Alden Willett gained expanded her network during her internship with consulting company, ATP Solutions.
How did you get this internship and what was the focus of the experience?
At first, I was looking for an internship in the fashion industry because working in that field has always been a dream of mine. However, I was having a hard time finding a fashion internship that I would be able to fit in with my school schedule. In the middle of trying to find an internship, I had a person in my network reach out to me telling me that someone within their company is looking for an intern. The company was a consultant company, ATP Solutions. I sent an email indicating I was interested in the work and wanted to learn more. I was offered to complete an interview via zoom, and a few weeks later I found out I got the job!
I decided to pursue the internship with ATP Solutions because I was curious to learn about a career in the business world. Even though it wasn’t in my preferred industry, the internship gave me opportunities to strengthen my problem-solving, collaboration, and verbal and written communication skills. These transferable skills will come along with me in any job I take on in the future, no matter what field or career I end up in.
My favorite part of my internship was how my site supervisor helped expand my network. My site supervisor was aware that I plan on entering the fashion or cosmetic industry after college and helped me get in contact with people in those fields. This was meaningful for me because it showed how much my site supervisor wanted to see me succeed. With his help, I now have multiple interviews lined up for cosmetic jobs after college in New York City. This internship has been the backbone in making my dreams come true. Although it wasn't the type of job I was looking for at first, I am so grateful for the experience I gained while working with ATP Solutions.
How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you for the internship experience?
The Applied Humanities internship classes - PAH 383 Pre-Internship: Building Career Readiness and PAH 493 Internship - helped me with my entire journey with ATP Solutions. With these classes, I created a resume I would then later use during my job application; gained confidence for the interview and felt prepared about how to talk about my transferable skills when answering questions; learned about what I value in the workplace and hope to see within a company I work for; and everything in-between.
Another class that gave me unique insight from the Applied Humanities major was the Senior Capstone course, PAH 498. In this class, we learned about emotional intelligence and how to use it to create better relationships in the workplace. I enjoyed using my knowledge of emotional intelligence to develop a collaborative relationship with those whom I worked with.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for an internship?
Don’t be discouraged if you cannot find or get an internship in the exact field you’re hoping for! Like I mentioned, I was looking for an internship in the fashion industry and ended up working for a consultant company. This ended up being exactly what I needed at the time. Any experience is going to help you grow and you will gain valuable knowledge about yourself as an employee and about the work environment.