Connecting the Dots

Robin MacKellar

Robin MacKellar '19, Sprint

Major:

International business & management

Internship title:

Business sales intern.

How I got this internship:

I got this internship by responding to a listing on a company website or search engine.

What I do, day to day:

On a daily basis, I spend a large amount of my time creating and updating reports for the channel managers who work directly with retail stores in the Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana region. I breakdown national data for the channel managers to provide them with information on which stores can improve and potential regional challenges to address. Additionally, I have worked on creating monthly contests and the reporting for them to motivate sales reps and increase sales within the stores. Then, in my spare time, I am working on a nationwide intern project with 12 other interns across the country to improve communication of marketing materials to retail stores.

Other internships:

I have had one internship experience prior to my internship this summer with Sprint. During the spring 2017 semester, I was a marketing/PR intern for TGI Greek Enterprise, which focuses on apparel for Greek Organizations. Being an intern for TGI Greek was a wonderful experience, as I got to design T-shirts for my sorority at Dickinson as well as for my sorority on a national scale. I learned a lot about marketing on a national scale and improved my social media skills. Additionally, I worked with other chapters both on Dickinson's campus and other campuses around the country to market their Greek organizations. I hope to have another internship or two in the future, including next summer. I am very passionate about marketing and hope to gain some more experience hopefully working out in California next summer.

Most valuable part of this experience:

The most valuable part of my internship experience has been using my skills and knowledge from my Dickinson education and applying that to a daily work environment. Along with being able to learn new things and skills outside of the classroom. I have had the opportunity to hear various Sprint executives speak on a variety of careers and offer advice. The knowledge that I have gained through this internship has allowed me to figure out some potential next steps in my career, which is priceless to me.

Advice for students considering internships:

Don't sell yourself short in the interview. Although I had experience as a marketing intern, the skills and experiences I had in the classroom at Dickinson are what got me my internship. Between my experience consulting in my Entrepreneurial Enterprise class, my knowledge of pivot tables from my Managerial Decision Making class and my understanding of marketing, especially Sprint's marketing, from my Marketing in a Global Context class, it wasn't a surprise when I got a call soon after my interview with an offer.

Post-Dickinson plans:

The current plan is to hopefully work in marketing—unsure if that would be consulting and starting my own business or working for a large company. However, I know marketing will somewhere be involved in my future. I also hope to spend some time abroad living in Europe. I'm particularly interested in living in Italy, since I'm an Italian minor. Additionally, I hope to pursue my MBA.

TAKE THE NEXT STEPS

Published September 18, 2017