skills the MBA is designed to build. Strategy is no longer just frameworks and case discussions. It is about understanding how decisions impact the broader organization and aligning work to business objectives. Analytical thinking is not just about solving problems in a classroom setting. It is about breaking down complex challenges, identifying root causes, and making informed recommendations. Process building is not theoretical. It is about creating systems that improve efficiency, reduce friction, and enable teams to do their best work.
I constantly find myself pulling from something I’ve learned over the past 1.5 years. Whether it is thinking through stakeholder dynamics, structuring a problem, or communicating an idea clearly, the connection between the MBA and my role is constant.
What makes this experience even more meaningful is that I am still in the program. I am learning something in class and then immediately applying it in my work. That feedback loop has accelerated my growth in a way I didn’t expect. It also works the other way; I can apply lessons learned from work directly to projects and assignments, and the teaching I am doing within the Business School.
It has also reinforced something I have come to believe strongly: the value of an MBA is not just in the knowledge you gain, but in how you are able to apply the knowledge in a meaningful way. Can you pull the right levers at the right time? This opportunity to sit as an MBA student and employee helps me train that muscle every day.
Why This Matters
For prospective students and professionals considering an MBA, one of the most significant questions is always: How will this actually translate to my career? For me, the answer has been clear.
The Wisconsin MBA does not just prepare you for what comes next. It puts you in a position to start doing that work sooner than you might expect.
Through my internship and now my role in Organizational Excellence, I have seen firsthand how the program emphasizes practical application. It is not about memorizing concepts. It is about learning how to think, how to approach problems, and how to lead in complex environments. It has also shaped how I think about a career in Human Resources. HR is often misunderstood as purely operational or administrative. But experiences like this highlight the strategic impact HR can have. When done well, HR is about enabling organizations to perform at their highest level. It is about aligning people, processes, and strategy in a way that drives real results.
Looking Ahead
As I continue through my MBA and my first rotation at AbbVie, I find myself reflecting on how quickly things have evolved. A year and a half ago, I was starting the program, trying to figure out where I fit and what the world of HR was all about. Today, I am in a role that challenges me, excites me, and aligns with everything I have been working toward.
Starting my career before finishing my MBA was not something I planned. But it has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey so far. And if this is just the beginning, I am excited for what comes next.