Finding His Fit in Tech Finance: Viraf Nariman’s MBA Internship Story

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Internship Company: HPE

Internship Department: Finance

Internship Location: Houston, TX

Position Before MBA: 

• Title: Business Process Consultant
• Company: SAP
• Location: New York, NY

How did you secure your internship?

I first heard about HPE’s internship opportunities through their info session and partio at Rice during the first semester a couple weeks before winter break. I met several recruiters there and spoke to a couple of second years that had interned there in 2024. 

While speaking to the recruiters, they sent me a few of the open positions they had for MBA students and told me to apply. From there I had a HR screening call, spoke with the finance recruiter and then eventually with the hiring manager who I now work with. They sent me an offer in January, and I accepted a couple weeks later. 

What is your role and responsibilities during the internship?

There are two main parts to my internship. 

Firstly, HPE has every intern working on a summer project that tackles a problem or opportunity which we will present at an intern fair in August. My project involves analyzing the order backlog for my business unit and capturing information about delivery bottlenecks, manufacturing timelines and any other potential roadblocks to recognizing revenue. The eventual goal is to create Power BI dashboards that are simple and easy to digest so leadership can use the information to improve their processes and recognize revenue faster. 

The second part of my internship involves day-to-day tasks that I can take off my managers plate, generally involving forecasting, margin analysis and analyzing year-over-year trends to capture our business unit’s performance so we can plan for next year’s budget. 

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How did your MBA coursework prepare you for this internship?

The finance terminology and concepts that I learned in class helped make my transition into a corporate finance role easier. Additionally, the presentation and strategy courses have helped me think about ways to communicate with different teams and helped me focus my work to make it more digestible for a leadership audience. I feel more confident in my communication abilities and have been able to be more concise with my work, highlighting what matters to my audience.

The tech product management course also helped a ton, even though I am not in a PM role. I learned how to balance the needs of the teams I am working with and how to navigate working in a corporate role at a large technology company.

How does the internship align with your career goals?

While recruiting during my first year at Rice, I recognized that I wanted to be in the technology industry. There were three career trajectories that I was considering within tech, one of which was corporate finance. This internship has given me a chance to understand the different finance roles at a big tech company and how to work with leadership all the way up to the CFO. 

My manager has been a huge help in mentoring me and explaining how to manage the personalities and expectations of leaders. I’ve also gotten a chance to network with other people in the company and explore some of the other roles that I am interested in. HPE has a lot of Rice MBA alumni, and they have all been super helpful and offered advice on how to convert my internship into a full-time role after graduation. 

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What is your favorite part of your internship experience?

The culture at HPE was one of the reasons I wanted to work there over the summer, and so far, they really practice what they preach. Everyone I have worked with has been helpful and friendly, offering advice and mentorship as I navigate the internship. Connecting with everyone on my team and beyond has been amazing and has really made my experience at HPE enjoyable. 

Additionally, being at HPE’s global headquarters has offered unique opportunities to attend live presentations from C-level executives, including the CEO.  

What advice do you have for prospective students?

Take time to consider career paths that are outside of your comfort zone — you never know what will appeal to you. The MBA experience is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore new careers and industries, while making connections that you can leverage after you graduate; so make sure you take advantage of it!