Driving Forward: My Experience at Volvo Cars USA
My name is Katie McGuirk. I’m a senior Advertising student, and am currently interning at Volvo Cars USA as a Dealer Development and Franchise Intern. This is now my second internship with the company in the same position, and the overall experience has been truly inspiring. Having prior experience going into this rotation of the winter internship program gave me a solid foundation, but I’m still learning something new about the dealer network and the automotive industry every day!
My experience at Volvo has shown me that my passion lies in the automotive industry. I truly enjoy the work that I am doing because every day is something new. I have always liked cars, but getting a behind-the-scenes perspective on how the industry operates has been fascinating. This realization was unexpected, as I had long imagined myself working in an advertising agency. However, I’ve learned that no career path is perfectly linear, and I’m excited by the idea of one day combining my love for cars with my background in advertising.
One of the biggest takeaways from this internship is that the people you work around really make the job. I’ve been lucky enough to work with such amazing people throughout this internship; their help and guidance has allowed me to grow professionally and learn so many new things. I can see that everyone around me is passionate about the job they are doing and this motivates me to always put my best work forward. One person that has really shaped me during these past three months is my boss, Brad. He has put a lot of trust in me and pushes me to do important yet challenging work. Brad has become somewhat of a mentor to me and I’m grateful to know that if I’m ever struggling with a task or project, he is there to help. When moving towards my post-grad plans, I now realize how important company culture is to me.
Going into this internship, I had no idea how much I would be brought out of my comfort zone. Before interning at Volvo, I had little to no experience or skill using Microsoft Excel. So getting asked to run a report on retailer profitability felt daunting at first. But with a little help from YouTube, Google, and my amazing coworkers, I was able to do it! Now that I have done several reports and gotten comfortable using Excel, I’m happy that I was forced out of my comfort zone. This skill is something that I will use in my future career for years to come. I’ve learned that internships and early career opportunities are the place to learn new things and make mistakes.
Aside from working in the office or online, I’ve also been lucky enough to visit the port in Newark, NJ. Seeing the port was not only fun, but also insightful to see how the business operates internationally. As part of the port tour, I also had the opportunity to visit the museum, which featured an impressive collection of vintage sports cars – and, naturally, some classic Volvos. It was a fascinating experience and offered insight into the brand’s evolution over time. In addition to the port, I also was able to go on a retailer visit to see the customer-facing side of Volvo. Being in this internship for such a short period of time encourages me to say yes to any and all opportunities. I’m so glad I got the chance to step outside of the office for a few days to go on these visits and gain more insight into the industry.
In closing, I’m extremely grateful for the experiences I’ve taken away from my time at Volvo. With this rotation ending in late April, I’m excited to finish strong and make the team proud of my work. Volvo’s brand is one of a kind in the vast automotive space and I’d love the opportunity to work there again at some point in the future.
