Intern Advice: Gloria Chan

A few weeks back I put the call out for any interns willing to share advice from their internship and one of my students, Gloria Chan, answered the call. On an “Awesome Scale” of 1-to-10, Gloria is a 14. Why 14? Gloria’s energy and positive attitude is infectious. In my class, she approached every case with a smile on her face and board-level determination to solve the problem. Gloria stood out among the crowd and I thought no one better than her to provide us with insight on her summer experience. I asked her 10 questions and she was kind enough to give her perspective. Many thanks to Gloria for taking the time to respond!

Where did you intern?

WellPoint (aka Anthem)

In what department or functional area did you intern?

Procurement – IT Strategic Sourcing

What was your primary responsibility or project during the internship?

I had a variety of projects and responsibilities throughout my internship such as working on process improvements, processing IT purchasing intake requests, and helping out with PowerPoint presentations. However, the two of my biggest projects included creating a comprehensive SharePoint website that contained useful information for onboarding new employees and conducting a thorough internal analysis to find $25 million in contract savings.

What is your proudest moment or greatest accomplishment during your internship?

My proudest moment was being the first intern to be offered a full-time position in my department. I never expected it, but was amazing to finally see my hard work pay off!

What surprised you during your internship?

What surprised me the most is that no one ever treated me like “the intern”. I felt like I was a valued part of the team the entire time I was at WellPoint, and I truly appreciated that. There were definitely a lot of intern jokes thrown around, but it was all in good fun. 🙂

What would you recommend to current students after completing your internship?

Always go the extra mile when you’re on the job. Arrive early and leave late (doesn’t have to be every day), ask for more assignments, and improve upon the tasks that are given to you when you see an opportunity to do so rather than just going through the motions. Your efforts will be noticed and rewarded.

What was the best thing about your internship?

I got the full time job offer!! But also, I have learned countless things about the work environment and I feel 1000% more confident back in the classroom.

What is your advice to students looking for internships?

Network, network, network! Remember that recruiters are people too; it’s okay to talk about normal every day things. Ask meaningful questions, and listen to the answers. It’s painfully obvious when someone asks a cookie-cutter question just to look good, and then tunes you out when you try to answer.

What classes helped you the most?

Honestly; IT GRC! A lot of the concepts learned in class showed up at random times during my internship, and I was able to use the knowledge I learned to sound competent during the discussions. The overall IU MSIS Core experience taught me a lot about time management and prioritizing assignments; that helped immensely as well.

What do you wish you would have known at the beginning of your internship that you learned during your internship?

I used to think that I will take whatever job I can get as long as I like the field, no matter who I work for or with. I found out that the culture of people you work with is one of the most important things about picking the company you want to work for. These are the people you will see every day and if you can get along great, then that will make your job so much easier to do.

My name is Gloria Chan and I am currently a second-year Information Systems Masters student with a BS in Marketing and Supply Chain from IU’s Kelley School of Business. I have dedicated my entire life to helping others as well as building up my own knowledge so I can be the most well-rounded person. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, jogging, and spending time with friends. Next June, I will be starting my career as an IT Strategic Sourcing Consultant at WellPoint/Anthem.