Summer 2017 Internship Spotlight
Happy First Week of School!
Before the full-load of academics and activities hits us, we would like to take the time to feature and celebrate some of our incredible members and their summer internship experiences. Take a peek at what these rock stars had to say; we promise that you will be inspired.
Sophomores
Riddhi Kashyap
User Assistance Development Intern at SAP Fieldglass in Chicago, IL
What were some of your daily tasks or jobs?
SAP acquired Fieldglass in the March of 2014. Since then, FG has been making integration changes to their software and practices. My main project on the team was to filter through over 20,000+ high volume, high security product development documents and convert them from the PTC and IKE onto our newly adopted software, Confluence. This transfer would account for FG's previous problems of documentation loss, accountability, and visibility. My second project was to observe the inefficiencies of the Connector Documents used for cliental. I extracted data and provided analysis on relevance and repetition in regards to standardization of these files. I then presented my findings to the entire workforce including the VP of Product Development. One of Fieldglass's long-term goals was to translate these Connector Documents into every language on their global spectrum to apply to all clients internationally. However, these documents were so inconsistent that translation costs rose far too high. My findings led to a standardization of these documents, which gave Fieldglass the ability to begin the translation of these documents by reducing costs and increasing profit by up to 40%.
What is the most important thing you learned from your internship experience?
The most important thing I learned from my internship this summer was to not restrict myself. I feel that many times we get caught up in fitting a stereotype and being a certain clone of a candidate. Fieldglass taught me that it's okay to not have my path completely paved, in fact that it is better. It taught me that "an open mind is a powerful force" and to never allow that to hinder. Speaking with the managers of a variety of extremely different departments opened my eyes to a world of endless possibilities that I would have never been exposed to had I not tried.
Ian Eickhoff
Business Analyst Intern at Acuity Insurance in Sheboygan, WI
What were some of your daily tasks or jobs?
My primary tasks included working with billing and accounting projects within the Business Systems Department. My two largest projects included implementing necessary changes and modifications to financial statements for Acuity's new business in the state of Texas, as well as expanding our recurring payment process for credit cards for commercial lines. This entailed a great deal of Excel work and working with Acuity's internally designed programs. I was able to take the lead and head some smaller projects, training other employees and even leading meetings.
What is the most important thing you learned from your internship experience?
The biggest thing I was able to learn from my internship this summer was working in teams that were much different than I was. I was able to work with others and even train employees that had different backgrounds, often were older, and didn't always see how I did. I had the opportunity to train them and lead meetings, working together as a team. The importance of team cohesion and how to work together efficiently in a corporate setting was the biggest and most important takeaway for me.
Juniors
Brian Treacy
Actuarial Intern at Humana in Louisville, KY
How was your overall experience at your company?
Overall, I loved Humana, specifically the culture and the people that work there. It is really laid-back and my coworkers were people that I genuinely enjoyed being around. Living in Louisville was also really cool because it was so different from what I am used to (MN/WI). One of the best parts was that Humana housed the interns in really nice apartments downtown on the Ohio River, just two blocks away from where we worked.
What is the most important thing you learned from your internship experience?
Aside from technical skills (I had zero going into it), the biggest thing I learned was to ask questions, not just to clear up confusion, but to be proactive in learning more about what your team or department does and how it fits into the bigger picture of the company. Having a better understanding of the things you work with everyday improves your ability to contribute and have an impact.
Morgan Jameson
National Financial Advisor Intern at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Madison, WI
What were some of your daily tasks or jobs?
I assisted advisory teams with wealth management planning tasks: wealth outlooks, analyzing retirement plans, investment proposals, rebalancing portfolios, generating reports and spreadsheets. Additionally, I helped with driving digital integration in the office— encouraging clients to capitalize on MyMerrill.Com and our MyMyerrill Mobile Application platforms.
What is the most important thing you learned from your internship experience?
