Category Archives: Internship Spotlights

Internship Spotlight: Courtney Brindle – BHP Senior

Date
Posted by
Comments0

Courtney Brindle spent her summer interning with PepsiCo in the Frito-Lay Supply Chain division. She ended up having an opportunity to learn more about the tie between corporate strategy and social responsibility through her involvement with Food for Good. Find out more about Courtney’s experience at PepsiCo and what she learned during her internship.

Company: PepsiCo

Title: Supply Chain Intern

 

 

What steps did you take to secure your internship?

I spoke with people I knew who worked there to get a feel for the company and the process. I then met recruiters at the Career Expo and talked with them for a while. I left my resume with them after the conversation, they called me in for an interview, and the rest is history.

What were the responsibilities for this role?

Although Frito-Lay Supply Chain hired me, I worked mostly with a social business group that is part of PepsiCo called Food for Good. As part of this team, I had many responsibilities including routing trucks, keeping track of data, building models, designing processes and researching, and recommending directions for the group. I did work a few weeks in FLNA Supply Chain, and there I did mostly data analysis to find streamlining opportunities to increase efficiency.

Describe the culture within the organization.

The people at PepsiCo are truly one of its best assets. Everyone is not only very competent, but also friendly and helpful. Family is very important at PepsiCo, as is work-life balance. But at the end of the day, everyone knows that if something needs to be done at work, your team will stay until it is finished. That’s how they stay at the top!

What was most surprising or unexpected during your experience?

I was surprised at the ease with which I could interact with senior leadership. They were open to one-on-ones and I heard from many of them throughout the summer.

What advice would you offer your peers in the Honors Program about getting the most out of an internship?

If you ever feel “bored,” find something you can do of value. Ask your manager or your team for a project – the more you take on, the more you learn. Also take the time to talk to the other interns and people in the company.

How did you find your classes in the Business Honors Program to be applicable during your internship?

The BHP has been useful because the students and professors in each class have challenged me. The students in BHP make you think both quickly and outside the box, and the discussion in classes has made public speaking become second nature. I didn’t know just how much BHP pushed me until this summer. I was able to handle important work, take on a large amount of responsibility, gain trust, and give presentations to executives with confidence.

How did PepsiCo ensure you got the most out of your internship experience?

I was lucky in that I was able to see different aspects of a business. I was able to see a small, start-up kind of business with Food for Good, and everything that went along with that. I was also able to sit in on meetings, work with real data and drive real results for the larger organization of Frito-Lay.

What are the most valuable lessons you gained from this internship?

I have learned that two of the main keys to happiness in a career are the value you feel you add to the organization and the people with which you work.

 

 

 

Internship Spotlight: Michael Valdez – BHP Junior

Date
Posted by
Comments0
Internship Spotlight: Michael Valdez – BHP Junior

BHP junior, Michael Valdez, knew beginning his freshman year that he wanted to do an internship with Google. Starting the search for an internship early paid off when Michael was offered an intern position at the Google headquarters in Mount View, California. Michaels tells how his initial plans were to continue on to law school, but after a summer in Silicon Valley, life as a Googler may prove more persuasive.

Location: Mt. View, CA

Title: BOLD (Building Opportunities in Leadership Development) Intern

What steps did you take to secure your internship?

I started the summer after my freshman year. I participated in BOLD Immersion, where Google invites college freshmen to their headquarters to meet and greets to feel you out and get to know you. I applied for the BOLD Internship that following November. This specific internship has an expedited application process; there are no essays, but a lot of interviews. I knew exactly what team I wanted to be a part of so I made sure I did a lot of research and prepared for every interview.

What were the responsibilities for this role?

I worked with the Google Grants Team, which donates AdWords to non-profit organizations. My role was to use statistics to help the team out and look at the program as a whole. I used a lot of statistics, data analysis and Excel.

Describe the culture within the organization.

Unique. The biggest part was the transparency, being open and honest with both Google users and employees. We made a dedicated effort to allow employees to be open and give feedback. There wasn’t any sort of Ivory Tower feeling. My boss worked on the ground floor. I had access to my manager and my manager’s manager. I was able to meet and have lunch with the VP and SVP of my department. There are no closed-door offices; the people were welcoming and easy to talk to.

What was most surprising or unexpected thing you experienced?

It was better than college. I honestly didn’t think any job would be better than college. Google had a college vibe with free food and transportation. Employees even call the workplace “campus.”

What advice would you offer your peers in the Honors Program about getting the most out of an internship?

It’s most important to be assertive in meeting people when you get there. I would constantly try to set up lunch and coffee appointments with people within Google. Not just recruiters, but people in other departments too. Go out and just really enjoy your experience. Don’t just get to know the people in your area and pigeon-hole yourself. Silicon Valley is especially open to that type of culture.

How did you find classes in the Business Honors Program to be applicable during your internship?

A lot of things I was doing I realized — wow, I just took a final on this six weeks ago. I used a lot of things I learned in Statistics 371H such as regression analysis, data analysis. Really just math in general was useful. Professor Kumar was awesome. He did a good job of getting that material drilled into our heads and really making sure we were ready to take on these roles.

