Kaila Sanders – Incentive Compensation Intern – Final Blog Wrap-Up

Kaila Sanders | Saint Leo University | Incentive Compensation Intern

 Week 10 – August 5, 2016

 … and just like that, my summer at Tech Data has come to a close.  It has been an incredible ten week journey full of hard work, new experiences, and learning opportunities.

Thinking back to the day I got offered an internship at Tech Data, I realize now that this opportunity ended up being so much more than I ever expected.  Tech Data truly is a big company with a small company feel.  Everyone here has become like family, and it is so much harder to leave than I anticipated.   There is a quote that comes from Tech Data’s recognition program description, which I believe expresses the culture of Tech Data, the culture that I have come to love: “It happens every day at Tech Data – employees ‘being the difference’ and displaying Tech Data’s shared values.  The mind-set is how to do it better, faster, and more efficiently… The overall message is clear.  The Tech Data difference is people.  You make this company truly exceptional, every day and in many ways.” It really is true – the people here are the difference, and they are the ones that have made this experience completely worthwhile.

One of the major highlights of the summer internship program was our summer project, where we were able to collaborate with all of the interns on a large scale project.  On Thursday, we had our final project presentation.  I had the opportunity to be the individual from my group to present our half of the project.  When presenting in front of a large group of people, there is always going to be pressure to perform well.  However, when that room is full of 75 people, including the CEO, COO, and many other company executives, the pressure multiplies.  My part of the presentation was focused on a new peer-to-peer recognition program proposal that would be housed in the company’s new intranet.  I spoke for about 20 minutes, giving the group an overview of the programs we currently have, the research we conducted throughout the summer, the feedback we got from employees, and then presenting our proposal and implementation strategies.  As I was speaking, I felt like the presentation was going pretty well and the audience seemed to be very engaged in the presentation, but you can never be quite sure what people are actually thinking.

After I wrapped up my team’s presentation, we opened up the floor for a question and answer session.  Right away, from the second row, a hand shot up; this hand belonged to Tech Data’s CEO, Bob Dutkowsky.  Surprisingly, he did not have a question for us, but rather, he had one simple and straight forward comment.  His voice echoed throughout the room, “I just want you to know, we like this so much that we are going to do it.”  That one moment, that one sentence, made the entire summer, and all of the hard work, completely worth it.  Everyone that was in the room absolutely loved our project proposal, and there is a very high chance that is will get implemented by the end of the year.  It is so incredible that through a simple internship we were able to work on a project that will end up making an impact on the entire company!

I came into this internship with the mindset that Tech Data was a large global corporation very prominent in the Tampa Bay area, and that having an internship through them on my resume would help me receive future jobs at other companies.  I came in wanting to work hard, learn a lot, and make a good impression.  I believe that I was able to accomplish those three objectives, but what began as a resume booster has turned into so much more.  This fall I will continue working for Tech Data, but this time in the role of a ‘Loaned Executive’ with our community partner, United Way.  I am not sure what future holds after my time at United Way this fall, but I certainly hope that it involves Tech Data.

To any students reading this blog that are in consideration of applying for a Tech Data internship: There is no question about it, you need to apply.  This internship will help you grow personally and professionally.  It will introduce you to an incredible industry, incredible people, and incredible opportunities; do not pass up a chance to further your career in such a thriving corporation.

And with that, for the last time this summer… Thanks for reading!