Inauguration Day

There it is. I can see it. Sitting there, small and shiny on an oversized executive style desk is an ominous call bell. Do I ring the bell?  Maybe that is a little weird. Maybe I should cough loudly. Maybe I should shuffle forward quietly. It is my first day as an intern at ProModel and I am nervous. I am relieved from my quandary and greeted warmly by the head of marketing. We tour the office and I shake hands with my new associates. My nerves simultaneously fade as each new face brings kindness and words of welcome.

My first day brings many small challenges and small victories. The nine seasons of office experience I had previously acquired did not have me completely prepared for this new journey. Apparently, many things go into working in an office. Things I did not learn from watching “The Office” on NBC. I learned to push the little red tab in on the hot water spout at the water dispenser and learned the number to dial before you dial the number on the office phones.

I receive a briefing from two passionate and experienced model builders. Discrete event simulation’s ability to predict outcomes under uncertainty leaves me feeling impressed and hopeful. Modeling can aid in reducing patient wait time, improving various military operations, increasing throughput in a warehouse, and solving real world problems. There appears to be no limit to the industry or circumstance in which modeling can provide clarity. There was even one story about a model built for pigs.

Looking Ahead to My First 100 Days in My Not-So-Oval-Office

This internship will allow me to dabble in many fields. I am looking to launch my career and discover the route that best fits my strengths and interests. I will explore and experiment in model building, finance, marketing, and customer relations. The friendly, team-oriented work environment encourages me to find ways to add value to the company. There is some grunt work involved in being an intern, but there is also the opportunity to play with cardboard boxes and organize filing cabinets.

When the head of marketing first came to me and asked me to write a blog post, it scared me a little. My apprehension quickly turned to excitement as I reflected on my first few weeks experience. This post has been easy to write, as the experience thus far has been superb and the employees could not be kinder.  I anticipate writing future blog posts as my internship progresses!

Jenn Ross