Internship Reflection

I am a college sophomore at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. studying international business and economics. I interned with TSC my spring semester of Freshman year, and now I’m taking some time to reflect on the fantastic experience I had during my time there.

Before I began my internship, I dropped by the office to meet the team and sign my contract. I walked in and immediately saw one of the most impressive liquor displays I’d ever witnessed, bean bags that looked like they could swallow me whole, and people whirling about on roller-chairs. I knew right away; this was the place for me.

However, as I sat there signing my contract, Terence, the CEO of TSC emerged from the conference room and sat down next to me. He looked at me and said, “this isn’t going to be an internship where you go and get coffee for people and make copies. We are going to put you to work and treat you like a real employee, are you prepared for that?” I nodded, and he got up and left. Truthfully, I walked out of the office a bit intimidated, partially because Terence reminded me of Gordon Ramsey, (a man who strikes fear into my heart) and partially because I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the level of responsibility Terence had mentioned.

‍Acrobatic stunts with the CEO

Looking back now, I’m not sure if I was ready or not, but at TSC it didn’t matter. They didn’t care that I’d never had any real work experience, or that I was only 19. They expected the same out of me as everyone else in the office, and that pushed me to work harder and learn more than I ever thought I could. When Terence first told me that TSC would treat me like any other employee, I was skeptical, but he couldn’t have been more right. On my third day, the project manager of the account of one of the biggest agro-science companies in the world asked me if I could help him build a system for the client, as he knew my interest in agriculture. I spent the next month researching, analyzing trends and connections, sitting in on client calls, and building the system. At times, we would stay at the office until midnight when we had deliverables to produce. I enjoyed those late nights at the office because I was doing real, meaningful, essential work. The work was so real that occasionally when I’d go home to my apartment after a long night at the office, I’d half expect to have three kids and a wife waiting for me. I felt like I was a 40-year-old businessman, not an intern, and that’s what was special about TSC. I always felt that what I was doing was important, and my colleagues treated my work that way as well.

Furthermore, I spent a lot of time at the office, however, I never found myself checking my watch, waiting for the day to be over. This isn’t solely due to the engaging work I got to do, but also because I was working with such a great team. At TSC, they have a saying, “no problem is someone else’s problem.” It didn’t matter what issue I had, or what questions I needed help with, I could ask any person in that office for help, and they would gladly give it to me. This willingness to help was essential to my growth, and the overall atmosphere of the office. They’ve created a space where employees don’t compete with each other. Instead, they work with each other to be successful. It’s rare to be a part of an office like this, especially as an intern, and it created an environment that fostered and enhanced my learning.

The bottom line is, if you want an internship where you don’t have to put in any real effort, and you want to be handed consistent, mundane tasks day after day to add a couple of lines to your resume at the end of it, don’t work for TSC. However, if you want to be challenged, gain first-hand knowledge on everything ranging from coding to business development while working alongside some incredible people—people who genuinely want to see you succeed—TSC is the place for you.

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