Week 3

Another great week in the HR Department of ETC!

     This week I've been finishing up the New Hire Orientation Presentation. I've been working on shortening the presentation to only the most relevant information so that we don't scare any new hires away during their first week! I added some fun activities to engage them in hopes that they will be just as excited to be at ETC as I am! Over the course of the next few weeks I will be working with Jessica to create self-taught training materials that new hires can complete on their own time. We're trying to cut down on the amount of time that they are just sitting and listening to a speaker, and rather provide more hands-on ways to get information across.

     This week I sat in on my first HR departmental meeting with John, Tiffany, Andy, Jessica, Tony, and Andrea. We discussed the progress of the department and goals for each member of the team. We also touched on some of the open positions that HR has been recruiting for. On Wednesday we had an Open House in Berea to hire a new batch of Client Services Representatives. There was a fairly decent turnout for the position. I had to play secretary for a bit, but there was free lunch involved so it was totally worth it!
     In Elyria I worked with John again on a department headcount for Operations. I set up meetings with all of the supervisors of the department to verify their numbers. I jotted down the responsibilities of each team in the department and how they interact with other departments within ETC. Jessica and I plan to incorporate that information into the Orientation material so that new hires have a better idea of how the company functions. I really enjoy getting to work with the supervisors of other departments because it gives me the opportunity to get to know more of the employees here. I was impressed with how accomodating and friendly each supervisor was.

     I scheduled and held my very first meeting on Friday! Granted, it wasn't the most exciting of discussions, but it's a step! The purpose of the meeting was to review the CST script I've been working on. Kathy, Amanda, and Phil, the leadership team within CST, attended the meeting and gave me feedback. The script will likely be incoporated into the CST training materials and be placed in each of the call center cubicles as a quick reference guide of phrases that the Client Service Reps can use during calls. The script was also help to make calls more uniform.

    I have to say, the employees of ETC are some of the nicest people I've ever met. I'm not even saying that because I'm sure my supervisors are eventually going to read this. :) But really, I have to hand it to ETC for finding such a positive and helpful group of employees. Maybe I'm shocked because I spend the majority of my year around rude college kids. But, I would rather give ETC the benefit of the doubt. The smiley faces at the end of each email I recieve certainly lends to a positive work environment, and I genuinely enjoy being here each day!

Now I can stop brain freeze

Another successful week has been completed here at Equity Trust.  It was jam-packed with meetings, new projects, and Dairy Queen!  Since my parents always told me to save my dessert for last I will hold off on the DQ until I tell you what I have been working on. 

After our Evergreen meeting last week I began researching some of the program's competitors.  Wes provided me with over ten different programs that provide webinar automation services.  I went on their websites and documented what features they offer and how they compare to those offered by EBS.  I threw out the majority of the programs on the list but flagged about three that are somewhat comparable to Evergreen for further research. 

We have been brainstorming how best to handle any complaints that are posted on our Facebook page.  Since we recently upgraded our systems we have been having a few issues handling our customers accounts.  We have had one particularly unruly customer who continues to post negative feedback on our page.  Although we follow up, and eventually resolve, each issue this client is still not satisfied.  We got together and decided we would contact him again with an opportunity that should assuage him. 

On Wednesday Brendan assigned me a new project.  In the past several marketing interns have conducted a competitor analysis that looks into the website content, fee schedules, and sales procedure of the top firms in the self-directed IRA industry.  Since it has been a few years since the last analysis I am going to update our information.  I am excited for this project because it allows me to play detective.  We have agreed on a client profile that includes my age, occupation, investments I am interested in, and how much I have to invest.  I will then utilize this profile to contact our competitors and learn how they pitch their products.  I hope to compile an extensive comparison and help our company to continue to improve.  I had to leave a little early Wednesday because I had my 2 month check up for my elbow surgery.  It is extremely valuable that ETC allows me the flexibility to leave a little early for my appointments.  The doctor gave me great news!  I am finally cleared to begin strengthening my arm in the weight room for the first time in over six months.  To say I am excited would be an understatement, even if it is just to curl five pound weights! 

In addition, I had another meeting with Rich Desich and Kent to discuss how we would like to continue with our Evergreen Webinar program.  We are planning on utilizing one of the 2,600 Homevestor franchises.  We hope to produce an educational webinar that will run continuously.  We will use Homevestor to help drive traffic to the webinar and thus tap into their leads.  Rich did a great job explaining the thought process that was put into each slide.  It was amazing to learn more about the psychological component of marketing.  Every word, every topic, and every slide has a specific response it should provoke.  Rich encouraged our team that this program should help revolutionize how we produce webinars and generate leads from them.  Like I've mentioned before, this is an opportunity most interns do not have.  I am lucky to be in the position that I am and I have no doubt I am learning more than many of my peers.   

