Category: Student Perspective

This is the first in a series of posts by recipients of the 2018 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.

This entry is by Brittany Bing, COL ’19

This summer I had the opportunity of interning with the consulting startup Lynk Global in Hong Kong. Lynk defines itself as a global expert network which seeks to democratize access to knowledge. The company is just one of a small subset of companies called expert networks. Lynk’s mission is unique in that they are attempting to do what Google has done for information. They are trying to give people and companies easy access to reliable sources of knowledge from people with specific experience in different industries.

I worked on the Client Solutions team performing a sales-like role. We were the first point of contact for expert recruitment to act as independent consultants. For example, when a prospective client (typically a management consultant) approaches Lynk, they have a specific request to speak to someone from a specific country who is knowledgeable about some niche subject. That is where the job gets a little tough. Sometimes the turn around time is very quick – as fast as a single weekday. It is also difficult to navigate around time zone differences when the experts are recruited from places that are far away from Hong Kong.

There was one time where I was staffed on a project where I had to identify, recruit, and screen experts who were knowledgeable about mobile money payments in sub-Saharan Africa. All of the outreach that I had done earlier that day was made when they were sleeping. There was one particular expert who was very eager to become a consultant after I informed him about compensation options. Just as I was about to go to bed for the evening at midnight, I received a phone call from a number in Nigeria. I declined. Fifteen minutes later I received another call, and I remembered that I should probably onboard this man for the project. I answered the call from a man who I initially approached after finding his profile on LinkedIn. I informed him that it was midnight in Hong Kong and his immediate response is “okay, good. Anyway….” Perks of working at a global firm!

Indeed, I learned a lot about startup culture and what it’s like to be in sales. I appreciated having the full responsibility as someone who worked there full time. Contrary to other internships that I had in the past, the work that I did for Lynk was actually helping to contribute to the bottom line. I was cold calling and pitching within a week of starting there. I cannot emphasize enough the sheer amount of independence that interns were given there. I guess that’s what comes with the startup life. It was so refreshing to be treated just like every other employee instead of being designated as the local intern.

I also learned lots about the actual work of management consultants since they comprised most of the clients that I worked with. It gave me insight into different industries ranging from telecommunications to auto engineering since I was tasked with contacting them and learning about their specializations.  Lastly and most importantly, I made a number of friends along the way. I became close with different people from different backgrounds at Lynk. The relatively informal setting was conducive toward forging relationships that weren’t forced or under the hazy guise of professionalism. The atmosphere at Lynk was equal parts easy-going and productive.

This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.

This entry is by Justina Mcminn, COL ’19

My first day of summer was hectic. I was not sure what to expect. I was not sure what kind of internship to pursue this summer since I wasn’t sure on a major nor did I have a clear career path in mind. I came across Women’s Campaign International, a non-profit based in Philadelphia that empowers women in various countries around the world to create sustainable change within their communities and to actively participate in civil society, political decision making, and economic development and knew this was a great fit for me.

Within my first few weeks at Women’s Campaign International, I knew this was the field I want to be in. Although, I can’t say my career path is now clear as day and I know exactly what I want to major in or do but I was able to get a better idea of what I like, what I’m good at and what I am not.

The amount that I learned surpassed my expectations. I had the opportunity to work in WCI’s office made up of four amazing women. This gave me the opportunity to dive right in and do meaningful, directly beneficial work while working closely with everyone in the organization. Some topics that I covered and learned about during my summer were albinism, women’s rights, women’s empowerment, how to design newsletters and annual reports, data analysis, video editing, donor relations and so much more. I was also able to participate in various meetings with donors and potential partners. I was able to meet a woman from Liberia working on women’s rights in her hometown around a lake where men fish and women sell the product and women in Philadelphia working with immigrants, job employment and education. Every task I was assigned was given to me confidently with trust that the task could be successfully fulfilled, like an actual employee, not just an intern. While, none of these assignments were easy, I’m grateful for all the information I obtained, insight I was given and skills I gained.

Not only was it a pleasure to work with the women in the organization, it was a pleasure to meet and read about all the amazing women internationally taking charge of their own lives, setting the standard for the younger women and defying the cultural norms to empower themselves and women all over the world. Women are leaders, powerful ones, and I’m sure of that now more than ever. I will be continuing with WCI throughout the fall semester so I’m excited to see what else is in store.

This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.

This entry is by Andrea Barragan, COL ’19

Immediately after finals I headed towards the 2424 Studios excited to meet the team of Mil Mujeres (MM) Legal Services. As a Latina, I was excited to begin my work with the non-profit organization because I knew the projects were specifically relevant to Latinos and undocumented women. Mil Mujeres, although a new organization, has managed to guarantee humanitarian visas to 95% of its clients, clients who were victims of domestic abuse or violent crimes. The projects and experiences at Mil Mujeres were invaluable to me as a woman with an immigrant background, and also as an aspiring public servant. My relationships with the communities I worked with taught me about the various issues underrepresented communities face, inspiring me to change the focus of my professional efforts to economic empowerment.

Before creating these relationships, I had to relearn Spanish. I am fluent in Spanish and I was raised in a solely Spanish-speaking household, despite my background, Spanish in the workplace proved a great challenge. I have minimal formal education in the language and I was not familiar with many of the legal terms and the vocabulary required in a professional setting. The first three weeks at MM helped me develop and rely on effective communication skills with my supervisors. I knew I was working on important projects which were legally consequential to our clients and I could not allow myself to shy away from asking questions and clarifications. Due to that insecurity, I worked with a meticulous attention to detail and I was promptly comfortable and able to speak to our clients and talk about the visas at outreach sites.

As soon as I was comfortable in Spanish again, most of my work for MM entailed intake interviews and direct outreach at the Mexican Consulate. After research and familiarizing myself with the requirements for visas like DACA and U-visas, I interviewed potential clients that I had met at the Mexican Consulate. These interviews were an extraordinary experience because I was able to learn the stories and hardships of the hardworking immigrants who had earned their right to stay in this country and were seeking legal status in the US. The immigrants I spoke to were eager simply to be allowed to lawfully work while being protected under the labor laws of the US. The cases I found especially rewarding were the ones for DACA recipients. One student in particular rushed into our offices and explained to us that he was waiting on his temporary social security to apply to Temple University and try out for the school’s football team. Even when he knew that DACA was in peril under Trump’s presidency and he could become vulnerable, he was thankful for the opportunity to pursue a brighter future. Presently, I am interning for the League of United Latin American Citizens and I will continue to work on immigration policy to push forward an agenda that represents undocumented Latinos who deserve an opportunity at lawful employment and higher education.