Summer 2020 Intern Reflections

As the summer comes to a close, we are wrapping up the first ever ChatterBoss remote internship program. Over the past seven weeks, our interns have worked on projects ranging from competitive research, to podcast recording, to graphic designing, and more. They have been immersed in what startup culture is like and have been active members of our virtual team. Here’s what our interns had to say about the internship experience: 

Alex Grebenyuk :

As the only intern outside of the US, the experience was all over the place. This, I was aware of and more than prepared for going into the internship. I was living in Switzerland which meant sometimes having some late meetings but also perks such as finishing up my lunch while everyone else was waking up to their early morning alarm. The chaos was amplified when I began my move to Amsterdam mid internship since I had to juggle apartment viewings and zoom calls. In the end, everything worked out due to the incredible team of interns as well as Valerie and Becca who were incredibly patient and helpful.

 My intern project was the podcast which I absolutely loved! It was challenging at first to prepare material for the episodes but after some time it really channeled my creativity and became second nature. I got to interview Matt LeBris who definitely made my first ever podcast easier with his outgoing nature. It made me realize how much I value connection, it's a lot clearer to me now what I value most in a future career. 

Jennifer Ng:

After working at a big company, working at a startup was definitely something different. As I got the opportunity to work at a Startup at ChatterBoss, I learned things I wouldn’t have expected. ChatterBoss is a white glove virtual executive assistant service that specializes in supporting entrepreneurs and business owners. 

What I learned from a Startup:

• The amount of knowledge, connections you make, people you meet and the teams you work with, makes it worth working at.
• You will learn a lot. You will know in and out of what’s happening with the company and business. I was hired as a Design Intern but I’m learning more about Marketing and Branding.
• You can be learning and doing more than you expected. You will have many hats in this operation. But, that’s the fun, isn’t it?

Nujailah Noor:

Having worked in large corporations, this internship at ChatterBoss was certainly very different. One of the first things I realized was how hands on the startup environment is. There seems to be a greater sense of responsibility and a greater sense of trust put on you as you are assigned the different projects. There is also an immediate visible impact of completed works on the startup. 

My time at ChatterBoss allowed me to experience these things and understand the dedication it takes to run a successful startup. Not only that, I also was able to see for myself how the attitude of founders can either make or break a startup. On an overall note, interning at ChatterBoss was a refreshing experience that shed light on a new sector for me.

Ria Vora: 

This internship was definitely a new experience for me. As a rising college freshman, I had never participated in a formal rotational internship program before. At first, I was nervous about beginning the internship, but as time went on and with the help of Valerie and Becca I quickly came to realize all that ChatterBoss had to offer and ways to get involved. 

Here’s a few takeaways from this internship experience: 

1. Startups move quickly! As a ChatterBoss intern I realized that adaptability is important. We had several projects that were simultaneously being completed - the blog posts, competitive research, assisting Virtual Assistants, Individual Intern projects, and more! This led to an interesting and captivating experience, where every day as an intern was unique. 
2. Communication is key. As remote interns, we used Slack and Zoom Calls as our primary modes of communication. Keeping in touch with colleagues is especially important. It was great to get to know the intern team through the team projects/meetings we had as well as the virtual intern brunches. 
3. Be Proactive! If you need someone’s assistance or want to get involved, reach out. This goes hand in hand with communication. It’s important to keep team members in the loop with projects and let others know what your status is. Similarly, if you’d like to get involved with a project or help out in a department, contacting someone is the best way to do so. For example, at ChatterBoss, the open and friendly environment along with a message to Valerie led to me learning about automation softwares and new tools. 

As the summer ends and my first semester at Cornell University as a Computer Science major begins, I’m excited to see what the future holds. Thank you to Valerie, Becca, and the rest of the ChatterBoss team. I’m grateful for this virtual internship experience. 

John Huynh: 

Working at ChatterBoss has been a great experience. I’ve learned a lot about the ins and outs of running a startup. Time management, and communication are super important because it is the fuel that keeps the work moving and everyone at ChatterBoss proactive. The team here at ChatterBoss made it super easy to integrate myself into various projects and tasks. 

Remote Internships are definitely different, but during these trying times, remote internships can be blessings in disguises. Having the ability to grow, learn, and foster new skills all in the comfort of your own home, makes the experience underrated. This experience was wonderful and gave me new perspectives on startups and businesses.

Ariana Loyfman: 

I truly enjoyed working at ChatterBoss and I have learned a lot about startups and all the aspects of having a business. It was a great learning experience and very different from anything I have experienced before and I am very thankful for the lessons I learned here. During my first day as an intern I was very nervous and I thought that because I have no prior experience at a startup that I will struggle and might not even enjoy it, but as each week went on, I saw how amazing the ChatterBoss team has been to all the interns and how comfortable I felt working with them. I had to get used to juggling zoom calls, individual projects, group projects and I had to get used to multi-tasking, which I believe is a very important skill to have. The team was always there to help and answer any questions that I had and I am very grateful that my first ever internship was with ChatterBoss. 

Altogether, the internship has meant something different for each of us.We all learned something new and hope to take these lessons with us to our future careers. We thank ChatterBoss for giving us this opportunity and wish the future interns the best of luck!