Today I am profiling senior Communication Studies major Natalie Baryla. Natalie is currently interning at Yammer (love that name!). Here we go…
Q: What is “Yammer” and what do they do?
Natalie: “Yammer is an enterprise social network, which has revolutionized corporate internal communications. It is basically like a company’s private internal Facebook where they can communicate, share files, and any other thing that email has ever done for a business, all in one simple place.”
Q: How did you find the internship?
Natalie: “I found the internship through the USF career page where internships and other forms of employment are listed.”
Q: Why did you choose to intern there?
Natalie: “I chose to intern at Yammer because it seemed like a completely new thing for me. I wanted a change and I found the ad and did some research on the company. What I found was super amazing and I’ve been pretty happy ever since.”
Q: What do you do on a regular basis at your internship?
Natalie: “One of the main things I do is monitor our fastest growing networks for the sales team. I also monitor Yammer’s coverage in the press and update our website with new stories. Those are the things that stay pretty static throughout the workweek, but there is always a new project to work on, which never leaves me bored.”
Q: What have you learned from your internship?
Natalie: “I have learned a lot of stuff from working at Yammer. The startup world for one is a completely different place than the college world, and I love it. I have learned how to use and master certain programs or software from salesforce.com, to marketo, to even things like Excel and Typepad. Most importantly I think that I have learned how to be a problem solver and quick thinker, which has prepared me greatly for entering the workforce next year.”
Q: What advice do you have for other students looking for an internship?
Natalie: “Look for new businesses, like startups. They are amazingly fun, and even if you don’t like it, it’s still an awesome experience. Use our career center, they are AMAZING! They helped me get my resume into amazing shape, and without their website I wouldn’t have gotten my internship. Don’t waste your time looking for work on craigslist, it won’t pan out, and if it does it’s probably a scam. And never be shy to ask a professor, they may know someone in need of an intern.”
I would like to second Natalie’s suggestion about using our Career Services Center. Many of our graduates have told me that they wished they had taken advantage of the Career Services Center when they were students. They can help you with all sorts of things, including resumes, cover letters, mock interviews, personal statements, and career assessment. You also have access to internship databases through the Career Services Center, as Natalie mentioned. You can find the Career Services Center in the University Center, 5th floor or at www.usfca.edu/career.
Natalie with her cat Traktor, which I think means "cute and furry" in Polish
I asked Natalie if I could profile her because I knew that she was really enjoying her work at Yammer. From what she has shared with me, it also sounds like a fun place to work. Congratulations to Natalie on her internship! Do you have an internship you really like? Contact me at edoohan@usfca.edu to be profiled in a future edition of Internship Ideas!