Is all this work making your hungry?  Me too.  Once again the marketing department infused fun and food into the work week.  Brendan decided it was time to treat the department to Dairy Queen to celebrate Kelly registering over 100 people for our Tax Free Wealth Seminar in San Francisco.  She has been doing great work with TFWS and I was more than happy to "help her celebrate."  I got an Oreo Blizzard, which unlocked an extremely useful piece of information.  KT informed me that you can stop brain freeze by pressing your thumb against the roof of your mouth.  I figured there was only one way to test this statement.  I began to shovel copious amounts of Oreo Blizzard into my mouth until I felt that familiar pain in my head.  Sure enough it worked!  I will no longer live in fear of the dreaded brain freeze thanks to KT.  I guess it just proves my theory that interning with ETC will teach you more than the rest!

My Time At ETC So Far

     Equity Trust Company is an awesome company. I've been here since the beginning of May and I've loved every minute of it! I've been kept busy though for the past week or so, so I'm just finally getting around to my first post on this blog. I am the Summer Computer Networking Intern here at ETC. My supervisor, John Moses, has been assigning me little projects since I started here. For my first project, I had to create an imaging server using the open-source imaging solution FOG to make computer deployment a more efficient process. After doing almost everything I could with that, he has moved me on to another project in cleaning up the Active Directory and updating employee information. I've been working with Tiffany from Human Resources to get the information I need. She's been a great help.

     Updating Active Directory has been a little more interesting then my previous project because I've had the opportunity to talk to a large number of ETC employees I probably never would have spoken to. When there is information missing from the reports given to me to update employee information in Active Directory, I have often had to call and speak with them or send them an email to get this information. Now when I receive company-wide emails, I can often remember the names of the people in the email from when I have spoken to them, which is kind of neat. I have also been helping Jessica with technical support, since she has been in Elyria for the past two weeks. That has also been a great way to meet some of my fellow employees. I will most likely finish up working on Active Directory today. I'm excited about what is in store for my next project from John. He has mentioned in the past that he wants me to organize all the crazy wiring on the server racks, so that could be next.

    ETC has such a great atmosphere to work in. Everything is laid back. The business casual dress code is great (we even get to wear shorts when it's hot in Fridays!). We get an hour lunch break every day, and sometimes we even get free food from a catered cookout provided by ETC in the parking lot! I've also had the pleasure of going out to eat and to an Indian's game with all of my fellow ETC employees paid for by the company. It was an awesome way to get to know everyone.

     I'm excited about what's in store the next couple of weeks. My internship is supposed to end around the beginning in August, but I'd be more than willing to stay a bit longer if I was offered. We'll just have to see how that goes...Hopefully the rest of my time at ETC will be just as great as it has been so far!

Week 2

Week 2 has been just as good as week 1! I have been very busy working on projects. 

      In Berea, I mainly focus on the training and orientation aspect of Human Resources. Jessica has me working on the Corporate Training New Hire Orientation Presentation. Phew, that's a mouthful! I really like this project because I get to be a bit creative and add in my own orientation activities and games. I also like working with the heads of departments to incorporate important information into the presentation that new hires would need to know about those departments.  Jessica and I have been working with Phil, Amanda, and Kathy from CST. They're a great group! We had a meeting this week to discuss creating different levels in the CST training program. I'm also working on some scripting for CST so that calls will be more standardized. I was able to sit in on calls with both experienced and new call center employees to see how they interacted with clients. My goal was to determine which parts of the conversion could have a script incorporated. There are many projects going on within the training side of HR, so I will keep you posted as I start the next one!

      In Elyria I get to experience the recruiting side of Human Resources. This week I helped post job opportunities on Monster.com, NEOintern.com, various career service sites for colleges in the area, and social media sites. I reviewed resumes for potential candidates for job openings and scheduled interview appointments. I have learned that there is an art to reviewing resumes. Recruiters have to be able to determine whether or not a person will be a good fit for the company and stay with the company based on work patterns and histories. Even the layout and wording of a resume can make a huge difference in whether or not a candidate will be interviewed. I'm taking notes for my own resume! I got to work with my first member of the Executive Management Team, John Cameron. I helped create a department headcount report with Andy. Also, I finally got to work with Tiffany, who is back from her conference! 

      One of the things that drew me to ETC was its dedication to community involvement. I really like that ETC takes part in Relay for Life and Corporate Challenge, among many other events. This week, I signed up for the 10k relay for the Corporate Challenge. Also, I ran the Towpath Freedom 5k for which ETC was a sponsor. I ended up being the 18th female finisher and got 3rd in my age division! I think that ETC does a great job of providing fun opportunities for employees outside of the workplace, and I've really enjoyed getting to be a part of them!


I love working here!!

First week as an HR Intern at ETC!

      This is actually my third week on the job as an HR Intern at Equity Trust Company. I was having some technical issues with my Google account, but now everything is good to go thanks to our Marketing Intern, Keith! Luckily, I have been keeping a journal for the online course I am taking in conjunction with this internship to receive credit for my major, so I won't be too far behind.

Here's what I wrote to my professor regarding my first week here at ETC:

      My first week as a Human Resources Intern for Equity Trust Company has been great! My supervisors have quickly made me feel at home. Despite having only been here for a few days, I feel very comfortable working with everyone. The HR department is fun and energetic, which makes for a comfortable and entertaining work environment. The dress code is casual, which makes for an even more laid back atmosphere.

