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Interns meeting at a table with their supervisor — The start of a fulfilling career

The Internship Experience

I have had a variety of internship experiences throughout college. At my very first internship, I worked 20 hours every week, I was surrounded by a group of renowned researchers, and I learned how to refill massive coffee dispensers. In other words, I was not entirely happy with my experience. As a student and an intern, I discovered there is no point working in the same office as people well-versed in the field if there is no opportunity to learn from them. Fortunately, my internship experiences since then have improved substantially. I was able to work on projects that actually piqued my interest, and found people that challenged me to improve. Of all my internship opportunities, my time at Global Dimensions certainly takes the cake. I could not be more thrilled to work with such an incredible and welcoming team!

Exposure to Different Projects

Interns at Global Dimensions can expect great variety in the types of tasks they are assigned. It has been five full months since I came onboard, and it would take me a minute to recall all of the different projects I have worked on since. Firstly, I have created presentations. Secondly, I have learned the ins and outs of the Workable recruiting platform. Thirdly, I have conducted phone screens, and created a company survey. These are just to name a few of the things I have done or learned how to do while at Global D. The variety encourages me to keep producing my best work and learn something new every day.

For a past internship, I conducted monotonous data collection and data entry. It got old after a while… The urge to count down the hours until the end of the shift was a familiar occurrence. I am very happy to say that I have never felt that way while interning at Global D. I appreciate the constant possibility of new assignments and different kinds of projects from week-to-week. The variety encourages a certain level of enthusiasm that underscores the time spent clocked in. Not only that, the different responsibilities greatly enhance my professional development. And they instill transferable skills that are useful now and will continue to be in the long run.

Respect: A Rare Commodity in the Internship World

Another key part of the internship experience at Global D. is respect. This vital commodity is often, unfortunately, hard to come by in an internship environment. As team members who may be newer to the industry than their colleagues, many interns experience a certain level of condescension from superiors. It can be a bit disorienting because that attitude breeds discouragement, and can cause interns to question themselves and their abilities.

At Global D., it is absolutely the opposite. Everyone on the recruiting team has always excelled at making me feel like a valued member of the group. Even in individual meetings and conversation, there is never the sense of feeling like a less valuable contributor. Interns’ ideas and input are always appreciated and that appreciation is clearly expressed. In addition, it is not simply assumed that you know your contribution matters. Jeff, my supervisor, and the rest have always gone above and beyond to communicate the extent of their appreciation. It is a very unique feeling as an intern, and I am beyond grateful for it. Having a great work community and work relationships is essential to putting out one’s best work, and I look forward to meetings as opportunities to hear from everyone.

Keeping it Real When No One Else Does

The team at Global D. also promotes a culture of keeping it real: there is no need for beating around the bush, being indirect or unclear, or using unnecessary flowery language. That applies to interns too. There is no need to show-off or to try to win over anyone by stepping on anyone else’s toes. We are honest with each other about what we want, our thoughts, our needs, and our visions- and that cultivates strength. The culture of honesty has resulted in genuine bonds and strong regard for coworkers.

The company culture at Global D. is certainly unique in all the best ways possible, and interning with the Operations team is an amazing opportunity. Anyone who joins the internship team can expect to be surrounded by (virtually) a great group of professionals who are always rooting for everyone’s growth and development. I could not be more thrilled to intern here and learn so much from the work and from my colleagues, especially in my last year of college.

Internship experiences are cherished parts of the college experience. They are even more special when you actually have a fun time interning with people who have really taken the time to get to know you. I would highly recommend prospective interns to visit Global D.’s Careers page and monitor for internship postings on Handshake!

by Ayesha Khan

Interns meeting with their supervisor in a boardroom — Ready to Work

Internships: How to Choose?

Interns are often faced with a difficult decision. Every workplace describes itself as an exciting and dynamic place to work. The challenge in choosing a job or internship is in finding a place that isn’t lying. What does it mean to be exciting and dynamic? How do you tell if an employer’s work culture embodies these qualities? And what does working in an exciting and dynamic environment do for you?

Working at Global Dimensions

It was my first day of work at Global Dimensions. I participated in a zoom meeting where I was introduced to the Program Managers, or “PMs.” Even through the computer screen, I could feel the community, as people joked around with each other before the meeting began. After I was introduced to the team, the PMs eagerly returned to their regular schedule and set about their day with gusto. Thirty minutes after the end of the first meeting, I had a zoom meeting with the recruiting team. Everyone there was so happy to meet me. I thought they were going to try to sell me something.

While I had a lot of meetings in my first few weeks, in the six months I have been interning at Global Dimensions, I have worked on countless projects with just about every department in the company. Global Dimensions is a small enough company that they benefit from interns doing important work, but big enough that there is always something interesting and novel to do.

Internships and Company Branding

When every company brands itself the same way, it can be difficult to tell who is telling the truth and who is hiding behind a veil of corporate jargon. One of the best ways to evaluate a potential job is to meet the person offering the job. They are who you’ll be working for. So your job experience is going to be very dependent on their demeanor as a boss. Establishing the genuineness of the people also cements the credibility of the branding message and mission statement.

Joining the Team

At Global Dimensions, the final step in the application process, before I was hired, was an interview with the guy who would become boss. He immediately set the tone of the interview as a friendly conversation that was still respectful and professional. He was extremely open and honest about their hiring process, and he made himself very accessible.

Since that interview, the work environment at Global Dimensions has been cordial, competent, and considerate. My boss has continued to be genuine and approachable. The company makes it clear that they listen to and care about employee feedback, and everyone does their best to make sure everyone else’s voices are heard.

Getting the Most out of Your Internship Experience

Work is an experience. Like all experiences, the value of work comes from the journey. There are many ways to acquire money, but a job that feels fulfilling can make the other parts of your life better. If you are able to bring the happiness from your job to the rest of your life, you won’t just be improving your life, but the lives of everyone around you as well. There is also some evidence, as explained by Frontiers in Psychology (frontiersin.org), that dynamic workplaces lead to better relationships with your boss.

Conclusion

At Global Dimensions, there is always something exciting happening. People are happy to see you, and you are happy to see them. In effect, you feel listened to, respected, and valued. You are encouraged to offer your opinion and share your ideas. You genuinely feel part of a team. If you are interested in applying for an internship at Global Dimensions, you can find our job postings here on our website and here on Handshake.

by Ben Forest

Category: Uncategorized

An Internship Experience to Remember