Management & Marketing with Meils!

Source: Google

Name: Amelia

Company: Clara Williams Company 

Position: Production Management and Marketing Intern

Paid or Unpaid: Paid

Living arrangements: None provided, lived at home 

Favorite at the desk snack: Chocolate coconut almonds from Trader Joe's

Coffee or tea? Lattes from the company Nespresso machine and milk frother! 

Not Amelia's desk, but her office.
Source: Amelia's iPhone

Summary of the company (in your own words): CWC is a high end jewelry company that both produces jewelry and runs the business in the same loft studio space in Lincoln Park, Chicago.  CWC jewelry retails in independent boutiques throughout America and does not have its own storefronts. Since CWC is a small business (~15 office people, ~10 metalsmiths), there is a lot of interaction between all of the departments and the CEO/owner/designer, Clara, works directly with each employee. 

Summary of your department (in real language): As an intern at a small company, I really bounced around and got a good understanding of each of the various "departments": sales, buying, marketing, production, and business management, including some of Clara's work. While I started in marketing, a small department run by just one woman, I soon found that I could be more helpful and productive working with the production management team. I oversaw the production of all CWC jewelry, the purchase of raw materials (gold, stones, etc.), and the process from purchase to sales of the jewelry. 

Give a summary about what your job entails: My job consists of a few big projects and lots of small tasks. The first big project I tackled was creating a "Welcome Kit" that outlined CWC business practices and guidelines for on boarding retailers. The next project I undertook was creating an organization system for raw materials (that hadn't been made into jewelry yet) in an effort to maximize efficiency for the semi-annual inventory by the Product Management women. Finally, I did an analysis of the jewelry production process and identified gold use as an area for improvement. I then created and implemented a system that increased accountability and records of the gold used by CWC metalsmiths. Other than these projects, I also helped out with shipping, preparing gift boxes, transferring products in the inventory system, taking inventory of both raw and finished goods, creating forms, organizing spaces in the office-- I really helped in every department whenever they had a big undertaking or needed an extra hand. 

Busy rating (out of 5, can give explanation): 4. At first, it felt a little slow to me, because I was still talking with Clara about what projects could best utilize my skills. At that point, there was a lot of busy work. However, once I switched my focus to product management, I found the job to be very busy and satisfying, and I almost always had meaningful work to do (or at least something to work on).

Interview difficulty rating: 3. I applied via email and then had two phone interviews (with Clara, the owner, and Nancy, the Business Manager). 

Involvement with the other interns: I was the only intern. However, I worked very closely with all of the other CWC employees. 

Office environment: Very open space with lots of natural light and bright colors. All of the employees got along really well and we all ate lunch together every day. Definitely a group that works hard but has a lot of fun together while doing so. 

Amelia's desk
Source: Amelia's iPhone

Type of workspace (Cube, table, office, etc): I had a desk with a desktop computer. I also worked in the metal smith "shop" (their space in the office), and went downtown to Jewelers Row in Chicago to purchase materials. 

What has been the most enjoyable part of your job thus far?: I have loved the analysis of the production process and being able to find ways to improve the system. Having the full support of everyone at CWC has helped me feel confident in my ability to make a lasting difference, and I have felt intellectually fulfilled doing that project. I also really enjoy the company atmosphere and the people I work with. 

What has been the most challenging part?: Asking for more work when I was getting bored. At first, I knew I needed more than just little mindless tasks, and asking for a bigger project was challenging but very rewarding. 

What did you do that had the most impact on the company?: The revamp of the Gold Usage/Accountability system and the reorganization of the raw materials. Both will stay in practice after I leave and I believe will minimize loss (of gold, precious/semi precious stones, and time) to the company. 

What did you do to prepare for the job?: I came in with no experience in the jewelry industry, but I easily picked up the information I needed to know. I think HOD 1100 [Small Group Behavior] actually was very valuable in preparation, and just having a critical and solutions-oriented frame of thinking. I also found that my writing and organization skills played into my role heavily. 

What do you expect to learn?: I expected to learn how a small business is operated and how all the different departments worked together to achieve their common goal. 

What did you learn?: I learned what I came in looking for, in a very complete and nuanced way. I also learned about entrepreneurship, the jewelry industry, how jewelry is made, how essential critical thinking is, the importance of taking risks and acting quickly in a business, and how to maintain a fun yet hardworking office environment. There is so much more that I learned, but a big takeaway for me was that I, as a college student with very little business experience, still have worthwhile opinions and perspectives that can be voiced and respected by those with a lot more education and experience than I have. This was a really satisfying aspect of working at CWC this summer. 

