Tuesday, July 24, 2012

GUEST POST: Moving Out of the Comfort Zone

The following passage is a guest post from a senior IUB student (S.) completing a summer internship in sales. 


This summer is flying by, and with it, so is my summer internship. I didn’t know what to expect when I started in May and every day has presented new challenges and learning opportunities. Being a Tourism Management major, I did not have a strong sales background going into my heavily sales-based internship. Despite this I thought, hey how hard could it be? Well, I was in for a shock the first time I tried to make a sale on my own and failed miserably. It has been a very humbling experience, and I still ask questions every single day. The second I think I finally know the in’s and out’s of the business, I find myself in a situation that I do not know how to deal with. I think going out of your comfort zone and trying unfamiliar experiences is a great way to make yourself more marketable to future employers. It shows you are flexible and willing to try new things. I didn’t know much about sales before this internship and now I can add it to my list of marketable skills! I encourage everyone to try out new experiences, even if it makes you nervous. Whether it is an internship, part-time job, student organization or volunteer position it will help you learn a variety of skills and find new career interests!

Written by S.