Ryan Price developed skills in public speaking and marketing to support the expansion of a healthcare practice.
How did you get your internship and why did you choose it?
I got my internship through networking a family member. I had been working with my advisor to know what needed to be done to complete my major and learned I needed to complete an internship. My uncle had previously done business with the company I am working for, so when I asked my uncle if he had any recommendations of where I should look for opportunities, he connected me with some amazing people. I applied to the internship and, since they had that previous relationship with my uncle, I was hired and it was the best decision of my life.
I chose this internship because of how extremely friendly the work environment was; my supervisor treated me with such respect. It was also very convenient for me because I didn’t have to relocate and go anywhere outside of Tucson. Being able to do this internship in a place that was familiar was great, and I knew it was the right place for me.
What new skills did you learn and develop in this internship?
Some new skills I have learned were public speaking and building connections with other businesses. This skill was very eye opening because I have never had experience working to expand a company before, so learning how to do this was a great challenge but I knew it would be valuable to learn to apply these marketing strategies to any other organization I work for after college. Another skill I would be able to transfer from this experience is being adaptable and willing to learn new tasks.
What is unique about your situation that influenced your internship experience?
What was unique about this internship was that I got to see Tucson from a new perspective. For the past three years I have really only seen Tucson as a place I go to school and hang out with friends. When I took this internship I had to go to different parts of the city that I had never been before. This experience let me see Tucson more broadly than just the University and see places most people who are from Tucson call home.
What is the impact of your internship experience?
The impact of this experience was teaching me to get out of my comfort zone by speaking to other people. This experience taught me to be disciplined with my time management by consistently having to be somewhere on time and completing tasks by specific due dates. I have also learned how to adapt better to new situations at the workplace. This experience has really helped me grow as a person and I think it will help me in the future with my career.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for their internship?
Some advice I would give is to make sure your internship will help you with your career further down the line. If you do something that you’re not passionate about, the quality of your work could suffer. Even if you don’t continue in the same industry or role that your internship is in, that's fine. You could gain a letter of recommendation, experience, or a better understanding of what you want to do.