FINAL as of 10/23/14 1:07 AM
Winter Study 2015 – SPEC 21-Experience the Workplace: an Internship with Williams Alumni/Parents
APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR THREE NEW WINTER STUDY INTERNSHIPS-FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2014 at 4:30 p.m.
Minted. The World of A Fast Growing Internet Company
Imprint Capital,Emerging Market Impact Investing
Williamstown Community Chest, Non Profit/Philanthropy
Course Description (from the catalog)
Field experience is a critical component of the decision to enter a profession. Through this internship, students can clarify their understanding of the rewards and challenges that accompany the practice of many different aspects within a profession, and understand the psychology of the workplace. Field placements are arranged in two distinct ways: some students live on campus and are matched with a local professional, while others make independent arrangements to work with a distant professional. The expectation is that each student will observe and participate in some aspect of the profession for the better part of the day, five days per week. It is also expected that the instructor will assign a specific project to be completed within the 3–4 week duration of the course depending upon appropriateness.
Participation in this winter study will require the student to quickly assess the work environment, make inferences about corporate culture, performance norms and expectations, and to take initiative not only to learn from this experience, but also to contribute where and when appropriate. Understanding the dynamics within a work environment is critical to success in any organization and this hands-on experience will illuminate lessons learned in the classroom. Upon completion of the winter study, it is expected that the student write a thorough report evaluating and interpreting the experience.
Requirements: It is expected that students will complete assigned readings, keep a daily journal, and write a 5–page expository reviewand evaluation that will become public record as a resource for other students.
Prerequisites: interested students must attend an information meeting on September 30th or October 2nd. If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, please make an appointment to see Dawn Dellea. Preference for placements will be given on demonstrated interest in the sponsor’s profession and is totally at the discretion of the sponsor.
Enrollment limit: 60
Cost to student: if the internship is off campus, the student will be responsible for transportation and living expenses at the internship site. Students may apply for a rebate on their January meal plan; those on financial aid may approach the Financial Aid Office for additional assistance for travel expenses.
Meeting time: The expectation is that each student will be in the field to observe and participate in some aspect of the profession for the better part of the day, five days per week, but at least 25 hours per week. In addition to observation there may be an opportunity to work on distinct projects generated by the instructor depending upon appropriateness.
JOHN NOBLE, Director of the Career Center
DAWN M. DELLEA, Manager, Alumni & Parent Engagement Programs, Career Center
Dean’s Office (Sponsor)
Course Syllabus
Outline of Requirements
Important Note: Students are responsible for all costs necessary for completing the course, including travel to the site location, costs of food and accommodations, and any commuting costs. Please do not apply for an internship if you have no idea how to find housing. Those students receiving financial aid from the College are eligible for some assistance and should check with the Financial Aid Office for details. All students working off-campus are eligible for a food plan rebate.
1.Application: students may apply to as many of the individual placements as they wish, however, they must prepare separate applications for each because each opportunity may require unique components. Please read each description carefully to determine what is required.
2.Deadline: All application materials must be submitted on-line by e-mail by Friday, October 31st at 4:30pm, to Dawn Dellea at the Career Center (). Please attach each piece of the application as a separate documentin PDF format with your name and internship number in the file name (e.g. Jones12resume, Jones12cover, Jones12sponsor).
3.Required reading: Working by Studs Terkel, New Press, 2004 ed. or What Should I Do with My Life? by Po Bronson, Ballantine Books, 2005.
4.Required writing: minimum 5-page expository piece on your experience during the course, what you learned about the profession, and what you learned about yourself – whether or not you see yourself pursuing this profession in the future explaining why or why not. Due: Thursday, January 29th at 4:30 p.m. by e-mail to Dawn Dellea ().
Acceptance
Acceptance into the course will be determined as a result of the review of your application by the alum/parent sponsor and a possible telephone interview. Determination of acceptance will be made as soon as possible after the application deadline. In order to apply, you must register for SPEC 21 Experience in the Workplace: an Internship with Williams Alumnni/Parents. Selection into the course comes as a final decision from the alum/parent sponsor and will be based solely on his or her evaluation of your application materials and any interview that may take place. Seniority by class will be only one factor.
Placements
The following placements have been arranged by John Noble, Director of the Career Center and Dawn Dellea, Manager of Alumni & Parent Engagement Programs. Each placement represents an agreement between Williams College and the sponsor to provide a shadowing experience along with specific work tasks and/or work experience.
In many cases, specific work assignments cannot be determined far ahead of time, so descriptions may be somewhat general. If a student should have an independently arranged career shadowing opportunity that fits the spirit of this course, he/she may present that proposal by the above-mentioned deadline.
Details about the placements (please read carefully before applying):
NEW!! THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THREE NEW WINTER STUDY INTERNSHIPS #29, #30, AND #31 EXTENDED UNTIL FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2014 AT 4:30 P.M.
Please submit your applications via email to Dawn Dellea at
29. THE WORLD OF A FAST-GROWING INTERNET COMPANY: Engineering, Design, and Business
WHO: Mariam Naficy '91, Founder and CEO of Minted
Come join the company that was just named by LinkedIn as one of 2014's Most In-Demand startups among engineers.
