By: Sean Nasi, DePaul University digital cinema major ’15
DePaul Diaries is a day-in-the-life blog series written by DePaul students. The series unveils DePaulians’ experiences as interns in their field of choice. Students share their honest thoughts about their experiences, what they learned as an intern and advice for students who are interested in the same field.
After a successful summer as a marketing intern with Textura Corporation, Liz Cooney, DePaul marketing major, was offered a full-time position at the company after her graduation this past fall. Liz really enjoyed the casual, friendly, but hardworking company culture and established a strong network of connections amongst her superiors, fellow interns, and staff members in different departments.
“This internship experience really was unlike any other I’ve had previously,” Liz said. “They worked extremely hard to make the summer a beneficial and positive experience for all the interns. I worked on real projects that were implemented by the company, and I was given the same level of respect as any other employee.”
Liz came into the experience with a set goal in mind. “As this was my third internship experience, I had already gained the fundamental skills of working in an office,” she explained. “So I went into the experience really wanting to increase my marketing skills and cross-functional knowledge of the business world.”
Like anyone first starting a job, Liz was nervous when she first arrived at Textura. However, having the opportunity to complete so many interesting and challenging projects increased her confidence, skills, and knowledge in marketing and other aspects of business operations.
Liz, who also worked as a marketing intern with the DePaul Career Center, found the opportunity with Textura on DePaul’s job and internship platform, now called Handshake.
“Take advantage of all the opportunities you’re given. Reach out to employees and make connections, ask questions and ask to be involved in other projects that interest you,” Liz advises prospective interns.
“Being an intern is about learning, and you want to absorb as much information as you can while you’re there,” Liz said.
Liz certainly took advantage of her experience at both the Career Center and Textura Corporation, and she used both opportunities to launch herself into the next step of her career.
Want to learn about DePaul’s University Internship Program? Check it out, here, or send inquiries to UIP@depaul.edu. Need help finding an internship? Visit depaul.joinhandshake.com, or come into DePaul’s Career Center to meet with an advisor.