Hi guys! My name’s Danielle. I’m a senior marketing and supply chain management major at Pitt and I will be graduating in Spring 2020. With that being said, my two years as a Big Idea Center intern are sadly coming to an end. As I get ready to say goodbye, I thought I would reflect on some of the best parts of my internship.
1. The Opportunities.When I first took on this position, I never realized how much of an impact it would have on my professional growth. During my first year as a BIC intern, I got to help with our BlueHack event we held in collaboration with IBM. As I worked alongside the IBM team at the event, I was able to expand my professional network and land a summer marketing internship with them! During my senior year, I was able continue my IBM internship remotely. But without the help of the Big Idea Center, I would have never had the series of fortunate events which led to my NYC summer internship with IBM on their innovation team. Even now it is still surreal for me that I got spend the whole summer in my dream city at a Fortune 500 company and that’s all thanks to the BIC.
2. The People
Never in my life have I been surrounded by more inspiring people than during my time at the Big Idea Center. Being around people who are passionate about changing the world also made me want to come up with a “big idea” of my very own! While I was working the BIC events, I also had the opportunity to learn from the entrepreneurs in residence and other industry professionals about various aspects of business, innovation, and entrepreneurship. They have shown me real-life applications of what I learned in the classroom and much more. Additionally, the Big Idea Center’s events have provided me with a huge networking opportunity with many Pittsburgh professionals. Lastly, the BIC team is full of some of the most kind and amazing individuals that I have met during my college experience and I feel so lucky that I had the opportunity to work with them.
3. Getting to see ideas come to life
Hands down one of the best parts of interning at the BIC was getting to see the ideas come to life! In standard internships, very rarely do you get to witness real innovation. But at the Big Idea Center, it’s just part of a normal day on the job. There is something really powerful and inspiring about being able to see a team go from brainstorming to perfecting a product pitch to winning money at a competition for their idea to becoming an actual startup! Getting to play an active part in those dynamic experiences was one of my favorite parts about working for the BIC.
Overall, when choosing an internship, there are a few things I would suggest considering. You should ask yourself questions like:
- What do I want to get out of my internship experience?
- What type of impact can I have here?
- What opportunities for growth exist?
- Does the team consist of people I can learn from and look up to?
For me, the BIC center offered everything I was looking for. I saw the ability to create an impact on Pitt’s campus and beyond, grow professionally and expand my network, and be around people I could learn from.
Looking back on my four years at college, it was full of new and exciting opportunities. On the other hand, it also was full of choices that I had to make (sometimes easy, sometimes not-so-easy) and challenges that I had to deal with. But every choice I have made has led me to where I am now and I am so grateful for that. With that being said, I’m glad that on one spring day during my sophomore year I made the choice to apply to be a BIC intern!