Geoffrey Yu ’14

Major(s):INBM, Economics
Internship Site: July Systems - New York, NY

The Internship:  
I was informed about this internship through a friend in my Managerial Economics class. I was not having any luck with obtaining internship opportunities in financial services firms, so he recommended that I look into working for a mobile services start-up. After researching July Systems, I looked up the internship on DickinsonConnect and applied. 

 

I started my internship at July Systems at an exciting time because they were preparing to launch their new product, July 4.0. On my first day, I was asked to perform market research on current mobile use in three main verticals: Retail, Travel/Hospitality, and Media/Publishing. I compiled my findings into a document file, which was later used to help validate some of the used cases for July 4.0’s product offerings. 

 

The Challenges:   
The most challenging aspect of interning at July Systems was the dynamic and fast pace working culture. Many times, I was assigned difficult and demanding tasks out of the blue with little to no directions and a short deadline. I overcame this challenge by learning to work more efficiently and independently. I would do a lot of work outside of the office when I knew that I have a deadline. When I was assigned a difficult project, I’d try to tackle the things that were easier to complete and be more persistent in asking co-workers for guidance and assistance whenever I was stuck on something. From this experience, I learned to be more proactive and to work more efficiently whenever I am assigned a difficult task with a deadline. More importantly, I learned that it is imperative to maintain effective communication with your supervisor or co-worker either through email, Skype, or phone while completing a task.  


The Preparation:  
The class that prepared me the most for this internship was International Organization Behavior. In this class, I learned about many different types of organizations, management styles, and different work place environment. Throughout my internship, I noticed that I could apply some of the in-class theories to the July Systems organization and working culture.



The Future: 
I have always attempted to obtain an internship at an esteemed financial firm such as Goldman Sachs or work on Wall Street, but my internship has opened my eyes to a new type of career field I might actually enjoy working in. Technology has always been an interest and hobby of mine. At this internship I used my business knowledge and learned about technology such as mobile apps that I’m less familiar with.  I have a growing interest in the type of work done in the mobile sector, and now that I have developed a greater understanding of this technology, I’m more open to adopting this career path. However, I am still uncertain whether I would like to work in the dynamic environment of mobile services companies such as July Systems or the more stable and regimented nature of financial firms. For next year, I am going to try to get an internship at a financial firm to get a better understanding of how I feel in that type of environment.


Tips from Geoffrey:
I would recommend that students start networking early in their careers. Networking is one of the best ways to obtain an internship at a great company. Dickinson students should reach out to family members, friends, and more importantly, Dickinson Alums for any opportunities. Dickinson College provides many opportunities for students to network and connect with important individuals throughout the year, and I feel that everyone should take advantage of these great events.

 

*To find out more about how to get an internship, make an appointment with a career counselor. Just call the Career Center at 717-245-1740 or stop by Biddle House.