By Katie Tychynska, Summer 2019 Pricing and Promotions Intern at U.S. Cellular
This summer, I got the opportunity to intern at U.S. Cellular in Chicago. I was a part of the Pricing & Promotions team within the marketing department of USCC. In addition to this, I just finished my last class online at DePaul and recently graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Finance. This summer has been busy, but so rewarding!
You have most likely heard of U.S. Cellular, as they are the 5th largest wireless carrier in the nation! As an intern on the Pricing & Promotions team, I play a crucial role in helping USCC create pricing and phone plan strategies to meet their business objectives (no coffee runs or filing here). A day in the life of a USCC intern is different every day but generally, it usually goes like this…
7:30AM
Rise and shine! I wake up and get ready for work. I walk and feed my puppy before grabbing a coffee and walking to the train. USCC has no shortage of coffee in the office but, since I’m not a morning person, I definitely need my dose right after I wake up.
8:00AM
I live in the South Loop of Chicago, so I typically take the blue line to work every day. It’s super convenient because the train drops me off right into the USCC parking lot!
9:00AM
I get to the office and take the elevator up to the 9th floor. My desk is at the south end of the building, with an amazing view of the Chicago skyline! The first thing I do in the morning is check my emails and schedule for the day. Something super cool about the cubes at USCC is that the barriers are actually dry erase boards, which are helpful for jotting down quick notes.
I prepare my to-do list for the day and get started with any projects I am working on. One of the projects I worked on this summer was creating a plan for a specific customer segment we want to target. The best thing about working at U.S. Cellular is that I get to be independent and a self-starter in working on my projects. I analyze data, do competitive research, and present my findings and strategy to the team.
11:00AM
I typically sit in on a few meetings in the morning and throughout the day. My leader is very receptive to letting me sit in on meetings I am interested in.
For example: I was interested in learning more about market research so my leader invited me to sit in on recurring meetings regarding a market research initiative she is working on. The wireless industry is very exciting and fast-paced and there is always more to learn!
12:00PM
For lunch, I typically will pack my own. Sometimes, I grab lunch from the cafeteria (which has so many great options) or Farmer’s Fridge (my favorite), which is a fresh vending machine full of delicious salads. I might catch up with some of the other interns or even take a walk around the campus to get some steps in.
3:00PM
I usually have some meetings to attend in the afternoon. I’ve also been able to attend a few workshops during my time here. One workshop I attended was about positioning within marketing and we got to go through different case studies and also brainstorm positioning ideas for U.S. Cellular.
5:00PM
I wrap up any emails or meeting invitations I have to send out and head out to catch my train.
The skills I have learned at U.S. Cellular are invaluable as I have interacted with so many experienced people from all different departments and learned from them. I encourage everyone to try to have at least one internship during their time at DePaul. It will really set you apart from others and lead you to a successful post-grad career.