Name: Julia Smith
Year: Junior
Major: Economics
Minor: Legal Studies
CFS Class: Business Field Studies
Employer: Expansive Workplace

For my Spring 2021 CFS internship I worked as a marketing and sales intern for a coworking company, Expansive Workspace (formally Novel Coworking). As a junior applying to CFS, I did not know what career I wanted to pursue post-graduation and was just hoping to gain experience and exposure in industries I found interesting. However, this internship taught me much more than I expected. Yes, I was able to learn marketing and sales skills and techniques such as how to compile data on excel, or how to conduct proper email campaigns; but I also learned much more about myself and how I can progress in the workforce. But above everything else, the most valuable thing I learned was what I needed to work on. Networking was something I had always struggled with because I did not have any family members who were involved in the business field so I always thought I was just a step behind, but through this internship I learned what I can do to grow my network. I learned the importance of reaching out to people within the company who I found interesting in order to connect with them because most people are always willing and excited to talk with you. I learned to look on online platforms, such as LinkedIn, in order to learn more about my coworkers and their past so I can ask valuable questions. This internship has been very beneficial in helping me gain valuable skills in my professional life that I will take with me as I graduate from Northwestern and enter the workforce.