The following represents a Q & A with My-Take’s Intern Analyst, Georgia Taylor. Georgia is a rising junior at The University of Massachusetts, Amherst majoring in Operations and Information Management with a secondary major in Art History and a minor in IT. In this Q & A we will discuss with Georgia her experience interning at My-Take.
What sparked your interest in interning at My-Take?
Taylor: I had been looking for opportunities in market research and data analytics and found My-Take. I developed an interest in online insight communities and thought it was an interesting way to conduct market research that focused on enhancing the customer experience (CX).
How did COVID-19 impact your internship? Did you have any initial thoughts going in?
Taylor: I was pretty nervous that my internship was going to get cancelled since I had friends who had gotten theirs canceled, but thankfully it didn't and I felt very lucky. In terms of impacting my internship, while I am sure being completely remote made it more difficult to communicate with people than under normal circumstances, it was still a great experience that was made easier by My-Take being very technology oriented.
What are your 3 biggest takeaways from interning at My-Take?
Taylor:
Prior to COVID-19, I was expecting to be in an office setting during this internship, and that environment was something I wanted experience in. However, despite being remote it has been a very enjoyable experience and I have learned a lot of skills that I didn’t expect to learn. It has taught me not to rely too much on my initial expectations.
This internship has given me first-hand experience in the market research industry and this perspective will help me decide if this is a path I want to continue to pursue in the future. Being able to see the ins and outs of working in market research has allowed me to evaluate my long-term career goals with confidence.
I have gained a lot more confidence in learning by doing, and that comes through gained experience. This position has put my skills to the test and has shown me what I am capable of.
Taylor: I was about to start a new project and I had emailed my team leads asking for tips while working on this more large-scale assignment. They advised me to create a timeline in which I broke down the large project pieces into smaller bits and asked for feedback intermittently. This was a very effective method that I hadn’t originally thought to apply in this environment.
Taylor: I have been working on a demo community to show prospects who are interested in seeing how the software works. With this project I have exercised some creative liberty in building the content and managing what the demo community looks like. This has allowed me to show my skills while working on a very fun and rewarding project.
Taylor: The biggest skill I have been working on is probably communication both externally and internally with colleagues. I have had to monitor community discussion posts and answer support tickets, as well as keep in constant contact with coworkers and talk on the phone, which was a more difficult task for me in the past.
Additionally, I have improved my graphic design skills while working on communities and newsletters.
Taylor: While I have nothing to compare this experience to since I have not worked in a business environment before, the culture is what seems most unique to me. The My-Take culture is great because there is a focus on collaboration and asking questions. Also, the amount of hands-on work I have been able to do has been surprising. I always have an opportunity to complete work that adds value.
Interested in interning at My-Take? Email hr@my-take.com