Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on February 8, 2017, at the 11th Annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.
These are their stories.
Autumn Ogrin is a senior at Grace College and Theological Seminary graduating in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in general business. She interned with Roberts Brothers Excavating as an administrative assistant.
Indiana INTERNnet: Describe your internship experience with Roberts Brothers Excavating.
Autumn Ogrin: I was introduced into a business that I was not entirely familiar with, but I knew few agricultural aspects. Therefore, from the beginning I became aware of the resources the business sold, the services offered, and the prices of each product/service. My boss was very open-minded and allowed me to ease in to the position as administrative assistant. She was very hands-on in helping me understand the tasks that I was required to do.
By the end of the internship, I had been a part of almost every part of the business. I did payroll, scheduled jobs, interacted with customers by phone and in person, completed banking services, created invoices/estimates for projects, and many other office duties. My favorite aspect was building relationships with the employees I worked with. I entered into this small-family business as an outsider and I quickly began to feel as if I were a part of the family.
IIN: What was a major project you completed during your internship?
Ogrin: A major project I completed was utilizing Excel as a payroll system. I created spreadsheets for each employee, inserted formulas among hours worked, hourly pay, taxes to be taken out, and the final total. This has allowed payroll to become a faster and simpler task, as well as creating more document proof to reference back to.
IIN: Describe the Employer Connection Board you implemented during your internship.
Ogrin: The Employer Connection Board I created was a board located outside of the office that allowed employees to communicate if it was after hours, an employee was out of the office, or for upcoming events that the employees needed to be aware of. This was a great way for employees communicate whether contact was made that day or not, employees were all able to be on the same page from one source.
IIN: Was this your first internship?
Ogrin: Yes, this was my first internship. I chose to complete an internship, because it was a way for me to implement what I have learned in college and use it for a hands-on business experience. I was able to grow in a variety of areas and learn business features I wouldn’t necessarily have learned in the classroom.
IIN: Has your nomination for IMPACT Awards impacted your life?
Ogrin: Being nominated for IMPACT Awards has been such an honor and uplifting to see how my role was valued within the company. The nomination has strengthened my desire for work and pushes me to strive harder to achieve excellence.
IIN: What are your plans and goals post-graduation?
Ogrin: After graduation, I will be moving to North Carolina to work for a hardscapes business. I am looking forward to implementing new business strategies within the office and seeing how my role can impact the future vision of the company.
