This summer I got my feet wet in the business world. I ventured into the heart of the Silicon Valley, working for Expandable Software Inc. as their Sales and Marketing Intern. Being in an office environment is unlike any social situation I have ever encountered before. No, my boss was not nearly as eccentric as Michael Scott and no we did not have a version of Dwight Schrute to provide entertainment value. However, in this setting, I learned valuable lessons about the day to day business tactics and also what I wanted out of my future career. Here are the MVTs (Most Valuable Things) I learned this summer:

Outlook is more than just a way to look at email

I never realized how valuable it is to have your email, calendar, and coworkers’ schedules all in the same place. I can schedule meetings, let others know what days I will be out of the office, create a to-do list, and set reminders for myself of when to contact potential customers.

Keep emailing short and sweet

Display confidence in what you have to say by being concise. If you are reaching out to a potential customer it is imperative that you make their life easier by only providing them with the necessary information. Too often emails longer than a few short paragraphs are overlooked because they were too elaborately worded and therefore fail to get the message across. When I was scrolling through LinkedIn, I found this comic that had an email from a C-level executive and an entry level employee. The entry level employee sent what can only be described as a literal book of an email to ask a single question, which was in direct contrast with the C-level’s response “K thx”. Therefore, I have learned always email with the confidence of the C-level employee to efficiently and effectively get the point across.

Meeting etiquette and attire

Always dress to impress and show up armed with business cards. Bring an impressive looking leather padfolio that will make you appear like you know what you are doing. As an Intern, it was very interesting to watch the sales representatives interact with the customer from the initial introduction all the way through to the “thank you for your time, we will address your concerns and get back to you” with such assured confidence.

They call you an intern for a reason

You do all the shit work no one else wants dumped on their desk. My life consisted day in and day out of spreadsheets and lists after spread sheets and lists of companies I needed to vet and classify as either a potential sales opportunity. It is time consuming. It is mind-numbing. However, when you complete a list or reach the end of a spread sheet it feels like you just went ten rounds with Muhammad Ali and came out victorious.

BUT, do I really want to sit at a desk for 9 hours a day five days a week for the rest of my life?

This is the ultimate question. The life I have planned for myself is a Sales/Marketing Executive at a large corporate company. In a way, I feel like I would be resigning myself to that life and not allowing my creative side a chance to shine. I love to write and explore that avenue but it would require me to take the biggest leap of faith across over the side of a cliff with no ground in sight and I am not sure I am prepared to do that yet.

After this summer, I am left with more questions than answers related to the topic of what I want to do with my life. Over and over, those far wiser than I, have told me that finding out what you do not want to do with your life is just as important as finding out the one thing you do want to do. Although I am still TBD on that subject, my internship this summer did give me valuable business experience and I am so glad I did it.