1. Work hard and don't be discouraged. Being new is hard. It's a transition period. Find ways to learn outside of the normal requirements. Use colleagues as mentors and it all comes together. 2. Get to know your office. Go in each day with a positive attitude, eager to learn, and let them know who you are as a person and what you do outside of this 10-week program. Through conversation I was able to integrate my experience as a photographer and provide service for the WI Merrill Market. You never know what opportunities will arise, and connections are key. #networking
Erin Tenderholt
Entrepreneurship and Business Development Intern at Bii Dauu Weaving Cooperative in Teotitlan de Valle, Oaxaca, México
What were some of your daily tasks or jobs?
My internship did not have a set task or routine upon entering. The objective of my internship was to examine the current state of the company and highlight the areas Bii Dauu most needed to improve in order to be an effective competitor in the corresponding markets. I enjoyed working on these different projects, but the most time consuming (and my favorite) task was building them a new website and creating an online store (which will be accessible in America/Europe early October).
What is the most important thing you learned from your internship experience?
Three lessons: 1) I am very privileged and very blessed. 2) Be grateful for what you have and make the most of it. 3) Help others the way they want to be helped, not how you think they should be helped.
Seniors
Nick Flatt
Customer Development Intern at Kimberly-Clark in Boston, MA
How was your overall experience at your company?
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Kimberly-Clark. K-C is known for it supportive company culture. Throughout my time, every colleague was always very willing to help me with anything from excel tips to career advice. I took away meaningful advice from every person in my office. Due to my positive experience this past summer, I will be returning next summer in a full-time role as a Customer Development Associate (Sales Rotational Program).
What is the most important thing you learned from your internship experience?
While I learned many technical skills throughout the summer, the most important thing I learned was that you can learn something from everybody. I learned about the transition from college to the workforce from some of the younger employees in the office, and I learned about career advancement and future roles from more experienced K-C employees. No matter where you work, there will always be extremely intelligent people that you can learn from.
Shea Brennan
Legislative Intern for Senator Baldwin in Washington D.C.
What were some of your daily tasks or jobs?
I was usually the first-point-of-contact for constituents, so a couple of my main tasks were answering phone calls from Wisconsin residents and sorting emails depending on the matters they addressed. One of my favorite tasks was drafting letters addressed to constituents on behalf of the Senator. I also attended hearings and briefings, gave tours of the Capitol, and did research on a number of issues. My portfolio included infrastructure, banking and finance, and housing and urban development. I was also able to do some research pertaining to health care because it was such a hot topic issue this summer.
What is the most important thing you learned from your internship experience?
Do what you’re interested in. Government jobs are sometimes viewed unfavorably because they are no high-paying or become politicized depending on the state of the nation. The people who work on the Hill do it because they love it and are passionate in their belief that government can have a positive influence on people’s lives. Washington is also very diverse—as long as you have an interest in policy, there is probably a place for you.
Caitlin McGuire
Plan Team Intern at Ovative/group in Minneapolis, MN
How was your overall experience at your company?
Absolutely unbelievable. It was an incredible internship and I couldn't recommend it enough. I learned more in my three months interning at Ovative than I have throughout my college career. I grew professionally and learned so much about an industry I honestly knew little about coming into the internship. It was awesome!
What is the most important thing you learned from your internship experience? If you aren't learning you're not working at the right place. I had the opportunity to work alongside some unbelievably brilliant minds this summer and every day they were challenging themselves to constantly grow and learn more about the industry and work we were doing. This allowed the company to be constantly evolving and innovating. It was really inspiring and definitely made me realize how important a culture of learning is.
Pretty amazing, right? These eight individuals traveled all around the country- and even the world- to pursue their dreams, and they exhibit some of the greatest qualities in aspiring professionals. Now, times that by fifteen and you get a whole pool of people in a little group called Alpha Kappa Psi. Come and be a part of this talented, driven, and brilliant community by rushing this fall!
