SENIOR REFLECTS ON LIFE-CHANGING INTERNSHIP
Some might expect this sort of interaction from an internship: “I need 10 copies of this and a grande decaf with no cream right away!”
But Andrew Davidson ’22 (BBA) had a decidedly different experience. As a USD senior minoring in entrepreneurship and finance, Davidson landed a sales analyst internship with Nasdaq, one of the largest and most prominent global electronic marketplaces for buying and trading securities. He was tasked with selling software to top-level executives, generating leads, prospecting candidates, scheduling meetings along with other duties.
The competition for this role was fierce. Davidson went up against 19,000 global candidates for his position. After four rounds of intensive Zoom and phone interviews, he got the good news. “I knew it was going to be competitive,” he says. “But I always like a challenge, so I was up for it,” he says.
When asked to speculate upon what set him apart from the rest, Davidson thinks the company “appreciated my drive.” He’s hoping that he’ll be offered a full-time position with Nasdaq by the time he graduates in May 2022.
While waking up in San Diego at 5 a.m. to attend virtual meetings in Boston was most likely exhausting, Davidson raved about his remote internship. He sees Microsoft Teams and emails as the new version of walking down the hall and knocking on a colleague’s door. “It was such a good experience, even being remote.”
Davidson says that his weekly projects were shared by teams across the country and were praised and utilized in everyday applications. “Everybody praises each other for the work that they do, no matter how big or small.”
He’s quick to praise the resources offered by USD’s Career Development Center, when talking about his own opportunity. “USD sets you up so well on a professional level,” he notes. Through taking advantage of LinkedIn workshops, resume revisions, career fairs and other offerings, he felt fully equipped with the tools and experience needed to succeed in his internship.
On National Interns Day, Davidson and his fellow interns were honored with an awe-inspiring gesture that was seen by thousands. Alongside his fellow interns, his photo was featured on the Nasdaq billboard in the middle of Times Square. “I can’t think of another company that does that,” he says.
His beaming face on that glowing billboard in the Big Apple is a potent symbol of what hard work and drive can lead to. —
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