Emma Stewart is a second-year intern at SPC and has experienced remarkable growth throughout her time with us.
SPC is committed to nurturing the next generation of professionals in the print industry by providing students like Emma with invaluable hands-on experience and education. Through her internships, Emma has not only deepened her understanding of printing, marketing, and sales but has also cultivated essential skills that will serve her well in her future career.
In the following Q&A, she shares her journey, insights, and the impact that SPC has had on her professional development.
What are some skills you’ve developed or strengthened during this internship?
During this internship, I significantly strengthened my research skills. I worked on numerous projects that pushed me to think creatively and come up with new strategies that were far beyond what I have learned in school so far. I was also able to strengthen my prospecting skills. I helped out different sales team members throughout their prospecting processes.
A highlight for me was a prospecting role play in which I acted as the primary sales rep for a one-hour presentation and planned out a meeting with the goal of landing an opportunity to bid. These experiences made me feel more confident in both my research and sales abilities.
How would you summarize your experience at SPC in a couple of sentences?
My experience here at SPC was transformational! At the end of my internship, I am much more confident and secure in myself as a businessperson, as well as my knowledge of the industry and business operations in general. I was able to apply my knowledge in the field by getting hands-on experience through assisting the sales team, taking on numerous solo projects, joining client meetings, and traveling several times with the sales team.
How have the two internships at SPC helped shape your career goals?
Both internships exposed me to numerous aspects of business that helped me understand what I like and don’t like as well as my strengths and weaknesses. With that information, I was able to map out a clear path of how I want to finish my last year of school as well as the path I want to take post-grad and beyond.
If you could give your “day one” self a piece of advice, what would it be?
Remember that you are here to learn! I think that I felt like I had to prove myself because I was the first intern who wasn’t studying graphic communications. However, now I realize that I am here to learn as much as I can; I didn’t have to already know everything going in.
