Upcoming breaks in the academic calendar are a welcome sight! A valuable, fun and often needed chance to refresh yourself, change-up your schedule, and possibly travel. However, due to hiring demands of organizations, varying academic calendars across business schools, and the tight recruiting timeframe for many roles and industries, recruiting does not take a break.
Employer activity to expect over break
In the United States, a number of large organizations with application deadlines in 2025 will conduct summer internship interviews in January, 2026, including during Yale SOM’s break. A few of these interviews will be in-person; those that are virtual will be conducted during business hours at the office location. If you are applying for such internships, build flexibility into your schedule to easily manage interview schedules, potential travel for interviews, and needed accommodations for virtual interviews.
Current expectations for interviews this January, 2026, include (scroll down for industries):
Consulting:
- Bain will host in-person interviews for US & Canada in its NYC office – students will be offered multiple date options, likely throughout the week of Jan 5; other offices will interview throughout January
- LEK will host first round virtual interviews with week of Jan 5
- BCG will host virtual interviews Wed Jan 7 for US + Canada offices; other offices throughout January
- Chartis will host virtual interviews January 8, 9 and 12
- McKinsey will host in person interviews Jan 9 on site at the US + Canada office that extends the interview
- EY-Parthenon (and likely all EY Consulting) will host virtual interviews targeting the first week of January.
- Kearney US will host first round virtual interviews the first or second week of January
- AlixPartners will host virtual interviews January 6 – 23
- Analysis Group will hold virtual first-round interviews in early January
- ECG Consulting will host virtual interviews in early January; selected applicants are invited to virtual interviews as early as November
- ZS will host virtual interviews during the week of Jan 12and week of Jan 26
- Roland Berger will host virtual interviews Jan 13
- Deloitte will host virtual interviews on Jan 14 – no alternatives will be offers
Most firms not listed likely will host virtual first-round interviews in January.
Healthcare:
- Pfizer will host virtual interviews sometime between December and early January
- Vertex will host virtual interviews in early January; possibly as early as January 5
- Takeda will host virtual interviews January 12 for Yale SOM and in-person final rounds Jan 28-30
Investment Banking:
- JPM hosts two virtual super days: most Yale SOM students will interview on December 5th although some may be invited to its second super day the week of January 5th
- FMI Capitol Advisors will host their super days early January. They prefer to interview students in-person (Denver or Raleigh), but they offer virtual interviewing if needed
- Morgan Stanley EMEA will host their interviews virtually in early January
- Centerview universally hosts their super days in early January
Retail:
The following firms will schedule virtual interviews in January during winter break:
- H-E-B first two weeks of January
- McMaster-Carr throughout January, including break
Tech and Media & Entertainment:
- Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft & TikTok will start rolling virtual interviews across functions in October, and continue through winter break into Spring semester until roles are filled. Often interview invites include multiple scheduling options. However, these interview slots fill quickly. Later dates will be offered only if the roles have not filled. Pro tip: if invited to interview, respond as soon as possible to secure an early interview time slot. If available interview times cannot work for you, expect to wait weeks before offered alternatives.
- Warner Brothers is hosting an in-person/virtual trek in Burbank, California within the first 2 weeks of January 2026. This event is for applicants who have made it through an initial screening interview – attendance is required for applicants looking to move forward in the interview process.
