My internship as a grant applicant at Where Our Children Play nonprofit organization has been very helpful in developing my sales and communication skills both virtually and in person.
In my immediate career plan, which is to be in sales, I have intentionally structured my life so that the majority of my work can be done online, and while in person, I can focus more on building relationships. I conducted the internship virtually and worked hard to create a professional relationship with the supervisor and other participants despite the internship being online. I was keen to develop a healthy, professional, communicative environment where I could get work done effectively and also maintain a friendly relationship with my peers. For example, making an effort to get work done before the meetings and sending the information beforehand has been perceived to be professional and productive. While there are no immediate educational requirements that I needed to have, having a liberal arts degree (or having a background in knowledge in various of different fields helped with my creative approach to problems). For example, when contacting different people from different backgrounds, be it educational or personal, I was able to tailor my approach and communication to satisfy their curiosity and answer their questions effectively. A salesperson cannot be narrow-minded and one-track-focused because, at the end of the day, the goal is to inform, share, and ultimately sell. I think that, in the future, the practice of preparation and promptness skills I developed during my internship will be used moving forward. The internship ties into the area and is significant to an area that I am studying, which is an interdisciplinary major. I have continuously since the past thought that one area of study only is not enough. There are always many layers and issues to a particular problem, and it is unrealistic to expect that only looking at a single issue from a narrowed perspective is enough. Primarily working with sales, there must be multiple considerations when approaching different people and understanding that there are other angles of intentions depending on each individual’s background and experience. This internship, working with kids and teams from various backgrounds, helps me recognize what healthy cohesion, despite differences and individuality, looks like while maintaining independence. In the future, I do not think there will be a notable job titled “grant applicant.” However, as mentioned before, I intend to work in sales. This is similar to the roles I undertook as a grant applicant, where I had to create and apply for grants. This means I had to tailor different applications for each one of the grants depending on their mission.
Sales, especially positions that involve both virtual and in-person, do not require immediate qualifications. However, I am planning on pursuing advanced degrees, which will help me move forward and secure leadership positions within the field. However, like in any other profession, learning from others in the industry and practicing my sales skills are essential, so I will need to ensure I keep developing this field.
If I could give any advice to future interns, it would be to take your time and have fun with it, but be professional. Avoiding extremities on either side, for example, is a good approach in my opinion (supported by my personal experience).
Example of the screenshot of the assignment I would send beforehand of the internship weekly meeting.