How a Summer Internship Changed My Career
Lessons and learnings from my Summer Internship From 2014
It's hard to believe, but it's been 10 years since my summer MBA internship at Salesforce in 2014. While I learned a ton during that experience, what stands out most is how I almost didn't make it there at all. (Here’s a photo of me on day 1))
My journey to Salesforce taught me the importance of networking, first impressions, betting on talent, and plain old luck. Mix those together, and you've got quite a story.
In April 2014, I was in a tough spot. I'd landed a brand management internship at a CPG company, but for reasons I won't get into, my offer was rescinded mid-April. ( A story for a different day)
Suddenly, I was back at square one, with summer just around the corner. For those unfamiliar with MBA programs, most students intern between their first and second years. I was nervous, embarrassed, and ashamed, but I had no choice but to restart my search.
I applied to every open role I could find, reached out to recruiters and hiring managers from previous interviews, and tapped into my network. Luckily, I managed to land a few interviews. Then I spotted a posting for another internship at Salesforce. I'd interviewed with them earlier and, while I didn't get an offer, I'd built a good relationship with the recruiter.
I reached out, and she quickly set up a phone interview with the hiring manager. It went great, and the next step was a series of interviews and a virtual presentation. But before that could happen, I received an offer from another company. The catch? It was an exploding offer with a 48-hour deadline.
I asked Salesforce if they could speed up their process, but they wanted to see it through. Salesforce was my top choice, but I couldn't risk going internship-less for the summer. I resigned myself to accepting the other offer and thanked the Salesforce recruiter for her help.
Then, 30 minutes before I was going to accept the other offer, the Salesforce recruiter called back. She'd convinced the hiring manager that I was a great fit and got him to waive the rest of the interview process provided I would accept the offer on the spot. I immediately accepted.
They say that football is a game of inches, and sometimes careers are the same way. Without some advocacy from the recruiter, and a hiring manager willing to take a chance on someone without doing a final round interview, my career could have gone very differently. As someone who is a big proponent of being purposeful and intentional about your career , this was one of those moments that taught me that there are always forces outside of your control that can impact you in ways that you won’t always see or can imagine, for better or for worse.
But how you respond in those moments can separate those who take advantage of those opportunities versus those who struggle and retreat. That was also a big moment for me in terms of my own thinking about how I manage my career. Up until that point, I probably would have told you that while relationships matter, you ultimately are in control of your own destiny.
However, I wouldn't have gotten that opportunity if the recruiter hadn't advocated for me or if the hiring manager wasn't willing to take a chance on a 25-year-old kid with no product marketing experience.
Your success is often correlated to the number of people who want you to succeed. In this case, I had two people in decision-making positions willing to advocate for me. Sometimes, decisions about your career are made in rooms you are not in. Being able to invest in good relationships increases your chances of those breaks going your way. In my case, I certainly had a bit of serendipity and luck on my side, but that only was remotely an opportunity because of the work I had put in to cultivate those relationships to begin with.
The internship itself was incredibly valuable. Here are a few key lessons that have shaped my career since:
Speaking Up: During the summer, I started off operating very much like an intern, and someone who had never been in the role that I was in. At first, I was reserved and deferential. During my mid-summer check-in, my manager told me the team wanted to hear more of my perspective. The expectation was, regardless of your background, if you are there in the room, then you should have a point of view, and if you have an point of view, you should share it, even if you are new or an intern, your perspective and ideas matter, so share them. This taught me two things. 1) You need to have a point of view, so whatever you need to do to develop that make sure to do it and 2) if the expectation is to share your ideas and thoughts, well you should come up with good ideas! This not only changed my approach to the rest of the summer, but has played a role in shaping my career since then ranging from the writing, speaking, podcasting that I today.
Honing Your Craft: Going into the summer, I thought I was a good public speaker and presenter. But after watching my teammates present, I realized that I had so much more work to do. Watching my teammates present in audiences made me realize that while I probably was a good presenter, there was so much more opportunity for me to improve and grow. It taught me the importance of honing your craft, just like a basketball player hones their jumpshot or a golfer sharpens their swing. The rest of the summer, I spent part of the time going to watch some of my teammates present live to study what they did and to ask them for feedback to see if I could pick up things that I could incorporate. When I got back to business school in the fall, a few of my classmates started to notice changes in my presentation skills (in a good way) - Now, as someone who constantly presents for a living, I still make time to hone my craft.
Learning From Others: I loved observing my talented teammates in action. Six people within 10 feet of my desk eventually became CMOs, and one became a CEO. Being around smart, talented people can be intimidating but is an invaluable source of learning.
Winning vs. Success: My Manager for the summer, Peter, was a great manager. Peter was a bit different in that he wasn’t the most outspoken person (a rarity for marketers) but when he did speak people listened. Before I left for the summer, one thing Peter shared a piece of advice that I think about to this day, which is to understand and know the difference between winning and success. Winning is something we all know is pretty defined. You win or you lose. It’s binary. But success, on the other head, is a bit more nebulous, a bit more undefined. In fact, if I were to ask you right now what success means you may or may not have an answer. Furthermore, what you determine as success is going to be different than what someone else might view as success. Winning is not bad, neither is success. It’s just important to know why you are optimizing for either of those.
After graduating and spending a few years in consulting, I found my way back to Salesforce for five years. That experience laid the foundation for my current role as an entrepreneur and business owner, where am constantly thinking about how I am optimizing around my version of success.
Looking back, that internship and the journey to get there had a huge influence on my career. It taught me the value of perseverance, networking, and seizing opportunities when they arise. Most importantly, it showed me that sometimes, a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work can open doors you never expected.
If you’re looking for some help for your learning and development, leadership development or professional development for this year, I’d love to work with you: Here is how I might be able to assist:
Team Trainings & Professional Development: Happy to facilitate training or professional development opportunity for your team & organization - common topics include: influence without authority, navigating change, hybrid working, and others.
Consulting & Advisory Work - Are you looking to improve the ways of working of your team or organization or looking for guidance on remote/hybrid work? Let’s chat about how we can work together
Leadership & Learning Programs: Formal training and leadership development in your company, such as new manager or new leader training, or skill-based programs.
Feel free to contact me directly for more details!
Have a great week!
Al
great article. really appreciated you bringing us along on your journey - the low's and the high's