Internship and the City

In the city that never sleeps Dana Spagnola had the internship that seemingly never stopped. And it couldn’t have been more perfect.

“There is an unlimited amount of opportunities and things you can find in (New York City),” says Spagnola, a senior communication studies major who interned this summer at Uline, a shipping and industrial supplies company in Manhattan. “Being surrounded by that every day was my favorite part of this experience.”

Between navigating the subway systems, building partnerships with small businesses, sitting in on corporate sales meetings, and learning the in-and-outs of NYC streets, Spagnola says she had the experience of a lifetime that will benefit her well after graduation.

“I’m a strong believer that having an Internship behind you before you graduate college is super beneficial when beginning your job search,” Spagnola says. “Employers really value experience.”

Her internship opportunity began when an Uline recruiter reached out through LinkedIn. Spagnola’s resume sparked the company’s interest and an interview ensued.

“When interviewing with the Uline team they were very interested in learning more about my leadership role in my sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau,” says Spagnola, who is currently AST’s vice president. “I’ve held many other positions, and I was able to tell the interviewers a lot about what I’ve done here at BU. The interviewers seemed very interested in learning about the different things.”

From there, she was offered an internship and began her journey waking up at 5:30 a.m. and commuting on the New Jersey transit for up to two hours every day. Spagnola, who dove head first into the life of a NYC sales professional, says she quickly learned the hustle and bustle of city life traveling from business to business, building connections and maintaining their partnerships with Uline.

“Personally, I’ve never been an ‘A’ student, but this summer my trainer and mentor at Uline saw my dedication and passion for learning and getting better at what I was doing,” Spagnola says. “They really valued that. I constantly asked those 'stupid questions’ to my trainer, but to him those questions did not come off as stupid. Instead, he saw how determined I was to learn more and be the best I can be at what I was doing.”

According to Spagnola, she was responsible for all of the duties of a sales representative; calling and making appointments with existing or potential clients, attending meetings with sales managers, and participating in lunch-and-learn activities to revamp her sales techniques. While the days were exhausting and long, Spagnola thrived off the energy and chaos of NYC — an environment she says could intimidate a young professional.

“This internship showed me what it’s really like to be an adult, go to work every day, get paid, act professional, and work hard,” says Spagnola, who recently got a full-time job offer from Uline and will start promptly after graduation in May. “This internship definitely changed my outlook on my future.”