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To celebrate National Intern Day, July 31st, we want to feature one of the hundreds of Mizzou students who are internsing this sumemr aroudn the U.S. Eva Beidle is a rising senior, majoring in Strategic Communciation with a minor in business. She is currently interning in Corporate Affairs at Nestlé Purina North America. here’s our interview with Eva:
How did you find your internship?
I found my internship through LinkedIn. I had been following Purina for a few years and kept an eye on their job postings.
What was your interview process like?
My interview process was pretty rigorous. I first had to do a 15-minute phone interview with HR. Once I got past the phone interview, I had to do a three-hour interview with the hiring team from my department. The interview consisted of three one-hour interviews each with a different team member. They asked me behavioral interview questions and prompted with more questions about my specific skills. After that, I was chosen for the position!
What’s surprised you most about your internship?
What’s been surprising about my internship is the vast amount of roles within the Corporate Affairs department and in Purina as a whole. There are so many jobs and departments doing such specialized work that is integral to the business. I’ve had the privilege of getting to work on projects with almost every team in my department.
What’s your favorite part of your internship?
My favorite part of my internship has been getting to work with the people in my department every day. I love coming in to work and participating in the office camaraderie with everyone. They’ve made me feel like I’m part of the team and not just an intern. I’ve also enjoyed being trusted with a lot of projects. I’m able to spearhead a lot of things on my own which has built my confidence and skills. I also love the dogs in our office!
What’s been your biggest challenge?
The most challenging part of my internship was adjusting to working full time and not having the free time I previously had during the summer. I haven’t been able to go out and do as many activities because I have to work, but once I adjusted, I found the routine to be easy.
What skills have you gained or enhanced whiel interning?
I’ve been able to develop my skills by taking on different projects that I don’t get exposure to at school. I now have the confidence to go outside of my comfort zones and try new things because I’ve been pushed to do that at my internship. I can write more confidently now, and I’m no longer afraid to take the lead on things and work with roles that I’m not familiar with.
What advice would you give to other Mizzou students?
I strongly recommend students to try and get a summer internship. Even if it’s part-time or just shadowing, it’s really valuable to see how an office works. There’s much to learn about collaboration, business functions, networking and more that you don’t get exposed to in classes. An internship is also great for meeting people and learning about new roles you may be interested in. Even if the company is big or they’re only taking one intern or you don’t have all the required skills, apply. You never know if you’ll be just what they’re looking for if you never apply.