How did this organization ensure you got the most out of your internship experience?

Google pulled out all of the stops. You’re assigned to a mentor that has nothing to do with your job, just to help integrate you into the Google community and show you around. Then you have a manager that sets your objectives and helps you with what you need to do your job. I met with my manager day-to-day and discussed my OKR objectives and key results. Interns are also grouped into a BOLD Team, which sets up classes for you to go to weekly and listen to executive speakers. There were tons of events put on for BOLD interns.

How did this internship affect or influence your future career?

Right now my major is Management Information Systems (MIS) and my original plan was to continue on to law school. However, after my experience in the tech world I now realizeI’m not going to law school. I feel really good about my tech skills, like coding. Google is really good about getting you comfortable around technology and keeping you confident in knowing what you’re doing. I really like the tech world and I really like Silicon Valley. I hope to go back next summer.

What are the most valuable lessons you gained from this internship?

Communication is probably the best means of advancing yourself in your internship no matter what you’re doing. Communicating with your team about what you’re doing and being collaborative is the key to success. Being able to create well-written emails is so important to an internship or really any job. It’s not about your area of expertise, but how well you’re able to communicate those findings.

Internship Spotlight: Lisa Kao – BHP Junior

Date
Posted by
Comments0

Company: Northern Trust

Position: Hedge Fund Services Intern

When Lisa Kao started her internship with Nothern Trust, she never imagined how drastically work experience would change her career aspirations. Discover how Lisa found a laid-back, friendly community in a large, conservative organization.

 

What steps did you take to secure your internship?

I found out about this internship at the McCombs Spring 2013 Career Expo. After getting to know the recruiter a little better, I decided to apply for the job through OCR. There were two rounds of interviews. A few weeks after my second interview, I received a phone call notifying me I had secured an internship position with Northern Trust.

What were the responsibilities for this role?

Within the Hedge Fund Services (HFS) division, I worked specifically on the Cash & Collateral Management team. My daily responsibilities included: providing quality control on overnight batches for OTC margin monitors, issuing and responding to clients’ OTC margin calls, and creating productivity tools for increased client coverage and efficiency. I also had the opportunity to help lead college information sessions for underprivileged children in the Chicago area on behalf of Northern Trust.

Describe the culture within the organization.

My experience with Northern Trust might have been a little different from the other interns’. Northern Trust itself has a conservative culture; it is a bank with over 120 years of history. However, the division I worked under, HFS had a relaxed, fun culture. Many employees were only a few years out of college and were very relatable to college interns. The relationship I had with my manager was easy-going and friendly, although still professional. HFS encouraged its employees to get to know each other on a personal level and hosted several networking and social events throughout the summer. Dress code in the HFS division was not quite as strict either; instead of suits on a daily basis, employees could wear jeans and Sperry’s. I truly enjoyed my time as an intern in HFS and am grateful I was placed in that division!

What was the most surprising or unexpected during your experience?

Coming into this internship, I thought most of my learning would be done through the work I was assigned. However, I learned the most about my career interests and about myself as an individual through talking to the people around me. The principles I thought I valued in my future career are no longer the same. It is both exciting and scary to realize that there is no “right” career path for me to follow anymore.

What advice would you offer your peers in the Honors Program about getting the most out of an internship?

I would say the most important thing is to truly get to know the people you work with. Every employee and intern comes from a different background, and you can learn something from each person whether or not you may think so on first impression. Make sure you ask many questions and take advantage of the resources around you. Another important piece of advice is to enter your internship open-minded. You should never go into your internship thinking you MUST like/dislike your experience there. Your internship is your opportunity to grow and discover your interests. It’s okay if the internship does not end up being how you expected it to be, good or bad. In the end, it is always a wonderful learning experience!

How did you find your classes in the Business Honors Program at the university to be applicable during your internship?

Definitely. I personally find it a little exciting whenever I’m given a task at work that requires me to apply skills and knowledge I’ve previously learned in class. Honestly, working helps you learn the concepts you learn in class on a much deeper, more thorough level. A concept you may not have understood in your accounting class can suddenly make sense once you are given a real-life financial statement to analyze.

How did this organization ensure you got the most out of your internship experience?

Northern Trust has a very well developed, well-structured internship program. A highlight of the program is the weekly “Lunch & Learn” session. During these sessions, executives from different divisions throughout the company would come speak to the interns about his/her career background and current responsibilities. Everyone in the company, even high-level executives, were generally very willing to make time to meet with interns and offer advice to those who reached out. In addition, Northern Trust hosted several service and social outings for the intern class.

What are the most valuable lessons you gained from this internship?

Although this was a finance internship, the most valuable lesson I gained from this internship was not finance related at all. Being a student in the business school, I think it can be very difficult to block out all of the artificial expectations society sets for you and to truly ask yourself what you value in a career. This summer, I met so many people who have completely changed their careers to pursue their passions and have become happier people because of their decisions. You will be successful in your career as long as you are doing something you are truly passionate about. I am grateful to realize and understand the importance of this now rather than later.

