How personal experiences help college students adapt to the workplace
- May 23, 2024
- Life at Now
Bethany Karp, employee communications co-op, co-authored this blog post, the second in a three-part series about the ServiceNow co-op program for college students.
One of the most important parts of being a ServiceNow co-op is learning and growing in workplace skills and career development.
As co-ops, we enter the workplace with personal experiences that help us adjust to new expectations. Similarly, doing our best work at ServiceNow allows us to take some great lessons back to our passions outside of the office.
Staying curious
Richard Z., digital acquisition strategy and operations marketing co-op, has visited much of Southeast Asia, Europe, and Mexico. Those experiences taught him what it’s like to adapt to a new environment and the importance of staying curious.
He brings these perspectives into his role at ServiceNow. “In many of the team meetings, they speak a lot about things that are going on using terminology I never heard,” he says. “So, I always ask clarifying questions: What is this term? What is the goal of this project?”
Richard believes “this entire experience is going to be a learning experience for me. Every input, every criticism that I get is going to help me understand the industry better.”
Growing in leadership
Max S., an event field marketing co-op, came to ServiceNow with a leadership background. As the head of a design agency at Northeastern, he’s responsible for organizing interactions between clients and designers. The corporate workplace is helping him grow as a young professional.
“I’m getting some really great hands-on experience working for a company that’s very much driven to produce and excel,” Max explains. “And then I bring that to everything I do at the agency.”
Finding similarities
Michele G. has discovered striking similarities between her work as a marketing co-op on the corporate events team and as an accomplished musician.
She sees parallels in working between different teams, making sure things are executed, coordinating rehearsals, the way graphics are made, and what assets are shared leading up to an event, she says.
Even though it can be challenging to work in a fast-paced corporate environment, Michele appreciates many positives. “Seeing my work shine on a daily basis is something that’s really been great as a co-op,” she says.
Like the music industry, event planning requires attention to detail and the ability to adapt. “I’ve had to be on my toes, but part of that is a thrill,” she adds.
Emma T., another co-op on the events marketing team, sees a likeness between video games and marketing events: Both bring people together.
“I realized that there are events for every single industry or interest or hobby,” she says. “I’m able to do something that helps bring people together who have the same interests.”
Collaborating for the win
The transition from being a student to being a co-op isn’t simple. We’re faced with new schedules, demands, and dynamics every day. Max found he had to shift his focus from guiding others to learning from them. In doing so, he discovered the importance of winning as a team, one of ServiceNow’s core values.
“People will meet with you, genuinely respond to your inquiries, check in, and guide you to other resources,” he says. “I’ve sat in on countless meetings where colleagues paused to ask if I understand.”
They’ve also met with him after meetings to ensure he had what he needed to help his team and to fulfill the purpose of ServiceNow.
Emma has received similar support, “There’s a reason I came back to ServiceNow,” she says. “It’s such a great company. I’ve never met anyone [here] who doesn’t want to talk or have a conversation. Everyone’s willing to help.”
ServiceNow’s support, tools, and resources make the shift between classes and work less daunting. “ServiceNow is very friendly when it comes to the co-op experience,” Michele says. “I have loved my transition. So far, I feel like a valued member of my team—I don’t feel like just an intern.”
Join a company where you can do your best work. Explore ServiceNow early careers.
© 2024 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved. ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
