Tara Murthy interned with The University of Arizona's Office of Undergraduate Admissions and gained experience in university admissions and customer service.
What was the focus of your internship?
I interned with The University of Arizona Office of Undergraduate Admissions and my role, as the first point of contact to many prospective UA students and their families, was to provide the highest level of admissions-focused customer service. I was responsible for answering phone calls and emails from prospective students and their parents, addressing their questions and concerns about student life at the University of Arizona. I had never worked a true customer service position prior to this role, and it can be stressful not knowing ahead of time who I would be talking to, but I adjusted and was able to successfully take both inbound and outbound calls. Through this experience, I was able to discover how resilient and hardworking I am. I was able to quickly pick up on the protocols for talking to potential students and their parents and efficiently address all their admissions and enrollment needs.
How did you secure your internship?
I secured my internship after doing research on the university’s job and internship database, Handshake. After applying for the position, I went through two rounds of interviews. The first interview was a group interview and the second interview was with a hiring manager. A couple of weeks later, I was offered the position! I then began several weeks of training before beginning my work with prospective students.
How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you or give you unique insight for the internship experience?
My courses in my Applied Humanities degree taught me a lot about the importance of teamwork and communication. Throughout my coursework, I was able to learn through group projects and gained insight into diverse perspectives which helped me create connections with the people I was working with throughout my internship.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for or begin their internship?
My advice for other students is to make the most of the experiences before you! You never know what opportunity will present themselves and I advise that you try even if you're afraid of failing. There is so much you can learn from being bold and trying new things that might not always be in your comfort zone.