Name: Madeline
Junior
Major: Economics
Minor: Political Science
CFS Program: Business Field Studies 

I am a strong proponent of treating internships like a double-sided, ten-week interview. Sure, both parties get immediate benefits. The employer gets a fresh set of eyes and someone willing to quickly turn around whatever assignment is given to them. The intern has the opportunity to develop skills and contribute to tangible projects. But an internship goes beyond that.

This quarter, I am working at Syndio Social, a social network analysis company in the West Loop. My responsibilities this quarter fit under two broad categories: consulting and development. In my consulting role, I manipulate survey data into meaningful results using two data visualization software solutions. Most often, customers hire Syndio Social to find the most influential members of their organization. This knowledge helps accelerate change, saving time and money. My development role is concentrated on the internal workings of the company. This quarter, I will construct a performance measurement system. I must decide which indicators to measure, as well as develop the tracking system for these measurements. With time, this system will show the company its strengths and its opportunities for growth.

These next eight weeks, my employer and I each have a number of questions to ponder. How do I fit into the company, both in terms of my work and my personality? How could I help the company grow? Where might the company be in five years? Where do I see myself at that time?

As I begin another week at Syndio Social, it is important that I not only think about my immediate work, but also consider what it means for the future. It is not often that one is given an extended time to make career decisions like this. I need to make this count.