My Experience as a Business Development Intern

Hi everyone, my name is Grant Montgomery and I am a student at Temple University majoring in advertising, following a track of account management. I started working at Cooper Pest Solutions this summer as a Business Development Intern and by the end of my training I was hoping to become a Business Development Representative for the summer. Towards the end of my internship, I was able to work closely with the marketing staff, which allowed me to see many aspects of the business.

I was able to examine the sales process in depth and the operations that Cooper Pest uses.   I also had the chance to acquire customer service skills through the “WOW” philosophy that the company incorporates in everyday work life. Starting out, I thought being a part of the Business Development (BD) team was where I wanted to be, but as I started to make sales, I did not feel as though this I what I wanted to do. I was looking to apply the things I learn in school to gain experience and I didn’t think I was getting the experience I needed. I spoke with my Business Development manager and was able to make a move to the Marketing Department. Given that I have no previous sales experience, the business development manager was willing to let me find what I was best at in the company and gain the experience I need. In the Marketing Department, I started working with tasks that were connected with what I am doing at Temple so it felt like I was actually moving in the right direction. I am happy I spoke up and was able to make a move in the company because as I look back, I would not have had the chance to gain knowledge and experience in marketing/advertising if I stayed in the BD Department.

I can say that I learned from two different sides of the business and I will take what I learned with me to future jobs I may receive. I was able to meet a lot of inspiring people like the CEO and Entomologist, who are both Eagles fans like myself and got to experience the work environment. It comes down to how I will look at the internship in its entirety and I believe I gained enough experience to move forward in the job market.