Internship Spotlight: Vernon Chong

[EDITORS NOTE: From time to time amazing interviews or stories will land in our lap. Vernon Chong shared some great insight to common internship questions and we felt it was valuable enough to throw a guest blog post into the mix!]

What steps did you take to secure your internship?
I applied for the position through a job posting on AccessUT, and a talent coordinator from Adobe contacted soon after to set up a couple of phone interviews with her and the hiring manager.  The interviews were mostly conversational as they were already impressed by the educational background I had at McCombs.  I was offered the internship about a week later.

What are your responsibilities in this role?
To help my boss out with whatever she needs!  In all seriousness, a big priority of mine was insurance renewals, which involved working with the broker for favorable quotes.  I was responsible for preparing risk analyses and financial models that backed up the insurance application.  I also helped streamline the purchase order process Adobe used to buy financial assets such as insurance coverage.

Describe the culture within your organization.
There are several company-sponsored events a month, and many benefits and amenities are provided to keep employees happy.  Community involvement and volunteer work are also strongly encouraged, and many employees are more than happy to participate.  It’s very much a family-type atmosphere as employees socialize with each other often outside of the work space, whether at the gym, café, basketball courts, or even the break rooms.

What has been most surprising or unexpected during your experience?
How well Adobe treats its interns!  We get a lot of the same benefits that regular, full-time workers do, including wellness activity funding, travel and commute reimbursement, holiday pay, retirement savings plans, and Adobe product discounts.

What advice would you offer your peers about getting the most out of an internship?
Don’t be afraid of feedback.  It’s easy to feel victimized when someone is singling you out—the thing to remember is, your peers are there to help you, not fight you. Feedback doesn’t mean critique: it’s constructive insight meant to help you learn, grow, and be aware of your working style.

How have you found your classes in the MPA Program at the university to be applicable during your internship?
Yes, most definitely.  I think the most important thing I took from my classes was the business lingo and jargon.  Working in the Treasury department, you’re going to be in trouble if you don’t understand basic concepts such as debit and credits or prepaid assets and depreciation.  Thank you, ACC311.

How has your organization ensured you get the most out of your internship experience?
Adobe sets up several check-ins and performance reviews throughout the internship with your manager as well as HR coordinators.  They support your development through discussions, feedback, ideas and suggestions.  They want to get idea of how you’re feeling about your internship and help map out goals to get the experience you want.

How will this internship affect or influence your future career?
I’m definitely sold on the tech industry.  It’s rapidly growing and there are a lot of career opportunities out there even for business majors.  Companies in this platform are developing the products of the future, and I want to be involved in that sort of vision somewhere down the line, whether at Adobe or elsewhere.

What are the most valuable lessons you have gained from this internship?
Research shows that the most powerful sustained learning comes from on the job experience and application of learned knowledge.  I definitely believe that this is true after going through an internship. Learning through exposure to others is a key aspect of career growth, and I think that it’s important to plan ahead on how your development opportunities align with future business needs.

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