Coffee Chronicle No. 2: Café Latino

Source:  Google

Taken:  Freshly brewed, black

Smells like:  Espresso

Tastes like:  Quality espresso, but has a different after taste than usual espresso.  The aftertaste isn’t fruity at all, like many other coffees.  No weird, lingering after taste, and not so strong that you can’t drink it black.  Even better with sweetened creamer, but still really good black.  No chemical after taste.  There’s a reason the translations department only drinks this stuff, and the whole office clamors to the break room to try to get some before its all gone.

Rating:  5/5.  Maybe not the best coffee I’ve ever had, but certainly the best office coffee.  Great any way, doesn’t need the help of cream and sugar.  

Conclusion:  Hear the translations department walk by saying “cafecito?”  Get up and get some.  You won’t regret it, unless you just don’t like coffee.  

Social Justice for Nashville: Cloe

Source:  Google

Name: Cloe 

Company: Martha O’Bryan Center

Position: Development Team Intern

Paid or Unpaid: Unpaid

Living arrangements: Crashed at my uncle’s house

Favorite at the desk snack: Chocolate trail mix

Coffee or tea?  Coffee

Summary of the company (in your own words): Helping low income residents in Nashville have better lives—providing food services, family counseling, education services, tutoring, youth programming, and employment services.

Summary of your department (in real language): The Development team raises money for the nonprofit to provide its services. This includes contacting donors (individual, foundation, and organizational), as well as organizing fundraisers and event planning.

Give a summary about what your job entails: We did a lot of volunteering with early education (Pre K) and in the food bank. Most of my job consisted of interviewing employees about their experience at Martha O’Bryan: why they come into work every day. All of the stories were about community members who were greatly impacted by MOBC programs. I compiled the stories they told me and presented the stories to the development team. The stories will eventually be put on social media and presented to donors.

Source:  Google

Busy rating: (out of 5, can give explanation): 4—there wasn’t a whole lot of down time, but we did get out early some days.

Interview difficulty rating: The interview to get this job was over the phone—and it wasn’t too bad. If 1 is the easiest, I’d give it a 2. The questions were basically the same as on the application.

Involvement with the other interns: 3. We spent about half of the day together and ate lunch together; we would do our volunteering together but were interning for the rest of the day in different departments.

Office environment:  5! Everyone was very nice, supportive, and always willing to listen.

Type of workspace (Cube, table, office, etc):  I worked in an office with a member of the development team, but I didn’t even have a desk! I did have a chair, though.

What has been the most enjoyable part of your job thus far: I’m finished, and I have to say the most enjoyable part was volunteering in the community, particularly in the food bank. Making someone’s day by bringing them a meal as part of Meals on Wheels was extraordinary. We take so many things in life for granted. It was humbling.

What has been the most challenging part: We had to read The New Jim Crow, and I found it to be a very challenging book. It was filled with angry, loaded language. I disagree with a lot that was written, but it was good to see a different point of view on the criminal justice system.

Source:  Google

What did you do that had the most impact on the company: The interviews and stories I complied (called The Highway Collection) will have an impact on the company’s social media presence and on the outlook donors have on the company—maybe it will even bring in more donors so that more social programs can be funded by MOBC!

What you did to prepare for the job: I prepared mentally by reviewing what I believed “social justice” meant. Surprisingly, my definition (creating opportunities for people) did not change.

What do you expect to learn? I expected to learn more about how to run a nonprofit—how to be a CEO.

What did you learn? I learned that nonprofits are more complex than they may seem from the outside, especially MOBC, which has so many moving parts because it deals with many different aspects of inequality. I also learned that the nonprofit sector may not be for me-- I may rather alleviate poverty through policy change. 

Internship Necessities

Source: Google

1. Ballet Flats

Whether you're working in an office where you wear a pant-suit every day or in a setting where you can get away with wearing workout clothes (bless), you're going to want to invest in a comfortable, neutral pair of ballet flats!  Luckily, I work in the latter environment.  I usually opt for a casual dress or skirt, and what better to pair my outfit with than a pair of ballet flats? My favorite ones are the Anya Suede Ballet Flats from J. Crew Factory in Vintage Sandstone.  I can wear them all year round because of then neutral color, and the rubber sole makes them so easy to walk in!

2. Blazer

Another wardrobe staple for your internship (no matter the dress code) is a blazer.  You can easily throw it over the back of your chair in case you get chilly (which, undoubtedly, you will)!  Blazers can make even the most casual outfit dressier.  Try pairing them with anything from skirts and sandals to suits and stockings, and you'll be glad you have one.

