The Internship experience at TOMS

Sophie tells about her experience of finding an internship and the challenges associated with it. Learn from her experience and tips in this blogpost.

Which internship is the one for me? Well, I think that, ultimately, it comes down to what you want. What you really want and what you are open to attract into your life. You can find the perfect spot for you at a great company, but when you apply and deep down you feel doubt, or you feel undeserving or not ready, it is unlikely you will actually get that position.

I never said to myself that I want to work in marketing/eCommerce and in that area only, but I wanted to work in a company with purpose, with a mission that counts and with kind and empathetic colleagues. With people that I would consider friends and that would help me out when I don’t know how to do something. People that can teach me a lot of things and that appreciate me as a person and as an asset to the company. I got all that and more. At TOMS, it’s like working with friends and the best part: THEY HAVE DOGS AT THE OFFICE!!! 

From searching to scoring an internship
I found my then internship and now job on LinkedIn and to this day I feel this is one of the best platforms to find jobs that suit you, especially if you are not such a great socializer and lack a bit in the connections department, which I definitely do/did. Don’t let that bring you down or discourage you, connections are nice to have but they are for sure not everything. If a company has a great morale, they will take the people that are an actual fit for the position as well as for the company, no matter their connections. The hiring process was as one would expect, pretty straightforward. One interview over the phone, then one interview in person and then I got the job. Looking at how to prepare, I think the main thing to focus on is to be yourself. I know this sounds cheesy and overused, but I think it rings true. Of course, you should also inform yourself about the company, have a look at their history, their website and maybe some articles about what they have done recently. And prepare some questions to ask, as well. I was interested in the corporate structure at TOMS and how diverse the team is, so I asked about these things. I even voiced critique, when asked to do, about their website. Engage with the interviewer as much as possible. Think of it, as a conversation, it makes things flow and feel lighter. I was nervous because I had never done a job interview before but one thing that helped me a lot beforehand was meditation. If you are open to this, I highly recommend it. There are tons of meditations for job interviews on YouTube. Another thing I would deem important, is your CV/resume. It is a plus if you tailor it a bit to the position you are applying for and make sure the cover letter picks that up again and goes into more detail about why you are the correct fit for the company.

To close this little insight into the start of my career journey, I just want to say: focus on what you want. Visualize what you want and speak it into existence. Be clear about what you deserve and what you want to experience. And then just go out there and get exactly that. I am sure you will find a job that suits you and your needs and that meet your standards. I am grateful for the position at TOMS because from the start they have treated me with respect, and they valued my work and input. I was not “just” an intern and if you want to be more than “just” an intern you need to feel and live that. Make sure other people know what you are worth and how much you can actually do.