Intern—a mystery-cloaked word we hear constantly throughout college, and in popular culture through hit movies like The Internship and The Intern. While a job requiring getting coffee for everyone in the office and getting paid next to nothing (or, quite literally, nothing), comes to mind, we wanted to explore what it really means to be an intern. We already take you into the morning and nightly routines of successful women, and into the day-to-day jobs of employees across the country. Now, say hello to Intern Diaries. Below, a twenty-two-year-old working in a recruiting and sales fellowship position tells us about her experience.
Age: 22
City your internship took place: Dallas, TX
Industry: Recruiting + Sales Fellowship
Internship Title: Recruiting and Sales
Salary: $6K
Duration: 10 weeks
What does your internship title mean?
It is a 10-week summer internship that exists to introduce and ignite a revolution of women leaders within sales. Top-performing college women are trained as full-time recruiters as well as complete a tech sales bootcamp curriculum, built in partnership with Founding Partners, MongoDB and AppDynamics. We completed an extensive sales training bootcamp, leadership development program, and strategic marketing projects for overall business growth. We were also responsible for creating + conducting multi-channel sourcing strategies to find talent for the community.
Were you close with any of your team members?
One of the best parts about this summer has been the outpouring of wisdom and mentorship from the full-time team. Our Intern Leader worked hard to build relationships with each of us and made sure we were always doing okay as people. We were also each given mentors that connected with us, and I loved that they made time with me a priority at least once a week. Then there is a team member who I see myself being the most like in about 10 years, who made time for me, coffee, and life conversations throughout the summer. When I think about the women who had the most influence on me, I can say that each of them just saw the importance to carve out time outside of work and get to the center of who I am, so they could understand where I want to go.
What were your favorite parts of the role and why? 
I’m a full-time introvert, but I loved talking to people on the phone. There’s something so sweet about calling someone to get to know them for a moment, and then getting to offer them a GOOD thing. We got to help people this summer, and that was tangible.
What was your morning routine? 
I’m up at 6:15am, (maybe I’ll hit snooze if I need a little more time, usually on a Monday), I hop in the shower for the sake of resetting the curls on my head, and I’m back in comfy clothes by 6:45am. I grab my Bible, my journal, and/or the book I’m reading (right now it’s the Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning) and head downstairs. I make coffee, oatmeal with vanilla almond butter and banana slices, and I settle into the small couch and get comfy. I keep all the lights off, and just let the morning light come in through the windows; I like the feeling of the world waking up with me. I read or journal until about 7:45am, and by this time the rest of the house is up and going. I wash my dishes and head upstairs to finish getting ready. By 8:10am, my make-up is on, I’ve changed outfits three times, but I’m ready to go. I head back downstairs, grab an apple for a snack, and I’m out the door. The drive to work lasts about one song, so I always pick something to set my mood for the day. Lately, it’s been Bleachers or Johnneyswim.
What was the most shocking thing that happened during your internship? 
My roommate got engaged! Her now fiancé let us all in on the plan and we had to keep it a secret for a WEEK. Can you imagine? Seven of the women who are living AND working together, having to keep a secret from the eighth. It was definitely worth it, because Shelby was totally surprised and so very happy.
What did your evening look like after work? 
We all clocked out around 6pm, and went home to make dinner. Our kitchen size is comical, and our lack of fridge storage was ridiculous, but somehow we always made it work! We watched a lot of movies together, took walks on the Katy Trail, and consumed endless cups of coffee.
What were the coolest perks of this internship? 
The never-ending supply of Nutella!! No, but really, the company somehow got us a small castle of a house in the middle of Uptown Dallas that is a four-minute drive from the office. We lived and worked and played together all summer and truly found community within the Fellowship Class. They built a team with us, and I am so thankful for that.
What is the most important thing that you learned in this position? 
Sometimes you aren’t going to hit your goals, and that can feel like a failure. But if you always strive to work with excellence, then you’re not failing at all.
Would you work for this company if they offered you a position? 
I know people talk a lot about company culture right now, but if they offered me a position, I would take it for the culture. I have been in internships before where I loved my day job, but I felt isolated in the company, and I could not bring myself to work there. The people around you matter and the people there are some of the best that I have met.