learn. earn. intern.

NEOintern.net is pleased to have Kathleen Paola provide a guest post about her internship at SEGMINT in Akron.

Summer 2010 has been a conglomerate of typical and out-of-the-ordinary. Typical in the sense that like every other summer, I’ve had multiple cookouts, spent hours hanging out with friends, and enjoyed weekends outside. This summer has been out-of-the-ordinary because I have had an internship with a startup company in Akron (Segmint Inc.) that has opened my eyes to a new industry and taught me skills that are un-teachable in the classroom setting.

Follow up:

When I signed up for an internship with a startup company, I was first and foremost looking forward to the working environment of a small company. I attend a large school (Purdue University), have interned for a large company (Disney College Program), and have interned for a small tour-operating company (London, England). I enjoyed the small business environment but little did I know what I was getting myself into! The variety of tasks I have completed is surprising—editing compliance documents, doing research on various subjects, creating and editing marketing materials that are given directly to Fortune 100 companies in the financial industry, and attending many types of internal and external meetings. I have been given real responsibilities and know that my thoughts and opinions are taken into consideration. I’ve learned more about interacting closely with my coworkers and the diversity of ethnicity, gender, and age. This summer I’ve moved on from figuring out what I can do—I’ve figured out what I like to do. In all, this internship experience in my own backyard has made me realize all that Northeast Ohio has to offer!

Kathleen is a student at Purdue University where her major is business management. She is from Massillon.