Source: Google

3. Bag

When I had my first internship two summers ago, I shopped around for a week looking for the perfect bag to carry around.  Eventually, I just settled on a large, tan purse from Target.  Looking back, I wish that I had just invested in a Longchamp! To my excitement, last Christmas, my grandparents gifted me my own Black Longchamp Le Pliage tote bag.  They purchased it in the most neutral of colors - black.  This bag is probably the most versatile bag I own; I use it for class, going out to lunch, and at my internship.  The simple design and water resistant lining makes it appropriate for almost any occasion.  

4. Padfolio
When my parents first told me that I needed to invest in a padfolio, I thought that a huge book like that would be too intense for my job.  Surprisingly, I blew through the entire notepad in the first three weeks of my internship! I didn't realize how essential this was.  While you may think a notebook would suffice, with all the printed out information packets I was getting, I was glad to have a sturdy folder built right in.

5. Earbuds
Especially in my open office setting, earbuds are a necessity.  With people all around you talking on the phone or to each other, you'll need these to help you concentrate (and maybe even discover some new music).

Source: Amazon

6. Pens/highlighters
I am 100% certain that at some point during your internship you will need to write something down!  My current favorite pens are from a brand called Le Pen.  There are so many colors, and, personally, I always stay more organized when I color code notes! Highlighters (maybe just one) are an added bonus.  While you may not need a highlighter on a daily basis, it's always nice to have one so you can keep track of your most important tasks/notes.

Source: Google

7. Agenda
This isn't necessarily an internship necessity but more of a lifestyle necessity.  My Lilly Pulitzer Large Agenda is a lifesaver -- it always keeps me on task and helps me balance my work/school life with my social life!

Source: Chobani.com

8. Snacks
Find a delicious and healthy (and quiet) snack that you can eat mid-morning or mid-afternoon when you start to get tired or hungry! My current favorite is the Chocolate Almond Brownie Lean Protein & Fiber Bar by ThinkThin.  Although maybe not the quietest snack, they're a nutritious option that tastes like dessert! A quieter option that also tastes like dessert -- anyone notice a theme here? -- is the Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Chobani Indulgent Greek Yogurt.  Figure out what kinds of snacks you like, and keep them at your desk for when you get the mid-day munchies!

9. Mints/gum
In the event that you have a meeting right after lunch/a snack, it's always a good idea to keep some mints or gum with you.  I prefer mints because you can just pop one in your mouth and no one has to know!

10. Travel mug/tumbler
Finally, I think that it is crucial to have either a travel mug or a tumbler cup with you at your desk.  Most offices provide coffee at the workplace, so why not bring your own mug instead of taking a paper cup each morning? Tumblers are great so you don't have to bring a recyclable water bottle to work each day.  Bonus tip: if you bring your own travel mug/tumbler to Starbucks, you get 10 cents off your order!

Interview with Elizabeth

Source: Google

Name: Elizabeth

Company: Structured Finance Industry Group (SFIG)

Position: Intern (with an emphasis on media presence)

Paid or Unpaid: Paid

Living arrangements: The internship is in downtown Washington D.C., and I live about 30 minutes away (with traffic) in northern D.C., so I live at home and commute.

Favorite at the desk snack: Blueberries

Coffee or tea?: I’m not a fan of either, but there is a Starbucks on the same block as my office so I’ve gotten more than enough espresso drinks.

Summary of the company (in your own words): SFIG is a member organization consisting of banks, law firms, other companies such as Ford, and some individual members.  Structured finance is a very complicated topic, especially for a communications major, but from my understanding, SFIG communicates with these companies who trade debt between one another and work with the government to solidify regulation standards so the companies and the government are satisfied. SFIG was founded on the premise to make sure another financial crisis like 2008 doesn’t happen again.

Summary of your department (in real language): SFIG is a very small company (nine employees and me), so there are no real separate departments, which I enjoy.  Everyone works together to complete our daily tasks, whether it be finding finance articles for our weekly newsletter, or helping to organize one of our annual conferences in Las Vegas.  Because of this I do not belong to a department, but help wherever I can.

Give a summary about what your job entails: I do basic intern things, such as setting up a label maker and filling in our extensive data base (I had to look up information on about 10,000 people).  However, I was hired for the most part to improve SFIG’s online presence.  I have proposed several changes to the company’s website which will soon be implemented, as well as created a Twitter page.  I am also working with a section of SFIG, Women in Securitization (WiS), to help organize their first annual WiS week. WiS week is going to be in mid-August and will feature a daily newsletter with profiles of successful women in the industry as well as conferences in six different cities where women will meet to discuss gender in the industry.

