Cybil Zhang, a BHP/Finance senior, interned at Chick-fil-A this summer, an experience which she considers “one of the greatest experiences of my life.” Chick-fil-A is a fast-food restaurant chain which specializes in chicken sandwiches and has over 1,600 locations in the US, including one on the UT Austin campus.
How did you find out about your internship?
I found out about the internship through OCR. Chick-fil-A contacted me awhile after for an interview.
What do you think set you apart from other candidates and led to you getting the position over other candidates?
Chick-fil-A strongly believes in “getting the right people on the bus,” and their interviewing process reflects that. From the very beginning, they asked me for my story and genuinely wanted to see if I was a good fit for the internship and vice versa. By conveying my story well, Chick-fil-A was able to see the fit.
What were you doing at your internship?
I was tracking the food miles for Chick-fil-A’s produce to guide a definition for local foods. In addition, I was working on an intern group project for speakerless drive-thrus that was presented to the executive team. Through the internship program, I had the opportunity to learn more about the company through “Lunch & Learns” with key Chick-fil-A staff members, participate in a “Vision & Values” tour of company history, and have dinner at the company president’s house.
What did you enjoy most from the experience?
I enjoyed the relationships I built throughout the internship. Through some conversations, I learned how to better navigate the business world and gained clarity in my professional goals. Through others, I discovered how complex, convoluted, and challenging supply chain and the produce industry are. And through all of these personal conversations, I am becoming more cognizant of my strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in life.
What were the key takeaways for you?
You cannot build a great company unless you first build up people at every level. Make the personal and professional investment, celebrate together, and grieve together. Do what is right, always; the small decisions create habits that shape big decisions. Pursue excellence rather than success. Seek honest and wise friends who will reveal your blind spots with truth and grace. Approach everyone as if they have an interesting story; it keeps you humble, and you never know what you will learn. Look two-levels up. That person has already successfully maneuvered through the position you want and can offer advice with clarity.
How do you think this internship will help you with your future career goals?
This internship has helped me clarify what I look for in a company and career. I have an expansive network of bright and diverse individuals from this experience who I know will do everything in their power to help me in my career. Chick-fil-A also paid me to talk with a professional for almost two hours about how to leverage my strengths in the workforce.