You might be wondering, “How the heck do college sports relate to being an intern at a digital analytics consulting company at all?” Before you ask that, remember, I wasn’t just any old intern. I was an intern at InfoTrust … an ever-growing, always-evolving, and fast-pace company. There is and always will be room for growth and impact within this company.
So, how has being a former collegiate student athlete helped me succeed as an intern at InfoTrust? Well let’s list it out:
1. Respect
When I first interviewed with InfoTrust for a recruiting intern position, I told Lisa Wilms (Head of Talent Acquisition and my manager) that my favorite core value was respect. As an athlete, my college coaches have always taught us that it doesn’t matter whether you are the star player or you are the water girl, everyone deserves to be shown the same level of respect.
InfoTrust’s employees showcase this core value to a T. It didn’t matter if I was an intern or the owner of the company, people wanted to hear my opinion and ideas. Not only do they want to hear it, they respect it whether they agree with them or not.
2. Communication
As a collegiate student athlete, I had to be very communicative on and off the court. I had to be able to effectively communicate with teammates of all backgrounds and personalities. I had to also endure tough conversations with my coach or even a fellow player. All of that helped me succeed as an intern at InfoTrust, where we communicate daily with colleagues who come from different backgrounds, cultures, and geographic locations (Dubai, Canada, the Philippines, California, Florida, Ohio, etc.).
3. Balance
When I was a student athlete, I had to prioritize my time by keeping somewhat of a schedule throughout the week with school, my social life, and most importantly, basketball. As a former collegiate student athlete, I have learned a lot about balance in my life. I tried my best to make sure I made time for those I love and my education, whilst not letting my performance on the court slack.
InfoTrust encourages balance between our personal and professional life constantly. I am grateful to have a manager who encourages our team to not only take time off, but to be present with our friends/family during that time off and not respond to emails/slack messages.
Being involved in community outreach and events was always a focus for my coaches and teams. I am grateful to work for a company who allows and encourages us to be involved with helping the community through the InfoTrust Foundation as well, as a team.
4. Adaptability
As a basketball player, you are always expected to adapt—whether that be in a game or throughout your career. For me, that has always been a challenge. But as I grew as an athlete and person, I learned to adjust, adapt, and ultimately grow in so many different ways.
As an intern at InfoTrust, I knew with this being a fast-growing company, that being able to adapt was necessary as well. With so many extraordinary minds being put together and so many new ideas, there is a strong emphasis on innovation and growth within the company.
To wrap things up, these are just a few ways being a former collegiate student athlete has helped me succeed as an intern at InfoTrust. Now, I am lucky enough to have been hired full time as a recruitment coordinator where all of these skills and lessons will continue to come in handy.
Oh, and one last thing! If you are a college student, a recent college graduate, or well into your career and want to work for a company that encourages you to grow and have work-life balance (really), I highly suggest you take a look at our open roles here.
