Originally published by Calum McClelland ’16 on the Leverege Blog

 
Throughout the first two decades of our lives, there’s almost always an obvious next step. After elementary school, it’s middle school. After middle school, it’s high school. After high school, it’s college. But after college…what then?
It can be daunting to think about your career stretching before you, with so many options and so many possible paths you could take. It can also feel like the decision you make now will impact the rest of your life, forever sealing your fate. So how do you choose? How can you decide what’s best for you?
The best path is different for each person and, I’d argue, there usually isn’t one best path anyways. So I’m sorry to say that I can’t give you the answer, you’ll still need to find that yourself. But what I can do is provide you some perspective, hopefully helping to inform and guide your decision.
James, Hannah, Yitaek and I are all 2016 Venture for America Fellows who now work at Leverege. Each of us has different career aspirations and different reasons for joining both VFA and Leverege, so we’ll each share a little of our story. We hope you find it useful!

James Schaefer — Product Engineer

Before I joined Venture for America I worked at a series of large companies where my role was repetitive and task oriented. Ultimately, when I left these jobs I left feeling as though I hadn’t really accomplished or affected any change.
In addition, looking back, I spent a fair amount of time at these jobs busy yet bored. The work I did wasn’t different or challenging enough day-to-day to really differentiate what I was working on. When I began my job-hunt senior year of college I did a lot of reflection, and realized that I wanted the experience of building and creating something from the ground up. Venture for America, as a service that connects recent college graduates and start-ups, was an ideal organization for me to join to do just that.
During the match process, I was introduced to a multitude of places where I could have gained the experience that I wanted, Leverege among them. What set Leverege apart from many of the other companies I talked to was the proven track record of the CEO Eric Conn, the small size of the team, and the caring attitude of everyone I met.
This gave me maximum confidence in the company, the impact of the work I could do there, and the culture fit I felt I needed to be successful long term. In my 8 months at Leverege I’ve enjoyed building/owning major components of our code base while learning about the creation of production level code for the Internet of Things.

Hannah White — Creative Director

When I first started looking at post grad opportunities, I looked towards big tech companies and design firms. But I realized after a couple of interviews that I wouldn’t get the creative freedom I wanted by joining these companies. My fear was that I would become a cog in a machine and wouldn’t be able to test my limits and really own the creative direction of my work. Instead, I would be creating someone else’s vision without any ownership on my part.
I turned to VFA because I thought that, if I joined a smaller startup, I would get the chance to solve big design challenges because of the small team size. I had to explain my choice a lot throughout the match process, and the explanation I came up with was that at a big company, I’d be given one of the many fully grown plants and told how to shape it. At a small company, I’d be given some seeds and the rest would be up to me.
At Leverege, a small software startup, I’m the only designer on the team and get to really shape the direction of our branding and products. While this can be challenging at times, I believe I’ve created more, failed more, and ultimately learned more about design and systems in my 8 months at Leverege than I would have in years at a bigger company.

Yitaek Hwang — Product Engineer

Prior to joining VFA, I ran a small company with a group of students at Duke called ViFlex. We designed and manufactured low-cost glasses to serve the 700 million people suffering from vision loss that can be resolved with a pair of eyeglasses.
While the company enjoyed some success running field tests in various countries around the world and purchasing an injection mold for the final design, quite frankly I was not equipped with the necessary skills to run a company. So I joined VFA in hopes of learning from serial entrepreneurs growing a company and navigating through the crazy startup world.
In that sense, Leverege was a good fit as Eric Conn, our CEO, is a successful serial entrepreneur who has sold companies in various industries including defense and advertising. Ultimately I want to get back to medical devices and international development, but for the time being, I’m learning a lot about the software industry and the things that make it so successful. I hope to translate some of my learnings to deal with the unique challenges presented in the medical and development space.

Calum McClelland — Director of Business Development

Entering Brown, I was set on starting my own company one day. But how does one do that? I interned at several startups and took courses on entrepreneurship to find out. But instead of revealing the secrets of starting a company, these experiences only showed me how little I knew and how much I had yet to learn.
As I headed into my senior year, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew I needed experience, but where? What if I chose the wrong thing and pigeonholed myself, unable to eventually start my own company?
As I searched for my next step, I found out about Venture For America and instantly knew that I’d found what I was looking for. VFA would provide the perfect opportunity to learn the knowledge and skills necessary to one day launch a successful company.
Through VFA, I now work at Leverege, which has proven to be the perfect fit for me. The small team allows me to learn multiple parts of the company including sales, marketing, and business development, and also forces me to rapidly develop new skills on the fly. And the deep experience of our co-founders has been an incredible resource, giving me the opportunity to learn from people who have done it all before, absorbing their wisdom and years of learned experience.
Every day I am so appreciative for both VFA and Leverege. Together, they’ve proven to be the perfect launching pad for whatever it is that I want to do next. And VFA particularly has pushed me to really consider what that next step might be. Maybe I’ll start a company, but maybe not. Beyond the opportunity to learn knowledge and skills at extremely rapid pace, one of the biggest things I’ve gotten from VFA is being around the other Fellows like James, Hannah, Yitaek, and too many other incredible people to name. They’ve inspired me to be better and do good in this world. They’ve influenced me to grow as a person, and to deeply consider what I want to do with my life. Whatever that might be, I’m so grateful for both VFA and Leverege in helping to get me there.