Busy rating (out of 5, can give explanation): Since SFIG has never had an intern before, the first couple weeks were fairly slow, and some days are still low-key.  However, other days I feel as if I don’t have a spare moment to check Snapchat! But since I’m writing this all at 11 AM on a Monday, let’s go with a 2.8.

Interview difficulty rating: 1. Both SFIG and I were late to the intern game, so when I came into the interview they asked me a couple questions and ended with asking when I could start and what my salary should be.  It also helped that I had experience last summer doing the same type of thing with media development.

Involvement with the other interns: No other interns, but my coworkers are all incredibly nice, and we get coffee together in the morning, talk about the news, and I update them on what the Jonas Brothers are up to nowadays.

Office environment:  My office is set up so there are six desks in a clump and there are four offices layered around the desk clump.  However, the people in the offices always keep their doors open unless they are on a call and there is a large amount of communication throughout the office as a whole.  We always talk about our weekends and difference places to get lunch, as well as gossiping about boys.  One of the men in the office just had a baby two months ago (named Elizabeth btw) and we love getting updates and pictures. Sometimes it can get a little quiet when people are absorbed in their tasks, but someone is always quick to say “let me send you all this video, it’s HILARIOUS” (usually it involves a puppy).

Type of workspace (Cube, table, office, etc): I have one of the desks in the clump of six, but it is a huge desk.  I have two monitors, my own phone (although no one ever calls), and enough space for a drink and a Chop't salad with lots of room to spare.

What has been the most enjoyable part of your job thus far?: I really enjoy working on WiS, because although my major relates to media development, through and through, I care deeply about woman’s issues and anything I can do to improve any aspect of women in finance is rewarding for me.

What has been the most challenging part?: The most challenging part by far was filling in the database. For over 10,000 people I had to find their full name (for gender ambiguous names this was incredibly difficult), their company, email, and phone number. Thankfully I finally finished that task last week.

What did you do that had the most impact on the company?: The changes I suggested for the website are going to be implemented (hopefully soon) and that is basically the face of the company, so I would say website improvement.

What did you do to prepare for the job?: My mom is a tax lawyer so she knows a fair amount about securitization and structured finance, so I had her give me a basic explanation about the topics and what SFIG actually does. I also explored their website and thought of initial changes I could suggest.

What do you expect to learn?: What securitization really is.

What did you learn?: What business casual really means.

Source: Google

Signs You're an Intern

Hello!  If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably an intern, just like us.  But here’s 10 more signs you might just be an intern:

1. Your desk looks uninhabited compared to everyone else's.

                

Empty is the new chic, right?  See example below: 

Source:  Google

Who are we kidding?  You definitely don't have a room to yourself.
But your desk probably is this empty (but hopefully with a computer)

2.  You eat lunch alone at your desk.

Unless your company has a large internship program, you really only have three                 lunch choices:                     

                    a.  Eat lunch alone 

                    b.  Eat with your married with kids (and grandkids??) co-workers.  

                    c.  Beg your friends to meet you for lunch

Your choice.  

3. You get excited -- then panicked -- when your phone rings.

"Did they mean to call me? Why is someone calling my phone?!"

4.  You’re the only person in the office who can’t go out for drinks after work.

Nope, not even close to 21. 

5. You get excited when you have a meeting to go to…

…so that when you tell your friends what you did all day you sound legit.

Source:  Google

6. You've planned out your life -- at least 5 times.

What are you supposed to do with all that free time? Productively procrastinate.

7.  Excel, Excel, Excel

Whether you’re working in marketing, finance, or analytics, excel has become your           best friend and your worst nightmare.  It’s great, until you accidentally copy a formula into the wrong column.  Or have to input data for 3 hours. 

8. You have become a pro at Microsoft Outlook.

Why don’t they just use gmail like everyone else?

9.  Everyone knows you, you know no one. 

“Shoot, have I met this person?  Do I ask them their name or do I pretend like I know them?  Do I even know them?” 