      On Mondays and Thursdays, I will be at the Elyria location, while on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I will be in Berea. 

      In Elyria, I will be working with Tiffany and Andy. Tiffany has been at a conference in Atlanta, so I won't be able to work with her until next week. Fun fact: Tiffany is also a Mount Union Purple Raider and was in my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. Pretty cool! Andy is definitely a jokester. From day one I could tell that I was going to be entertained. He is a Baldwin-Wallace grad, which means there will certainly be a rivalry! I need Tiffany to return from her conference so we can team up on him!

      In Berea I will be working with Jessica. She was also an intern at ETC when she was in college, so it's fun getting to work with her. It sounds like she has some big projects planned for me, and I'm excited to get started!   

      The HR department has really held true to what they told me during my interview for this position: there would be no mindless tasks involved. This is not your average internship where filing or paperwork make up the majority of day to day work. I really like that my supervisors rely on me to complete important tasks. I have a lot of freedom and can request more entertaining or difficult projects at any time. I really appreciate how trusting my supervisors are of me.

      I am amazed by how quickly a full work day goes by! I really didn't know what to expect, seeing as I've never worked a traditional, full work day in an office environment. I anticipated watching the clock and feeling anxious for the day to end. Surprisingly, that is not the case at all. I actually enjoy waking up early and coming to work here!

The 4th of July is on what day again?

Since the Fourth of July fell on July 4th this year..er I mean since it was on a Wednesday, it was a nice break midway through the week.  Before our off day, I met with members of the IT and marketing departments about the Evergreen webinar software.  I summarized the capabilities and potential pitfalls I have found while testing the software.  David Griffiths, our Salesforce developer and administrator, is a pivotal figure in this process.  Since he runs our customer relationship management software, it is important to ensure that any issues between Evergreen and Salesforce are addressed before moving forward with the software.  This meeting was another valuable experience I have gained through my internship with ETC.  It was my first opportunity running a group meeting and it gave me an opportunity to practice in an office setting.  We spent an hour discussing the program and how we would like to proceed.  We decided we want to research some competitors before moving on with some expanded testing.  There is no way to simulate what a real meeting is like, which is why it is so beneficial that Equity Trust Company puts their interns in those positions. 

I also participated in two online webinar meetings with representatives of ReadyTalk and ActOn Interactive Services.  I logged on through my phone and also shared a computer screen with each of the representatives.  Once again I was placed into a situation that is quite common in the workplace but not in the classroom.  I spoke with the reps and told them what we were looking for, what our current software provides, and then listened to their pitch.  I then typed up the summary of my findings and passed it along to the rest of the team.  It has been helpful to compare the ability of each of these programs to Evergreen in order to make the most educated decision. 

Finally, I met with Sarah to learn more about Salesforce.  She is going on vacation next week and I am hoping to be able to help with some of her workload while she is gone.  She tutored me about how we input our leads and create the various campaigns.  It is another skill that I am desperately trying to learn and add to my marketing repertoire.

The summer interns concluded the week by meeting for lunch in the third floor cafeteria.  It was the first time we were all together, which was nice to get to know one another further.  The jokesters that I work with in marketing deemed it the Intern Summit.  While the name is more official than it was, we hope to reconvene the summit at a later date.

Until next week!

Week 4 in Review

My fourth week started with my biggest moment as an intern here at ETC.  On Tuesday I had a meeting with Kent, our business development manager, and Rich Desich, our co-founder and one of the leaders of the company.  Needless to say I was excited to showcase what I had been working on with the Evergreen system, but also a little nervous.  I created a PowerPoint presentation and a fact sheet that overviewed the capabilities, pros, and cons of the program.  We spent close to an hour discussing how we would like to use the program.  It went extremely well!  Rich and Kent seemed impressed with my work and gave me the go-ahead to delve deeper into the program.  I walked out of the meeting with a feeling of accomplishment and a new found confidence that can only be acquired by gaining real-world experience in an office setting.  The opportunity to meet with executives does not come along for many interns.  It is just another example of how great an internship this is.  The remainder of my week consisted of posting and following up on the BiggerPockets blog.  I was able to generate two leads already from the posts I have made so I sent them along to our sales department.  I also drafted my first Facebook post for our Fourth of July campaign.  We offered a free Blueprint for Success kit as our version of fireworks to offer our fans.  Finally, after meeting with Wes and Kelly I was assigned with creating event postings on a multitude of websites for our Tax Free Wealth Seminars being held in San Diego, San Francisco, and Cleveland.  Wes had compiled an Excel spreadsheet with a list of web pages that list events in various cities around the country.  I then created an event for each TFWS in their respective cities.  This week we also welcomed the newest member to our marketing team in Jen Lynch.  Jen came over to us from the Cleveland Clinic and will be our Marketing Supervisor.  We all went out to lunch together and had a good time laughing and sharing some “fun facts” about ourselves.  Welcome to the Equity Trust Company team Jen!