Day 1 Takeaways: bring a notebook.
On orientation day of Indium Corporation's Not Your Average InternshipTM, a lot of information is thrown (in a kind and gentle manner) at you. It can seem overwhelming, but fear not! Everything is very straightforward, and everyone is very happy to help. Having a notebook to take down points on what applies to you and what you’ll need to remember will certainly help your case.
Day one dress stress is a real issue too – business casual seems safe, but it’s also a very wide spectrum. A safe bet, based on my experience, is slacks and a dress shirt. It’s always safer to err on the side of overdressed rather than under-dressed though!
The lunch provided was great, as was the opportunity to meet and mingle with not only our supervisors, but the CEO and president of Indium Corporation.
By the end of the day, the nerves I’d walked in with were largely calmed – Indium Corporation is clearly a welcoming environment and truly has a family feel.
Day 2 Takeaways: direction is given.
I like to know what is expected of me. Maybe that’s a result of being a college student used to syllabi and outlines, but it’s a fact regardless of the cause.
The second day served as an orientation to my specific department. I met the members of the Marketing Communications (Marcom) team who were present, and had meetings scheduled with a few of them for later that day. I was given a list of the main projects I’d be expected to complete which was a blessing – I’m a planner. The project list really helped because even though it was just my second day, I could already start thinking and planning ideas for projects that would be due much later on.
The meetings with all the different department members gave me an opportunity to see exactly where everyone fits in, and not only where I might help, but where I might learn more. A specific goal of mine is to learn more about SEO and the analytics behind marketing, and this is definitely an internship where I could get the opportunity to do so.
Day 3 Takeaways: Utica Greens are not vegetarian.
Now, I’m not vegetarian either, but I was surprised to learn that Utica Greens, the dish I’ve heard about for years but never tried, is not just greens.
Day three was a bit of an unusual one, as it fell right before a long weekend. It was also the last day for a coworker, so the Marcom team headed out for a farewell lunch. There, I met the members of the team I had not yet met, and I tried Utica Greens for the first time. While they are not exactly visually pleasing, they certainly taste a lot better than they look!
Following lunch, we were all able to clock out early, and head home to enjoy the long weekend.
After just half a week, I can already tell from the helping attitudes of HR and our own supervisors that Indium Corporation’s slogan of “Not Your Average Internship” isn’t just a marketing ploy – it is a true statement. We have help where we want it and freedom where we need it. I already know I’ll learn a lot here, and I hope I can contribute more as I learn more.
Chat soon,
Hannah Jo