Name: Sherry

Year: Junior

Major(s): Economics

Minor(s): Psychology

CFS Program: Field Studies in the Humanities

I really love my CFS experience! My CFS career advisor is super nice and helped me identify several firms that I was interested in. After multiple rounds of interviews, I chose Nielsen because it is a nice blend between data analytics and communications. The firm has a supportive environment and people are fun to work with.

The best thing about my internship is its people. What really surprised me was that in the first two weeks of my internship, Nielsen people from other cities took the initiative and emailed me to ask if I wanted to google hangout with them. After I connected with those people, they gave me great advice on how to best use my internship time and where to look for help. It was so nice to see people go out of their way to welcome me to the team.

The first week of my internship consisted of training sessions, which I think thought were great because I learned about Nielsen in a big picture and got more comfortable with Nielsen tools. Then every week after that, I was assigned on different projects and I was able to work with different people. My daily responsibility ranged from data analytics to qualitative PowerPoint making. My firm has a nice office–you are allowed to go up to the communal lodge on the highest floor and do your work there. There is a gym on that floor and happy hour every Thursday if you are over 21. On our floor, there is mini golf-track and mini football tier hanging from the ceiling, so you are always welcome to play those little activities if you feel you are too tired to work. People usually have lunch together as a team and you can always learn from their experiences. There are also activities like intern lunch or lunch with a leader. My CFS advisor also checked in with me occasionally to see if I was doing ok with my internship and I always felt supported.

The humanity course I took with CFS program is also wonderful. I really like my professor Liz. She is passionate about what she is teaching and the readings are interesting–pushing me to think about my internship in a more analytical way. Personally, I really recommend the CFS program because it is a great way for people to apply what they have learned in school to the workplace. It is a great opportunity to observe and decide what one really wants to do in the future.

Via the CFS program, I not only got a skill-based internship where I sharpened my analytical skills and professional communication skills, but also got a better direction for what I want to do in the future. I am grateful that the CFS program connected me to this wonderful internship opportunity and class, and introduced me to great people with who I will keep in contact.