By: Annika Stevens

August 16, 2024

Andrea “Andy” Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada sets a memorable stereotype for corporate internships: frantically running around the streets of NYC making coffee runs and picking up dry cleaning at her boss’s beck and call. This image was ingrained in my mind as the uninspiring model for corporate internships. However, as a college junior, I still felt I needed a “grunt work” corporate experience to get a real job. So, I accepted the role as Corporate Communications Intern at Daikin Applied Americas (DAA). A subsidiary of an international, multi-conglomerate corporation, DAA has the resources to provide unrivaled opportunities for their interns around the world. Now ending my internship, I am happy to report that DAA provided exactly the experience that helped me squash the stereotype. I’d like to share four attributes that made my corporate internship experience GREAT!

1. Opportunities for ACTUAL Real-World Experience

Often interns are not given meaningful work with real-world experience. So, I was happy to learn that DAA’s internship program requires the completion of a Capstone Project. My Capstone Project was to support the Joseph Groh Foundation annual golf tournament with a goal of raising $35,000. The Foundation is an exceptionally worthy cause that provides financial support to members in the trades with life-altering disabilities.

$35,000 is equivalent to most college tuitions, I thought “How on earth was I going to raise that much money?!” It was a serious challenge, and I put my mind to the test.

The project was an incredible experience, where I made a real-world impact. Throughout my Project, I learned project management skills, persuasive business writing tactics, and how to execute a corporate fundraiser. My efforts proved effective: the Minneapolis tournament set a new record for total funds raised, raising over $57,000 – 62% over this year’s goal. My Capstone Project not only exposed me to a corporate experience; it helped me change lives.

As an intern at any company, it is also rare to have a chance to meet company executives. My bonus perk at the fundraiser was that I met company Executives, Suppliers, and Sales Representatives. That’s pretty sweet for a little intern at an 8,000-employee company!

“Having real-world experience gives you a sneak preview of what to expect when you graduate. You get to learn what your strengths are and understand the cadence of the corporate world.”

- Ai-Quynh Bui, DAA Technical Writing Intern

2. Mentor Pairings

I moved halfway across the country for my corporate internship, and I fully expected to just keep my head down and do grunt work. Imagine my surprise when I was assigned a mentor who helped me form a more personal connection to the company, as I embarked on my ‘Midwest’ summer.

The role of a mentor is to support and challenge their mentee in their personal and/or professional careers. I am a Marketing major with a Financial Management minor and my mentor works with the Finance team to pull together the monthly financial reports. This was a perfect mentor pairing because I got to understand financials in a real-world scenario, like how to monitor financial results and what the financials tell you about operations. I truly believe having a mentorship program helps push DAA further away from Andy’s unforgettable corporate experience.

“My mentor is extremely knowledgeable about the company. In our short time, we have created a strong professional relationship where I feel comfortable asking her lots of questions! She is supportive, patient, and genuinely wants me to succeed.”

- Bo Erholtz, DAA Aftermarket Sales Operations Intern

3. Creating A Community That Values Interns

Creating a strong sense of community is my third attribute of a great corporate internship. I find it hard to believe running around the streets of NYC doing errands really made Andy feel like a pivotal part of the firm. When companies work to create a community, individuals can feel seen and cared for. DAA Recruiter Specialists did a great job of making interns feel valued by offering event opportunities integrating DAA’s vision, mission, and values. Through these experiences, I had the opportunity to tour a manufacturing plant, attend my first Minnesota Twins baseball game and pack meals with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC).

Touring one of DAA’s manufacturing factories allowed me to learn about HVAC manufacturing and how DAA plants limit production waste. At the Twins game, I met ten new interns in the span of 2.5 hours: that is crazy! When I packed meal kits for FMSC, I bonded with new DAA interns where we worked together to complete a common goal, packing as many meal kits as possible. We packed 31, 752 meals which will feed 86 children for a year! The intern events created a sense of community through educational and social development opportunities: involving us in something bigger than ourselves.

“The intern events were 1) FUN, and 2) encouraged more camaraderie. These events helped me bridge the gap to meet interns in different departments and create a good work-life balance. Go to as many intern events as possible!”

- Camri Brecht, DAA Environmental Health and Safety Intern

4. Working in a Healthy Environment

Interning at DAA has shown me the key characteristics of a healthy work environment: open and honest communication, mutual respect, and development opportunities. I learned there is a high communication standard expected in my department: always communicate early, and in-detail. In this environment, I excelled at project completion because I received clear expectations and more structure.

Upon arrival, I was immediately met with respect and have had ample opportunities to earn others’ respect. From vocalizing my thoughts in meetings to conversing in passing, my actions have helped me achieve mutual respect with my colleagues. As an intern, it is easy to feel like flotsam; however, feeling welcome and respected at DAA was comforting. This is so important, especially when you are faced with the hardship of living in a new area and starting a new position. Mutual respect has allowed me to collaborate with many DAA employees who have been welcoming and supportive since day one, no matter what my task is.

As early professionals, it is important to take advantage of all growth opportunities you are presented. Opportunities to develop your skills are a great way to understand a company’s work environment. Per DAA’s company values, ‘develop people’ is a defining attribute of the company. This value intentionally extends into the internship program through a Speaker Series, where DAA Vice Presidents speak to interns about their respective roles and offer career advice. This is exclusive to interns, meant as an opportunity to learn about a new area in DAA and seamlessly connect with leadership members. DAA has truly proven to have cultivated a healthy and beneficial corporate internship experience through the instillation of open and honest communication, mutual respect, and development opportunities.

About the Author

Annika Stevens is entering her senior year at Clemson University, where she is studying Marketing with a Financial Management minor in the Powers College of Business. Annika is a member of Clemson’s Marketing Student Advisory Board, Global Business Ambassadors, and Real Estate Club.

About Daikin Applied Americas 
Daikin Applied, a member of Daikin Industries, Ltd., designs and manufactures advanced commercial and industrial HVAC systems for customers around the world. The company’s technology and services play a vital role in creating comfortable, efficient and sustainable spaces to work and live — and in delivering quality air to workers, tenants and building owners. Daikin Applied solutions are sold through a global network of dedicated sales, service and parts offices. For more information or to locate a Daikin Applied representative, visit www.daikinapplied.com or call 800-432-1342.