Aaron Bekker (left) with fellow Pfizer interns
This series highlights BC MBA students’ summer internships, featuring their firsthand accounts of navigating internshipsacross various industries and roles.
This past Summer, Aaron Bekker (MBA ’26) interned at Pfizer as an MBA finance summer associate at the company’s headquarters in New York. The internship is designed to be a feeder for Pfizer’s prestigious Financial Leadership Development Program (FLDP).
How did you secure your internship?
The hiring process began with an in-person interview at Boston College with the program manager who had traveled to campus from New York. I successfully passed and was invited to attend the Super Day at Pfizer’s HQ in New York.
There, I went through about four-five hours of back-to-back interviewing with current FLDP managers as well as senior members from the firm. It was a very competitive interview process, but I believe I was able to secure an offer by showing my tenacity, passion, and relation to Pfizer’s core values.
I previously had no experience within the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries, and I’m so grateful for the BC MBA program, which enabled me to obtain this transformative internship experience and enhance my career trajectory.
How did the first year of your MBA prepare you for your internship?
The first year of my MBA exposed me to a lot of technical programming and Excel-based courses, as well as more qualitative courses like Brand Management and Marketing that have taught me about how successful corporate structures operate and effectively brand themselves. Classes like Accounting and Economics were useful refreshers as well given the financial nature of the internship.
What did you gain from your internship?
My technical and analytical skills definitely sharpened from weekly financial modeling projects, designed to guide the firm on its next strategic investment decisions. My internship was a daily blend of using Excel and PowerPoint to put together weekly sales updates and estimates. Throughout the summer, I attended numerous happy hour events, seminars, and fireside chats with senior leadership. I really enjoyed connecting with my fellow interns and management, while also strengthening my capability to network.
I was placed on the Commercial Finance - Oncology team, where I built and maintained sales models for a portfolio of oncology drugs. The internship was culminated by a capstone case study presentation. Myself and two other MBA interns were tasked to present in front of a room full of business unit leads and VPs. The process of collaborating with experts throughout different divisions within the firm to assemble our presentation was a very rigorous, yet rewarding experience.
I can’t go without mentioning the amazing BC alumni network at Pfizer. Getting to know some BC MBA alums was so enjoyable and I really appreciated their mentorship and guidance throughout the whole process.