10.  You feel like you look like this:

Source:  Google

By Kayla & Jennifer

Consulting in the Capital: Interview with Melissa

Source:  Google

Name: Melissa

Company: Booz Allen Hamilton

Position: Civil Management/Technology Intern

Paid or Unpaid: Paid

Living arrangements: Living with my aunt and uncle in DC 

Favorite at the desk snack: either a Luna bar or Scooby doo gummies 

Coffee or tea?  Tea. There is a Starbucks in my building and I usually get iced tea or a very berry hibiscus refresher

Summary of the company (in your own words): Booz Allen Hamilton (generally referred to as Booz Allen) is a management consulting firm. They do a lot of defense and intelligence contracting for the federal government, but they also do commercial consulting in markets like health and energy.

Summary of your department (in real language): I work in the health group within the “Civil Commercial Group.” There is a commercial health group and a civil health group, and I am working in the civil health group. This basically means that I am on the team that does work for governmental agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs, among others.

Source:  Google
Booz Allen's offices

Give a summary about what your job entails: The above paragraph may sound cool but I personally do not actually do any work for the agencies. My job pretty much entails doing a lot of research on the current ideas and events surrounding health. The research I do is mostly internal, meaning that I am doing research whose purpose is to educate higher up officials in Booz Allen so that they can be better equipped to win contracts/work from the government.

Busy rating (out of 5): 3.5.  I find myself bored on some days but generally I can always find something to do, even if it is just helping someone else out on their project. I listen in on a lot of phone calls and go to meetings which keeps me occupied on the slow days!

Interview difficulty rating: Not too difficult, I had two phone interviews each a half hour long. The questions they asked weren’t bad, it was basically just me just having to talk about myself and I also had to send in a couple writing samples.

Involvement with the other interns: My team has 5 other interns who are all really great. They are all older so I feel like a baby compared to them but they are all super nice and helpful. I really like getting a chance to work with other people on the research because it definitely breaks up the monotony of the day. 8 hours pass by so slowly if you don’t talk to anyone all day! We all generally sit together at the office if we can.

Office environment:  It is kind of intense. The dress code is pretty strict, I have to wear a suit sometimes.  Everyone is really nice, but it is a very fast-paced environment so it is stressful at times.

Type of workspace (cube, table, office, etc):  Booz Allen is kind of weird with the way they organize the office. They do something called “hoteling” where you have to book a room reservation online. Offices generally have two desks, so you are almost always “hoteling” with someone else. They started doing this recently so that they could save money by eliminating office space. There are a bunch of offices in the DC area so people can basically work wherever they want, which makes it easy for those people but it is kind of a pain to always have to remember to reserve a room. And it is almost guaranteed you won’t ever be in the same room two days in a row. It’s cool because I get to meet new people that I don’t usually get to work with, but I kind of wish I had my own permanent space. It is nice though because if I plan in advance, I can get a room with one of the other interns on my team.

Melissa's desk at Booz Allen Hamilton

What has been the most enjoyable part of your job thus far? Getting to work with and learn from the other interns! Because they are all older it is really cool to hear about their previous summer experiences. I also really like that my managers are really accessible and nice, so I’m never afraid to ask questions or set up with a meeting with them just to catch up on what I’ve been doing.

What has been the most challenging part? I did not realize how much of an adjustment it would be. 8 hours is really long, and I’ve never had a desk job before so it was kind of hard having to sit in the same place for 8 hours a day at first. It has also forced me to be more independent. I don’t have a lot of oversight—no one ever really checks to make sure I’m actually doing my work so I have to keep myself on task.

What did you do that had the most impact on the company?  I assisted on the making of a presentation that is going to be presented by the company at a big health conference in Nashville late July! It’s been really cool to see that come together.

What did you do to prepare for the job?  I did a lot of business clothes shopping. I didn’t really know what to expect so I didn’t really know how to prepare for the job! The biggest preparation was definitely getting my travel plans in order since I am in DC. They didn’t really give me a lot of information about what I’d be doing at the company so I had no clue what to do to prepare!

What do you expect to learn?  I wanted to do an internship this summer so that I could just get some kind of real world experience (and also not be bored to death). I am pretty fickle about what I want to study at school, so I was hoping something like this would also be helpful in that it would push me in some sort of direction as far as a major goes. I also just wanted to see how a big firm like this operates and does business!

What did you learn? I have never been bad at time management, but this has definitely helped me become even more efficient with my time! I have deadlines that I need to meet so I always have to make sure I’m on task. I have also learned a lot of business etiquette- like talking on the phone and emailing people. I hate talking on the phone generally, but I have to make a lot of phone calls so I have gotten a lot better at those skills. Additionally, I have gotten better at talking to people in person too, which I think is a really important skill to have. Through my research, I learned a lot about health care which has been really cool. It has definitely sparked an interest that wasn’t there before!