FROM CLASSROOM TO CAREER: THE VALUE OF INTERNSHIPS
Feature
INTERNS: What new possibilities or career paths did your internship experience open your eyes to?
Kyler Nikolai, Intern, IBM
Noah Hiniker, Project Engineer Intern, Knutson Construction
Over my internship I was able to connect with several other interns and full-time employees that had diverse professional experiences. Many interns I met had done internships in the past at other companies and told me how their experience compared to IBM. I was also fortunate enough to connect with several full-time employees that have been working for over a decade. They provided wisdom and advice for how my career might look long term. IBM is also such a big company that I was also able to hear about completely different career paths at IBM. This included everything from quantum computing to finance.
Prior to the start of the summer, I thought I wanted to be a superintendent after graduation. I wanted this because I needed field experience prior to being in a managerial position. Since then, I have changed my mind. Though I worked in a managerial position over the summer, I was able to gain ample field experience more than I had thought. Being on site every day has allowed me to learn much more about what construction is about, the people. The relationships I have created over the summer have affected me more than I can describe. These relationships may hold untapped opportunities in my future. Last summer, I worked for a general contractor developing a multi-family apartment building. This sector is far different from that of Knutson. Exploring different sectors of the construction world has opened my eyes to what can be pursued in my future. I also had the opportunity to visit multiple different sites fellow interns were on. These allowed me to see what else Knutson does, generating more ideas of what my future could hold.
Gigi Galdamez, Public Affairs Intern, Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce
Jillian Miron, Audit Supervisor (former Intern), Hawkins Ash CPAs
My time at the Chamber has provided me with insight on the various steps and roles it takes to accurately represent a business. At the Chamber in specific, each staff member plays a significant role to carry out its main areas of focus to ensure success in the business community; advocacy, resources, development, and engagement. Regarding businesses, something I noticed was the importance of dedicating a role to advocacy and communication. Without this, a business could miss out on key connections with other businesses, chambers, and even elected officials that could otherwise be very helpful.
When I first decided I wanted to do accounting, I didn’t really know what my options were. After having an internship, I learned that accounting was so much more than just taxes. In my internship I focused primarily on individual tax but learned that there are many avenues of accounting I could have explored. In addition to tax, I became aware of what opportunities my firm had in bookkeeping and audit. These were areas I had never really thought too much about. Now I work in primarily Not for Profit audit work and love my work.
OCTOBER 2025 — ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | 9
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker