FROM CLASSROOM TO CAREER: THE VALUE OF INTERNSHIPS
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INTERNS: How has your internship helped you better understand the skills employers are looking for?
Kyler Nikolai, Intern, IBM
Noah Hiniker, Project Engineer Intern, Knutson Construction
Over this summer I worked on IBM’s Ceph as a service team which involves cloud storage. This team was only made about a year before I started so I got to see what it takes to build a product like this from the ground up. Every day I got to participate in the team scrum and hear what everyone on the team was working on and expected to do. I also got to see how development was planned out and what work was assigned at different times. This gave me much insight into what is expected from employees working on cloud storage.
Employers are looking for individuals that are like sponges. Having the ability to absorb copious amounts of information is key to growing. Utilizing my organizational skills over the summer helped me greatly. I was able to stay on top of tasks and maximize efficiency. In a fast-paced work environment, staying organized is key. How coachable you are is also important. Being able to receive feedback and implement it shows development. Communication skills are another item employers are looking for. Multiple parties take part in construction projects, being able to build healthy relationships greatly enables efficiency. Professionalism is another key skill to hone. Timeliness, accountability, integrity and follow through are key skills to growth. How you conduct yourself each day shows, not only to an employer but to those you work with as well.
Jillian Miron, Audit Supervisor (former Intern), Hawkins Ash CPAs
Gigi Galdamez, Public Affairs Intern, Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce
Having an internship helped me to understand that employers look for so much more than just technical skills. Although I learned a lot of technical skills during my internship, being able to work in an office environment with the other staff members helped me to develop the soft skills that I use in my current job position. Skills such as client interactions and organization are essential lessons that I still utilize each day.
Communication, both in person and online, are crucial to success in the workplace. Employers are looking for candidates who can converse in different environments with a diverse set of people, because that is what the world consists of. Adaptability plays a role with this as well. Not every situation one may encounter will be comfortable, so being able to adapt and adjust to the environment and the people around is key. This is true in every industry whether that involves clientele, associating businesses, or even internal personnel.
12 | ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE — OCTOBER 2025
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