Why did you decide to spend a semester working for Amazon?
I decided to spend a semester working for Amazon because I was looking for a way to expand my skillset and further my learning experience outside of an academic environment. The fact that Amazon is a growing and an innovative company, made me believe that I would be able to test myself in a demanding professional environment, being exposed to new ways of doing business and pursuing innovation.
Can you describe your internship experience and tell us why is it important for you to gain professional experience before you graduate?
To be able to work at Amazon has meant being part of an intense and enriching working experience. The steep learning curve, the responsibilities that were given to me from the get-go, and the way I have been allowed to be valuable while learning on the job have made the internship an excellent experience.
I believe it is important to gain professional experience before you graduate for many reasons. Being exposed to the job market before graduation means you can develop a clear idea of what you are looking for throughout your career. Moreover, it means you get to be around experienced professionals in the corporate background, a valuable network of people to learn from.
How did IE University prepare you to successfully face this new opportunity?
IE university has helped me face this opportunity in two different ways. First, it has provided me with the foundational knowledge of business that I needed while working for Amazon in order to learn specific lessons. Moreover, IEU has a practice based approach to education. This has been useful when dealing with my day-to-day tasks and duties. This has enabled me to hit the ground running during my internship.
How did the Career Management Center help you through the whole process?
The Career Management Center supported me consistently throughout the whole process. It provided me valuable guidance when I started looking for internships, it helped me build my profile in order to figure out what skills I had that could be the most attractive to employers and, once the recruitment process started, helped me to be successful. Specifically, they assisted me when I was analyzing my personal skills and traits so that my profile truly leveraged those capabilities I had that could be most interesting for prospective employers. Moreover, they helped me frame my qualities in a way that would properly convey my skillset also in an interview setting.