Nothing signals the end of summer quite like interns leaving the office and returning to campus. At Shamrock, it’s going to be a much quieter and, admittedly, a less-hip workplace without Emily and Leah around.
We’re going to miss these bright, young executives-to-be as they head back to school. So, to give them a proper sendoff, we organized a farewell luncheon and had some fun with a few exit-interview questions.
Here are their unedited takeaways from their Summer at Shamrock.
You were able to work in various departments throughout your internship—which was the most fun or enjoyable?
- Of course, the Sales Department was the most enjoyable department to work with. Though I may be biased, I loved working with this team!
- I really enjoyed working with Ellen in Area C. I found it interesting to learn about the process of helping a business rebuild their brand – from the design of the new logo to planning out how the new website would flow. I also had a fun time visiting UTSS with Ellen and Tracey and learning about customer experience and customer intimacy.
What was the greatest life/business lesson learned from your internship experience?
- The greatest life lesson I learned was to always stay curious. Continuously ask questions, and don’t be afraid to bring new ideas to the table. Regarding the business side, I came into this internship as a fashion merchandising/ marketing major with zero experience in sales. John and Desiree taught me so much about CRM and how to operate different digital programs. I never thought that I would want to go into sales, but after this experience, I am rethinking my career path and where I want to end up.
- I got a lot out of the “40 Ways to Create Awesomeness” program. When I was visiting UTSS, the company employees went around in a circle, chose one of these 40, and explained what it meant. I found this inspiring because these are all qualities, programs, or words that I want to describe how I go about my life inside and outside of work.
- Be Present – time flies by in this fast-paced world. Especially during summer, I don’t even know where the time went! So, a lesson I learned naturally at Shamrock is to enjoy the present and not worry too much about what’s next. To put 100% effort into what you are doing now and enjoy the moment. Things come to an end faster than we expect, so make the most of the time you have and walk away from things better than how you found them.
What was the most surprising thing you discovered about working at a marketing/communications company?
- I was surprised to learn how many different sectors of the business there are and understand the process from an initial touchpoint to the end result.
- Some of the things I am learning in school are used in the real work world.
If you could pick your job at Shamrock, what role would you choose?
- I would most likely choose a marketing role; marketing allows more movement and creativity than some of the other roles.
- I would choose to work in Area C or be the CEO – either works for me! 😊
Which skills have you improved based on the work you’ve done this summer?
- Improving my Excel skills (yes, I am terrible with Excel), and then learning CRM and gaining those skills.
- I think my communication skills have grown a lot – I think I did a good job of reaching out to people in the company to see if they needed help with anything. I also think my time management skills have grown, and I did a good job of prioritizing specific jobs over others and getting everything that was needed to be done in good time.
What was the most monotonous intern task you had to manage? (Be honest!)
- Watching HubSpot academy videos.
- Filing papers for Caryn.
If we videotaped your entire internship experience, which moments would make the blooper reel?
- The bloopers would include people coming up behind me while I had my earbuds in and making me jump—it happened daily.
Sum up your summer internship in three words.
- Enlightening. Fun. Welcoming.
- Engaging. Accepting. Balanced.
If you could put music to your summer internship experience, what song (+ artist) would be your soundtrack?
- Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac. There is no rhyme or reason for this song other than the fact that I listened to it almost every day while working at Shamrock.
- Dreams and Gasoline by Rob Baird. Take a minute and watch the video here.
If you could write a book about being an intern, what would you title it?
- Leads>
- How to be Open and be Yourself at Your Summer Internship
If you had to give advice to next year’s incoming interns, what would you tell them?
- My advice to incoming interns would be to stay curious and take the initiative. Over the summer, try to find new ways to make the most out of the experience, whether watching HubSpot videos or running prospecting campaigns. Overall, it is essential to retain what you learn here and apply it to your schoolwork/career.
- I would give incoming interns some advice to be open and direct with how they are feeling and thinking. If you can communicate with other employees about the good and bad, you will get that much more out of your experience, and everyone will be on the same page. Make sure to ask questions (no question is a bad question!). You don’t want to walk away from something confused or not clear. Lastly, make the effort to create relationships with your co-workers. Work is more enjoyable when you have a friend by your side.
While we’re sad to see them go, we’re happy to have shared the summer internship experience with Emily and Leah. Seeing our workplace through their eyes is invaluable. Their feedback gives us all some perspective about the good stuff—and how we might learn to look at things from a different vantage point, being mindful to pause, appreciate, and enjoy our everyday work.
Thank you, ladies. Good luck this year—we hope it’s your best yet!
