The Highs of Summer Internships
The Highs of Summer Internships
Featuring Sarah Holman and Sabrina Boral
By Madeline Collins
Summer is supposed to be a time for students to relax after a long school year, but for PSE members it's time to get some real world experience in the business world. Many of our members were interning at a multitude of companies, from West Monroe to Procter & Gamble, this past summer. In these roles, they were working on developing soft and hard skills that they can take with them in their future careers after graduation. 100% of our members are employed by graduation of their senior year and that is not possible without the learning experiences from summer internships. Follow along as we hear more from junior Sarah Holman and senior Sabrina Boral about their summer internship experience during this past summer.
Sarah was a Marketing Intern for Words Beats & Life, an arts non-profit organization, in Washington D.C. and Sabrina was a Financial Products Analytics & Sales Intern for Bloomberg, a privately held financial, software, data, and media company. Let’s get into it!
How did PSE help you land your internship?
Sarah: PSE helped me land my internship by preparing me for interviews and showcasing what I could bring to this position. I was able to talk about my previous experience with working with an arts organization throughout my new member project when I joined PSE. With this being a social media heavy position, it was nice having experience in this field already by running the PSE social media accounts through the Public Relations Committee. Other members of PSE were always willing to help with looking over my resume and going through last minute practice interview questions.
Sabrina: PSE helped me land my internship by providing me with soft skills and hard skills that were necessary to interview well and set myself apart from the competition.
What was the biggest learning outcome you took from your internship?
Sarah: The biggest learning outcome I took was the importance of stepping outside of your circle. I was intimidated by other people within the company because I was just a temporary college intern and these were popular artists with years of experience. At first there was a bit of resistance to reach out for help and advice in fear that no one would care about what I had to say. In reality, I was wrong as everyone genuinely wanted to build a connection with me and wanted me to have a good experience. If there is something you are interested in that is outside of your department you should connect with someone in that area. I scheduled so many one-on-one meetings this summer with people outside of my department and was able to work on so many more projects and build my skills in other areas I showed interest in that I may not have been able to if I didn’t reach out. Take a chance because you never know where it might lead you.
Sabrina: The biggest thing I learned from my internship is to never underestimate yourself in a new industry or environment. Never be afraid to try something new! In addition, I learned the importance of advocating for yourself, so your hard work does not go unnoticed. Be proud of the work that you put out and the skills that you learn along the way!
What advice would you give for people looking for internships next summer?
Sarah: Trust the process. It can be frustrating seeing your peers accept positions while you continue to get rejection emails. Keep applying because there is a position and a company out there that would be lucky to have you be a part of their team. Know your self worth and keep putting yourself out there and don't be scared to step outside of your comfort zone. You may find a passion you didn't know you had before.
Sabrina: My biggest piece of advice would be to network like CRAZY!! Especially at the companies you want to work for, and even companies you are unsure of!! You never know where opportunities may be. From building relationships with other people, you can get an opportunity you had no idea existed before.
