My Empowering Internship Experience

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My Empowering Internship Experience       

I was very intimidated to go to Industrial Roundtable freshman year, but it was so worth it to put myself out of my comfort zone for that amazing professional experience.  During IR, I interviewed with ComEd, a utility company in northern Illinois, and I was thankful to receive the opportunity to intern with them last summer.
Going into my internship over the summer, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  ComEd started the program with a helpful orientation day where I learned more about the company and talked with other students in the internship program.  Learning about ComEd’s commitment to “powering lives” was truly an inspiring way to kick off the summer.  Throughout the summer, I had so many great experiences, and here’s what I learned from it all:

·       Take Initiative
o   There are so many professionals around you that are more than willing to help you understand more about what their job is.  Often, all you have to do is start the conversation!
·       Ask Questions
o   As a student, people will understand that you don’t know it all.  However, they can’t always help you unless you lead with questions about what you want to know.
·       Reach Out to Other Interns
o   When you’re not assigned to work with other interns, but they’re still in the same office area, you can organize opportunities to meet up with them and bond about the experiences you’re sharing.
·       Self-Assess
o   A summer internship is an important chance to see if this is the kind of company that you want to work for after graduation.  Make mental notes of job aspects that you enjoy and qualities that aren’t for you.

At the end of the summer, I had the chance to participate in a poster board session where I could talk about my work over the summer with ComEd employees.
Overall, when you see an opportunity, run with it.  Feed your inquisitive nature.  Develop your network.  Last but not least, discover what you’re really passionate about!


Have you had any empowering professional or academic experiences? Let us know by tagging #PurdueWIEP and #FlyWithWIEP on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

Want to know more about Purdue? Send us an email at Purdue.welink@gmail.com or reach out to us on one of our social media platforms!


- Brittany Allen
WE Link Leadership Team

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Purdue Women in Engineering

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