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