Riley Swindall interned with La Jolla Group and gained experience in marketing and product strategy, Excel, and merchandising for e-commerce.
Why did you choose this internship?
I primarily chose this internship because I was familiar with the company; I actually used to work at the retail store at their headquarters. Going into it I knew it would be rotational and I would be able to branch out to other departments such as marketing and ecommerce. I wanted to learn and grow by taking on new challenges and gaining new experiences and I did just that. Although it is an action sports retail company and aligns with my Fashion Studies emphasis, I knew the internship could offer me the chance to expand upon what I’ve already learned in the classroom.
What did you find challenging about your internship?
One thing I found surprisingly challenging during my internship was actually finishing my projects more quickly than expected. I was glad I could work so efficiently, but I also wanted to be useful even after I was finished. A lot of the time, I would finish up projects before expected and wasn’t sure what I should do. Eventually, I learned to just ask for extra things to work on, like smaller projects or just helping around the office. In fact, I think one of my most significant contributions was being able to help my supervisors by taking tasks off their hands, no matter how small. The company is going through a lot of changes and many of my coworkers had to take on extra tasks. Being able to show that I could be useful during this time as an intern, to not only gain experience but also actually help out, really meant a lot.
What is the impact of your internship experience?
I think one of the many impacts that stood out to me during the internship was understanding what a corporate work environment looks like from the inside. It’s the little things that stand out, like building relationships between coworkers. It was interesting to watch how everyone works together to run the company and all the little parts that go into it. The experience gave me insight as to what type of workplace environment I want to work in.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for their internship?
Starting the search for an internship was very stressful and at times disappointing. There is so much advice that I know now that I wish I would have had or taken action on when I was searching for an internship. I think one main piece of advice would be to start looking early, like really early. Although I secured my experience closer to the start of summer, it doesn't happen very often. Internships fill up very fast and you want to be prepared with backup options if one doesn't work out as well as you planned.