Allie Rostron, a senior marketing major from Llano, had the opportunity to intern with Dell last summer in Austin. She worked as an undergrad senior analyst within the finance department but mainly worked on projects heavily rooted in marketing and communications. One of her projects included working with people from around the globe, including Ireland, Malaysia, China, and Brazil. The aim of the project was to completely revamp all of the recruiting for the CFO’s development programs, ranging from the Finance Internship Program, the Finance and Accounting Development Programs, and the Finance Rotation Program. She also worked with a team to produce a video that would be cued by Michael Dell at his global All Hands on Deck Meeting. This project included interviewing 40 plus employees asking questions regarding Dell’s future, Dell’s innovation, and how going private would affect Dell’s interaction with customers. Allie also worked with Dell’s internal blog, One Dell Way. She performed research on Big Data, Big Analytics, the evolving workforce, and virtual desktop infrastructure.
Allie landed the internship by researching and emailing contacts in the professional marketplace. She asked for advice and feedback about her resume and the interviewing process and recommendations regarding fields and companies to look for. Her resume was forwarded to various employees within Dell and eventually to the hiring team. She advises students seeking internships to start early! If students are wanting to work in a larger company, she suggests that they start doing research now and contacting people to gain knowledge through the entire process. Secondly, she highly believes in the power of networking and that by using contacts made through networking, students are using a tool that is at everyone’s disposal.
Allie will begin working for Dell after she graduates in May. Allie is a great example of someone who used the power of networking and seeking advice from other professionals to land an incredible internship opportunity. If you are searching for an internship or job, schedule an appointment with Samantha Matta in the COBA Connections office. Congratulations Allie and good luck with your new position at Dell!
“Never underestimate the power of networking. Networking is not working the system but is utilizing a tool that is open to your disposal. You never know what can come from emailing someone and asking them advice.”