Name: Gene

Year: Junior

Major: Industrial Engineering

CFS Program: Business Field Studies

Employer: Nielsen

This past fall has been my most exciting and memorable quarter at Northwestern yet. I’ve attributed this predominantly to Chicago Field Studies / Business Field Studies and my time at Nielsen as an Analyst Intern.

Initially, I was extremely worried if I could handle the 9-5 work schedule (8-6 if you count the commute) on top of my other Northwestern commitments. I’ve always been a night owl, so you can imagine the dread I faced waking up at 7 A.M. every day that first week. However, I slowly started acclimating myself to the schedule change and getting in the groove of things. I started noticing that I was not adjusting to the schedule itself but adjusting my own time management / organizational skills to fit my new responsibilities. I was pleasantly surprised to see myself applying these newfound characteristics to other obligations that I had.

My work experience itself has also surpassed expectations. To be blatantly honest, I was extremely worried / apprehensive my first week regarding the types of work I would be doing at my 3 months at Nielsen. Up until that point, I had been tasked with low-level trainings alongside loads of other menial work. My BFS professor mentioned that sometimes there were interns who couldn’t stand the work that they did: I thought I might end up as one of those interns. However, after that initial lull, I was placed on my first project on an optimized workflow proposal. My experience on the project really squashed all my fears and doubts. I was truly doing meaningful, substantial and exciting work! After the project, I mustered up some courage and connected with my manager on what else I wanted to get out of this internship. She was more than happy to oblige and staffed me on all the awesome projects I’m working on now! Overall, Nielsen has really opened my eyes about the real world. I have learned so much about myself on a personal and professional level and I can’t wait to implement them in my future.

Finally, I want to take this time to thank Chicago Field Studies. It truly is a one-of-a-kind program that gives out one-of-a-kind opportunities to Northwestern Students. If you’re reading this and you’re even slightly interested in Chicago Field Studies, I highly encourage you to research more about the program or reach out to any of the faculty and / or past participants with questions. I guarantee you by the end you’ll be sold!