The LGO industry partner relationship is a fundamental part of the LGO program, and multiple touchpoint opportunities are provided to promote student-partner engagement. These connections continue throughout the professional lives of LGO graduates, with partners looking to LGO students and alumni as a key talent pipeline for future top leadership careers.This alliance is about more than just networking—it also provides LGO students with opportunities to gain hands-on experience and make real-world impact through internships.

MIT LGO partner companies build their network with students from their arrival on campus, throughout the entire LGO experience, and into LGO graduate careers as leaders of business and engineering technology.

Touchpoints

There are multiple opportunities to connect with LGO students throughout the 24-month program. These events and activities allow relationships to develop in preparation for fulltime recruiting after graduation. They also provide opportunities to impact internship project proposals, creating a more satisfying research experience for both partners and students.

Recruiting Best Practice Recommendations

A list of ways to make the best use of student-partner touchpoint opportunities and internships, based on student input, can be found here on the VC.

Summer Partner Introduction Series 

LGO partner companies provide a company overview and information about internship opportunities and career pathways, setting the stage for future internship and recruiting engagement. Second year students are also invited to attend, to learn about new partner companies who joined after the summer of their first year, and to discuss their current internship projects.

Summer Plant Tours & Domestic Plant Trek (DPT)

Local Summer Plant Tours are offered at sites local to Boston, MA. LGO first-year students are expected to participate in at least three tours over the summer but may choose to participate in several. The 15.S05 Lean Operations or other summer core courses may build on learnings from these site visits.

Domestic Plant Trek (DPT) is an academic course requirement: 15.S23 Domestic Plant Trek and Partner Integration, for 6 units of credit counting toward the MBA degree, instructor: Thomas Roemer. Partner hosts provide a financial contribution that supports a DPT budget that covers most of the major group costs: group flights, hotels and ground transportation. First-year students plan the trip to take place over about 2.5 weeks for their cohort. Over the 8-12 site visits, the cohort is divided into smaller groups that individually assess each site’s operations or manufacturing across an array of areas.

Interest Surveys

Students provide both generalized and company-specific internship and career interest information. This data is collected and shared with partners in advance of both internship project development, and recruiting season. These details are collected by a student-led committee, and provide the voice-of-the-student into internship project creation and potential full-time recruiting roles.  This also allows companies to easily begin developing relationships with the students who have indicated interest in their organization.

Internship Interviews

Students review project proposals and sign up to interview for internships that are of interest to them. These short interviews allow students and partners to discuss their mutual needs and interests. They also support ongoing relationship building between partners and students. Additionally, connections made during internship interviews can carry over into full-time recruiting, even when the student and company do not get matched for an internship project.

Fall Research Showcase 

This event takes place during fulltime recruiting season, in the fall of the second year—which is at the midpoint of June-start internships, and after the completion of Feb-start internships. Students report out on research progress (or provide preliminary results), and network with partner companies. In addition to allowing students to receive critical input on their projects, this activity serves as an opportunity for partner companies to learn more about students and their research, and for the students to engage with companies about their career interests.

Summer Recruiting 1:1 Meetings

LGO career engagement staff meets 1:1 with each company team, providing an overview of the upcoming LGO recruiting season activities, and answering questions. 

Coffee Chats & Information Sessions

Partners offer coffee chat sessions ad hoc throughout the program when company reps are on campus for other activities, and additionally, in connection to the Fall Research Showcase. We also offer partners the option of interacting virtually with students through 1:1 meetings, and group information sessions.

Recruiting Season

The LGO program provides designated partner recruiting activities and support to the interview process in the summer/fall of the second year. Details related to this will be released in early summer each year.

Knowledge Review

Taking place approximately 6 weeks before graduation, this is a summary presentation of the student’s thesis research. This event also serves to enrich the program and community overall, by informing and influencing future project development, and demonstrating to first-year students and company supervisors how an internship experience is transformed into thesis research results.

Resources

Inclusion, Access, & Well-being

We are committed to ensuring that our program activities are inclusive and accessible. Tell us what you need to fully participate, such as mobility needs; accommodations for individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing; accommodations for individuals who are Blind or have low vision; food, beverage, or scent allergies/requirements; sensory and communication, and neurodivergent needs; as well as access to time and space for prayer, meditation, or sensory breaks/quiet.

Questions, Scheduling, VC Access, Inclusion & Access Needs

Contact: lgo-recruiting@mit.edu