It was an honor to be part of the Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program. I was one of nearly 300 students chosen to be an intern for a professional business that would show me the office environment and give me skills that will advance me in the future. Through being an intern, one makes connections with business men and women and so they can be used as future references. These references can then cause that past intern to get the career of their dreams by the positive feedback that was said of them.
As part of this program I learned about the career of a recruiter as well as the variety of careers and jobs within the insurance field. Recruiters contact other business men and women and help them to get new jobs, better jobs and better opportunities, which will improve their future and their families’. Sitting down with recruiters and listening to their conversations with professionals, helping them get better jobs, was my favorite part of this internship with Questpro. Here at Questpro everyone is very kind and friendly, including my supervisor, Jade. I always felt comfortable, welcome and excited to come to work. I would enjoy working as a recruiter because I love talking to other people especially when I might help that person positively and long-term.
Advice I would give to future interns would be to be yourself and have confidence in speaking up and interacting with the people you work with. It is good to get out of your comfort zone. Various colleges, jobs and careers are attracted by the name “intern” on resumes. This shows that you are focused and have a bright plan for your future. Future interns should be dedicated and focused on their jobs, to succeed in the workplace. A good team member looks after their company and does their job with accuracy. To be more professional at work, an intern can do the little things that can brighten up someone’s day, like saying good morning and thank you, genuinely caring about your coworkers’ well-being. Lastly, never being nosy in someone else’s gossip. Professionalism says a lot about someone, especially in an office environment. Professionalism is expected out of every intern. When communicating with others, including coworkers, it is best to be clear, loud and professional with good vocabulary. Listen to questions being asked and get questions ready to ask in return. Think positive and speak positive.
Through the Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program, I was able to get paid over minimum wage and give my mom money to pay any bills that she had to pay. This helped our household financially and my mom didn’t have to hold as much stress on her back. Not only did I help my mom but also saved half of my checks for the past weeks, so I can save up for my senior expenses and pay them off with no worries.
When I informed my mom about the email from getting accepted as an intern at Questpro, she was very proud of me and told me that she knew I would do great things in life. I had made my mom proud for being a soon to be intern at a professional business, instead of working at a fast food restaurant and getting paid the most minimal. This internship was a head start for me to other future internships and maybe even a career I may pursue.
Internships affect a person in the most positive way. Students are just beginning to start their new jobs in high school, for example a fast food restaurant or a clothing store. These jobs may not affect you in the best way but internships do. Internships offer hands-on experiences, which give you a boost for future career goals. They are a preparation for someone who is just beginning to work in the real world. Internships allow interns to be noticed by their hard work.
The Mayor’s Internship Fellows Program allowed me to help my community. Through this program, interns were required to complete 3 hours of community service. I volunteered at the North Texas Food Bank, where I helped with the process to feed thousands of families a day. As I was volunteering, the thought of helping others was what kept me going and had me working harder. Overall, I gained experience in both working in an office and communicating with others. I learned about the importance of insurance, the little things that it is made up of, and the career of a recruiter. Most importantly, I was able to give back to my community by volunteering. By being an Intern at Questpro, I learned that if I give back to my company, then my company will give back to me. Surrounding myself with the kindest people that believed in me made me gain self-confidence. These 8 weeks at Questpro, has allowed me to gain professional experience in an office environment and get to know amazing, kind-hearted people. It was such an honor to have been a 2017 summer intern for Questpro.