Internship Spotlight: Jasmine Bell, Finance Intern for Circuit of the Americas

Date
Posted by
Comments0

The 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix (USGP), held in Austin last month, was one of the most highly anticipated and talked about events in the recent future. The race marked the return of F1 to the United States, and it attracted an international crowd larger than that of the Superbowl. Jasmine Bell, a BHP senior, had the chance to see what goes into putting on a sporting event of this magnitude through an internship with Circuit of the Americas.

What was the internship?

It was an accounting internship in the Finance Department for Circuit of the Americas (COTA). I started in July and will continue working with them through the end of the spring semester. For the F1 race, I mainly worked with contracts that had to do with marketing the race. I kept a running tab of more than 200 contracts, and also handled some payments and invoices. For the spring semester, we will be working on Grand-Am in March, MotoGP in April, and possibly V8 Supercars in May, as well as concerts and other events. My responsibilities will vary by event and will be specific to the needs of that event.

How did you find out about the internship and was the hiring process competitive?

While studing abroad in Hong Kong, an HR recruiter reached out to my supply chain professor about the position. He let our class know about it and I applied from there. I interviewed when I returned to the states and got the internship. There were three student interns, and I was the only UT student intern. This was the first year they had interns because the company is young. I was the only one in the Finance Department. I want to work in sports down the line, so this reaffirmed my desire to be in something sports-related.

What role did you play the actual weekend of the race?

They approached me and asked if I wanted to work the weekend of the race and then assigned me to the command center. I headed out to the track Thursday at noon and worked late into the evening learning the process in the command center. I worked 12 hour days during Friday’s practice sessions and Saturday practice and qualifying sessions.  I was the main line/receptionist for the command center; I took calls about every two minutes, so it was pretty hectic, but still exciting. It was nice to experience the event from the back-end and meet people during the event from the other departments that I don’t usually work in the office.

What was it like in the office leading up to the race?

There was a lot of excitement and we had a countdown in the office for the race. Some of the people who had been involved for a long time in getting F1 in Austin were really excited, so it was neat to be part of that. It was also really great to be a part of a track that is the first ever custom made F1 track in America.  I liked how much UT was showcased. Mack Brown did a pep talk for employees before the race weekend, and the UT band, cheer, pom, and Hook ‘Em performed on Sunday right before the Championship race started.

Any interesting stories or lessons learned from the weekend?

I liked hearing stories from the attendees after the race and learning about the sport and dealing with people from all nationalities. There were some people who called so often that I knew by the end of the weekend their name, what suite they were calling from and generally what they were probably calling about.  I think we handled twice the load of a Superbowl crowd for transportation, with attendance on Sunday alone being 117,429. A lot of the calls received were from Americans relating to transportation issues and having to walk a lot, which we didn’t hear from foreigners;it was quite apparent Americans aren’t used to walking as much as people who live in other countries. I learned it really takes a lot of work from the back end of operations so the front end looks like it is running smoothly.

Internship Spotlight: Katie Saxman – Finance for Coastal Energy

Date
Posted by
Comments0

Katie Saxman, a BHP/Finance sophomore, was a finance intern at Coastal Energy this summer. Coastal Energy is an oil and gas exploration and production company with assets in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

How did you find out about your internship?

In the summer of 2011, I was a shadow at an investment bank.  This spring I sent my resume back to the bank and they shared my resume with some of their contacts. Coastal Energy then emailed me to set up an interview. 

What do you think set you apart from other candidates and led to you getting the position over other candidates?

Since there was not a formal recruiting process and I was the only new intern, I cannot speak for other candidates. However, I felt that I connected with all three Coastal employees I interviewed with. Furthermore, I think my involvement in McCombs and other UT activities mixed with my academics showed that I am hardworking and personable, not just focused on classes.  I believe my enthusiasm about the internship set me apart the most.

What were you doing for your internship?

My internship was in the Finance Department of Coastal Energy. A majority of my work was in the investor relations field.  This field always has new and exciting projects that kept me on my toes and made me feel that I was constantly learning and being challenged.  I was also given the opportunity to work with accountants and geoscientists, which fascinates me. Being from Houston, I understand how dependent our economy is on oil and natural gas, and I got the opportunity to learn so much about this field. It reaffirmed my choice to take the Energy Track for my Finance major. 

What did you enjoy most from the experience?

My favorite was projecting future costs based on analyzing data of the amount of money Coastal paid their contractors. This involved working with a variety of people and enabled Coastal to better predict their expenses.  As my first experience in the working world, I also liked experiencing what it was like working 40 hour work weeks. You can’t learn in a classroom some of the things you learn on the job. Commuting, relationships with coworkers, and time management at work were all new to me and added to the experience. 

What were the key takeaways for you?

My key takeaway was learning more about finance and energy. After completing my freshman year and choosing a second business major, I wanted to make sure I really loved the field. I got to experience my first job in the working world and actually apply what I had learned in school.

How do you think this internship will help you with your future career goals?

This internship helped me narrow down my choices in what I eventually want to do full time. It will help set me apart in the future because I will be able to talk about actual work experience and show my enthusiasm. I think showing a prospective employer that you are passionate about the job you are applying for can go a long way. I also appreciate my classes more and will try to take away as much as I can from my courses and professors.