If you had asked me one year ago how my first internship at MatchPoint was, I probably would have said it was not the most interesting. I say that because when I was there I didn’t do much or do anything that had a major impact. A lot of my work was entering information into databases and when I wasn’t doing that, I was listening in on phone calls or spending way too much time on Twitter. In theory, it was a great idea and a good way to introduce me to the business world, but not being full time (working another job and taking summer classes), my managers and coworkers didn’t know what to do with me. I didn’t spend enough time in the office to fully take advantage of my opportunity the first time. And while the lessons my first summer taught me, things like time management were invaluable, I realized that by the time it was over I had a lot more I wanted to learn and a lot more to prove. My first experience was the driving factor for why I wanted so badly to come back a second summer.
Coming back to MatchPoint this year was the learning experience I was looking for. This summer taught many new lessons in addition to ones that I had already learned but had forgotten along the way. Many of these old, but essential lessons were lost in the process of growing up and thinking I already knew everything. But this summer, many of these were presented to me in a different and more captivating way. The reason for these lessons reoccurring? The supportive attitudes and mentor roles my managers and coworkers took on to help me take advantage of my opportunity working with them. We all knew a lot more this summer about how to take advantage of my personal talents and skills in the office, so I was trusted to perform and I think I did; but with an asterisk, sort of like Barry Bonds’ Home Run Record.
Taking over the social media for MatchPoint was my main project this summer. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t satisfied with the results because they were lower than my original expectations. That being said, I took a lot out of the experience and most importantly, I benefitted from the lessons behind the content I was posting and doing research on. I learned about different aspects of the IT world, I was able to share my experiences from networking events and bring it back full circle to the little lessons we can all learn from an intern’s viewpoint. I was able to set a path and focus on the fundamentals and the foundation for the rest of my life and career. This failure* taught me the biggest lesson of the summer as I’m thinking back during my last few days in the office. It taught me that whatever task I take on, whether a test, a presentation for class, or writing a blog, win or lose, I need to be confident in my decision making and stick with my gut instinct. There is no success without failure!
My managers and coworkers have taught me about the day-to-day operations of a professional business. Something I wanted to experience as my student life is coming to a close, and while I begin the job hunt this fall. I had no idea what I was walking into when I first got to MatchPoint. I was picturing The Office at first but quickly realized my bosses were not anything like Michael Scott. Although an opportunity for good prank or laugh is rarely missed in the office, everyone at MatchPoint made sure to put business first. Throughout my two summers, I learned so much in and around the office and the lessons are still showing up in different places. The culture of MatchPoint something I enjoyed every day, and I hope to find a similar environment in my future employers.
My biggest takeaways:
- Surround yourself with a cast of supporters and people you can learn from every day.
- The smartest person in the room is the one saying the least.
- Confidence is key.
- The Office is a TV show and not what an actual office is like, but still, have some fun because it really can be boring sometimes.
- Network with the purpose of building a relationship, and never forget the relationships you build.
- You will never know everything, so be honest when you need help.
Over my two summers here there is a lot to be thankful for. I have built extremely strong relationships that I will hold onto forever. The first thank you goes to everyone I was introduced to during my time with MatchPoint. Whether a brief introduction or a long conversation, I met a lot of special people who put me before themselves to help me learn and teach me from their past experiences. Second, thank you to the whole MatchPoint family for taking me in and treating me like one of your own. The Cube Squad always had some interesting conversation topics and the air horn behind the office door prank was always fun to pull off! Our daily “Slight Edge” workouts that pushed me to do a longer plank than I thought possible was something I looked forward to and dreaded every day! We are not going to talk about the wall sits…
If you met me at a networking event, then you know I would have gone nowhere this summer if it wasn’t for Heather Termohlen. She always welcomed me to join her and her valued clients, which made me know she trusted me. Whether it was a personal issue or a work task, Heather always made herself available to teach me and become a smarter thinker and better listener in a business setting. I watched and listened to her interact with other people and every day I learned something new. Heather, thank you for taking the past two summers to teach and help me grow.
I started out with MatchPoint after being a golf caddie for six years. When I got here, I didn’t really know how I was going to like sitting in an office, and my mindset towards moving on to the business world after college was something I tried not even thinking about. Craig Weintraub and Joe O’Connell knew me from caddying and offered me the job my sophomore year at UA. While I initially just saw it as another resume booster, they saw it as a way to give me a sense of what was to come and help me figure out if this industry was the one I wanted to be in. This was the first lesson they taught me, I needed to use my connections more efficiently to prepare for the next step in my life. You both, and everyone at MatchPoint took a chance and sacrificed your time and resources to help mentor me for my future. The biggest thing I can take away from each of you is your individual mindsets and business intellect. I wanted to come back this summer to return the favor the best way I could, but I will never be able to thank you enough for this opportunity.
Craig, Joe, and Heather, the lessons you and the rest of the MatchPoint family have taught me will help me forever. Thank you for all of the opportunities you have presented to me and thank you for trusting me to represent the company you all have worked so hard to build.