I gave myself learning goals before I started my internship. However, I wasn’t expecting to learn this much. I told myself that I would explore the different areas within the company (check), figure out if I enjoy industry more than academia (check), decide on when to pursue graduate school (check), and figure out whether or not I want to work at Innerscope (check). The learning curve has been steep at Innerscope and I know I am far from mastering it. However, I did reach my personal goals and have learned so much more. Not only have I been welcomed into this company, but the employees have helped me figure out which personalities I work best with, what environment suits me, and who I am.
For the longest time, I have been in denial of graduating and finding a job. I can now confirm that I have learned and grown at Innerscope because I am no longer in denial of growing up. “Learning” is definitely a difficult concept to measure without an assessment, but there are other ways. It’s not all about attending lectures and taking exams. Learning is about having the courage to explore new territory and expanding your curiosity. This type of “learning” is what I have learned during my internship. Over the past month and a half, I have had the opportunity to explore the intersection of neuroscience and market research. Of course, there is more to dive into, but from what I have explored so far, I have been able to not only understand the company, but myself as well. And this is what I am most proud of. Innerscope helped me gear towards one pathway (rather than a million). As a college student, I always worried what my major would be, what I would study, and what I would do. Innerscope helped me develop a path and it’s the best feeling a student can ask for.
For my future career and academics, I will be able to transfer my interpersonal skills and thinking-style. There is a particular way of thinking in market research, especially when most of the project managers have a Ph.D. They have taught me how to analyze, strategize, and create a project from beginning to end. I am still getting use to this way of thinking, but I will most certainly use this style of thinking in my classes back at Brandeis!
Alicia Park, ’15