Editor’s Note: The internship interview tips below can apply to ALL interviews!

So, you polished up your resume, sourced the opportunities of your dreams, wrote a killer cover letter, and landed an internship interview? Amazing! But don’t celebrate yet. Let’s talk about what it takes to ace that interview.

An internship is by definition not a real job, so an internship interview isn’t a real interview, right?

Actually, no. Extremely not right.

We’ve interviewed hundreds of intern candidates over the years, and we take these interviews seriously — just as seriously as we take vetting candidates for full-time jobs. Our summer interns are integral to the success of Training Camp, and we would be a less successful organization if we didn’t find exceptional intern talent, year over year.

At this point, we’re pretty good at finding the right people for the job. So take it from us — it’s not enough to just show up on time.

Here’s what makes a truly impressive intern candidate interview. And if you’re interested in getting the coaching, skill-building, and support you need to realize your full professional potential, check out more about our Fellowship.

1. You’ve done your research.

Venture For America can be a little complicated to explain. We get it. But if you’re interviewing for an internship at VFA, it’s hard to take your interest seriously if you don’t know what we do.

There’s no excuse to come into an interview without a firm understanding of how an organization operates. For bonus points, go beyond memorizing the company website. Look for press about the company, like interviews with their leadership team. Acquaint yourself with their social media presence. If they make a product, read reviews. You might discover areas where the company is struggling and could use your help. At the very least, bringing up some company esoterica during your interview suggests a high level of interest.

Think about it this way: your job is to show the interviewer how you can contribute to the success of their company. How can you talk up your ability to contribute without knowing what you’re going to be contributing to?

2.  You know why you want the internship and are prepared for an interview.

And no, the answer isn’t “because my parents told me I couldn’t hang around learning TikTok dance routines all summer.”

This is a prime opportunity to demonstrate that you understand the company, and are excited about the opportunity at hand  —both important markers for your interviewer. Don’t squander it! Practice with common interview questions.

We recommend preparing for an interview by writing down five reasons why you want this particular role at this particular company, then taking away two. You’re left with the three most important reasons, all of which should be easy to articulate in a few sentences.

The good news: once you’ve done thorough research, this shouldn’t be hard!

3. You demonstrate flexibility, but you know what you want to get out of the experience.

Yes, most internships involve doing a wide range of tasks. We look for interns who are open-minded and willing to take on unexpected responsibilities. It’s important to stress your agility and know basic interview tips and tricks.

But at a startup, you’ll almost certainly need to do a lot of self-directed work. If you come to the internship interview with no sense of what you want to work on or learn, it might signal to the interviewer that you’re going to need a lot of hand-holding — i.e., the opposite of what they may be looking for.

Worried that you’ll seem too particular? If an interviewer asks you what you’re interested in working on, you can address this tension directly. Try something like: “I’m most excited by the opportunity to strengthen my social media and video editing skills — but I’m flexible, and good at learning on my own, so I’d be happy to support your team in whatever way you need.”

4. You come prepared with questions.

Nothing says “I’m disengaged” like failing to ask a question when given the opportunity.

When an interviewer asks you if you have any questions, you should always ask a question. It’s your chance to turn the interview into more of a conversation, and give the interviewer a chance to talk about themselves and their experience —something most people like. It’s also a great opportunity to assess whether or not you want the internship at all.

Always come prepared with a few questions so you don’t freeze on the spot.

Not sure what to ask? We’ve compiled 30+ important questions to ask during your interview — download them here.

5. You approach the interview process like a professional.

Again — just because this is an internship interview doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it seriously. Here are a few things we look for to gauge whether or not an intern candidate seems reliable, detail-oriented, and enthusiastic about the opportunity.

Show up on time.

If you’re late to an interview, why would we expect you to show up on time for work?

This goes for remote interviews, too. If you have a Zoom call, make sure you’re logged in, and that your computer is set up correctly. If it’s a phone interview, make sure you’re in a quiet place with reception.

Respond to emails promptly.

When scheduling an interview or sending along references, try to get back to the hiring manager within 24 hours, always — sooner if possible.

Dress professionally.

No one expects a college student to have a perfectly-tailored suit. So a button down or a sweater and clean slacks or a skirt can do the trick. Borrow something from a friend if you need to. It might seem superficial, but it’s a way to show that you’re taking the opportunity seriously.

Bring a few copies of your resume.

It’s always a nice touch to have your resume in hand. Here are our tips for formatting your resume, and a few more for how to present your experience.

Send a thank you email to everyone you spoke with, not just your primary contact.

This is a chance to show that you’re detail-oriented, excited about the job, and a people person. It’s also a great chance to reiterate how qualified you are. And it never hurts to have multiple interviewers rooting for you! Learn more about crafting the perfect thank you email.

Think you got the internship? Learn how to navigate the first six weeks at a new job.