Amalie Meer

Describe some of the steps you took to obtain your internship.

I was referred by one of my close friends which helped me get a priority interview with the district operations manager. I made sure I was well informed on the product and the company before I went in. I was also ready to answer any questions that may be asked during the interview.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during the internship experience.

This internship is very unique because your responsibilities and duty’s change as you move up in the position. First you simply start out doing appointments for customers where you just show them the product, answer any questions they may have, and help them place orders. Next you can be promoted to key staff where you start leadership training to become an assistant manager. The special training called “The Leadership Academy” has been one of my favorite parts of the position so far. After training, you can start running your own interviews and hiring new representatives. The best part is that this is a paid internship and you can make money while gaining valuable skills.

What was a typical day like?

Since Vector works with a lot of students, the environment is very relaxed and flexible. You can make your days as involved or as uninvolved as you want to. That being said, all my days are very different since I work around my schedule. During the summer I would do around 6 presentations a day. I would drive to potential customer’s houses, and show them the product while I was back home in Orlando. When the school year starts, however, I come back to Tallahassee and utilize our virtual demo program where I can show anyone in the country the products online and over the phone. My schedule can get very tight but, since the job is so flexible, I can run interviews once a week and work in demos when I can. This being said, time management is a very important part of this position and something I have improved on immensely. I take comfort in knowing the job is as consistent as I am and I will always be in charge of the amount of money I want to make and skills I want to gain.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

I have learned many valuable skills that will help me with my future. My improved ability to speak with people and build rapport has enabled me to create many new quality relationships and connections. My leadership training has taken my ability to take control of a situation above and beyond what I ever thought was possible. The amount of skills and experience I’ve been able to add to my resume has helped me stand out above most other students and helped me obtain more job offers and positions than my peers. My time management skills have, by far, exceled due to this internship constantly pushing me to be the best I can be and make an impact with everything I do. Compared to fall of last year, I am able to keep up with all my work and commitments a lot better, even though I am doing more.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? How so?

Yes, originally I just was a music major not knowing what I was going to do with that, but still believing my passion for the arts would lead me somewhere. After I started this position it became very clear to me that the business world was something I could be successful at. I started taking business classes to get the minor and I love them. My goal right now is to save a significant amount of money by moving up in this company and then one day using it to start my own music school and teach private voice lessons.