Undergraduate Blog / Defining Your Babson

Real World Road Rules

Although my internship ended about seven months ago, I still vividly remember how prepared I felt throughout the eight weeks. I often found myself working on teams with interns from schools other than Babson. They were students from top business schools. A common trend I found was that I was always the leader, the go-getter, the person on the team who initiated action. I want to tell you about a time when I realized how much Babson had done for me

One day, all of the three-hundred interns I worked with were randomly assigned to teams of five. Each team competed on a research project related to the company. We had eight hours to do the research and put together a presentation which would be evaluated by a group of judges. The online tools we were using to research were not providing our team with sufficient information. Upon suggesting that we pick up the phone and call one of the full-time associates for some information, the entire room was silent and people looked stunned. I said to the team, “Why not? I’m sure we can find a full-time colleague who can provide us with some information we are looking for. If the person we call does not have answers for us, he/she may be able to direct us to someone who does.”  The rest of the team came to the consensus that they were too nervous to pick up the phone and call full-time employees, so I volunteered. The person I called was so helpful and provided our team with all of the information we needed, in order to perform successfully in this competition.

Later on, I shared my experience with some friends from Babson, who were interning at other companies. Without hesitation, my friends told me that they can agree that there was never a time when they did not feel prepared and ready to lead at their internships, as well.

I can honestly say that Babson has prepared me very well over these past four years. I know how to write professional emails. I know how to dress in Business attire. I know how to use my resources to find the information I am looking for. I understand the importance of networking both internally within a corporation and externally within a greater community. I strongly believe in continuous education. Most importantly, I know that I am not always right, and that I should be open to what others have to say. I am prepared to step into the business world and succeed.