Over the summer, Nick Chambers completed an amazing internship at QVC in West Chester, PA. He had to go through one phone interview and one in-person interview in order to get the internship. The senior found this opportunity through a friend. Nick’s typical day at QVC consisted of getting to work early in the morning, chatting with his friends, and checking emails and messages. He also attended “stand-up” meetings where they would go over what they did on a project the day before and what they would do on the current day. The majority of the work was doing some programming and any other work the company thought was a good fit for him. The senior did a group project with his fellow interns during his free time as well. His favorite aspect of the experience was the close friends that he made. Nick still keeps in touch with the three co-workers closest in age to him from his project team and a handful of the interns who he met. The most challenging part of the internship was having to dive into a place where he knew nothing and no one.

Ability to learn quickly, adapt to new programming languages, apply general knowledge of coding, work with a team, communication, and general Information Technology skills were the main skills the senior utilized at QVC. Nick feels as though this experience provided him with new skills and improvement upon old ones. He learned new programming languages and improved his problem solving skills. The senior believes these skills will help him in his future career with QVC.

“My manager Ken, who would like to get me back on his team once I return to QVC, as well as my new friends Kevin, Tyler, and Deevena. I formed great relationships with my managers and everyone I worked with was very relaxed. I think I would feel comfortable enough with most of them to use as a reference. I made friends and connections that I can use later for personal improvement in my career and social life. I think they’re very important.”

The senior feels more prepared for being okay with not knowing how to do anything for the first few weeks and asking for help when needed. Nick doesn’t believe this opportunity changed him personally or as a student since the job was a perfect fit in the first place. Overall, the senior learned that QVC is owned by a company called Qurate who also owns QVC’s competitors. After he graduates from Ursinus, Nick plans on moving to West Chester and go back to QVC as a full-time employee.

The coolest part of the experience was getting to build an intern project that the senior presented in front of many higher-ups who were delighted with the final prototype!

Nick advises not to think that your employer expects you to be able to do everything because your employer is there to guide you. “You are a student who isn’t done school yet, so you have to build your resume and open yourself up to new possibilities. Also, you get credits for internships, so talk to your advisor” adds the senior. Lastly, Nick would absolutely recommend this internship to anyone with a similar area of interest.

Written by Faraha Rathad ’19