Minted is a design marketplace. We source creative content from a global community of independent artists, then sell the best content in the form of art, home décor, and stationery, directly to consumers. An early pioneer of crowdsourcing, Minted has held art and design challenges monthly since April 2008. Challenges are open for both submission and voting, the 'crowd' curates Minted's product selection by rating products, and Minted utilizes analytics to evaluate votes. Our core competencies are mobilizing and activating creative people, and enabling them to monetize their art by identifying the industries and products where their art is most interesting to consumers. Minted produces and sells winning designs, paying the designer a commission on every sale. In addition, winning artists and designers have stores on Minted. They can launch any of their creations into their stores, utilizing Minted's manufacturing, fulfillment, and customer service capabilities to run their businesses.
We are a mission-led company, making a significant difference in the lives of independent artists and designers around the world. Come learn more about us and the really interesting business, design and technical challenges we are addressing every day. We have a stellar team, recruited from EBay, Amazon, Etsy, Zulilly, Zynga, and other companies. Our company is known and highly rated among employees for its "learning culture".
WHERE: Minted's art-filled offices in the historic Jackson Square district of San Francisco, replete with great restaurants and coffee houses.
WHAT:We will provide an inside perspective on the world of the consumer Internet for a select group of college students. We'll invite you to important company sales, engineering, and product development meetings so that you learn how a business like Minted builds and releases products, works with a design community, and reaches consumers. The internship is designed to be both a blend of "real" work experience with actual assignments, combined with more formal training and exposure to all disciplines.
We are seeking three types of Winter Study interns:
- Engineering Interns. Be assigned to a engineering/product team, get exposure to both product management and engineering, and build code that will be released to Minted's live site.
- Business Interns. Get exposure to marketing, analytics, merchandising, strategy, and business development functions at Minted. All majors welcome, including math, economics, studio art and art history majors! We will design an internship around your background.
- Design Interns. Select opportunities in UEX and merchandise design exist – please send us a letter if interested.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Please submit a resume and letter of interest. If you are an artist or a developer, please feel free to send links to sites you've built or to your portfolio.
30. EMERGING MARKET IMPACT INVESTING
WHO: Amie Patel, Director, Emerging Markets for Imprint Capital. Imprint Capital is a registered investment advisor exclusively focused on impact investing. Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.We work with clients to develop and manage impact investment programs and portfolios across investment areas and asset classes. Our services are designed to provide full customization based on clients’ specific goals and priorities. We assist in every aspect of impact investing from creating programs to building and managing portfolios.
WHERE: Imprint Capital () New York, NY
WHAT: Imprint places a lot of importance on understanding the markets in which we invest and diving deep into particular sectors which are important to our client base. This Winter Study engagement represents a great opportunity for the right candidate to gain exposure to some critical research projects to enhance the Emerging Markets practice for the firm.
The Winter Study project will entail collecting and maintain information on pipeline opportunities for the growing client interests in the Emerging Markets, with a possibility to focus on all or one of the following segments: private debt opportunities with social enterprises, Seed Stage fund managers, energy access solutions, or Base of the Pyramid focused private equity funds. The Intern will be responsible for collecting data on opportunities through web research and through outreach calls. They will also help maintain the Emerging Markets database with key financial information, call notes and company and fund materials sourced through pipeline development. Specific sub project will be to gather data on portfolio companies within a particular portfolio of fund managers and help the Director gather and assess some early lessons and themes.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Interested applicants will submit a résumé and cover letter. The ideal candidate will possess a robust sense of curiosity and enthusiasm for the field of impact investing and especially the emerging markets, excellent writing skills, ability to learn quickly, attention to detail and strong analytical abilities.
31. Nonprofit Organization/Philanthropy
Who: Anna Singleton, Executive Director, Williamstown Community Chest
The Williamstown Community Chest, founded in 1927, annually collects financial contributions from people and businesses in Williamstown for the benefit of local human service agencies. 100% of all contributions are distributed to these organizations, that serve people of all ages in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to) mental health and substance abuse services, counseling and shelter for survivors of domestic violence, disaster relief and preparedness, child care and parent education, support for people with disabilities, housing and support for people who are homeless, and assistance for elders to maintain health and independence.
Where: Williamstown, MA
What: Participate in various aspects of the organization’s activity, including governance, publicity, community outreach, correspondence, financial record keeping, event planning, monitoring the work and activities of affiliated local human service organizations. A possible project would be to assist with updating the organization’s website and prepare specific suggestions/samples for increased use of social media.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS Resume and letter of interest
1. ARTS ADMINISTRATION
WHO: Joe Thompson ‘81
Mr. Thompson is the Director of MASS MoCA, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
WHERE: North Adams, MA
WHAT: Work at MASS MoCA in the executive offices and in the fabrication and art installation department, helping to install and de-install gallery exhibitions.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: letter of interest, resume.
2. PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTING
WHO: Gary Labovich P’14, Executive Vice President of Booz Allen Hamilton, has a leadership role in the firm’s Systems Delivery business. Since joining the firm in 2004, he has focused on providing strategy consulting and technology solutions to clients in a range of markets that include infrastructure, health, business of government, finance, and justice and homeland security. Mr. Labovich currently leads the firm’s Systems Delivery Group (SDG) which is responsible for supporting the capture, execution and delivery of the firm’s $1B+ software development business. In this role, Mr. Labovich leads a team of technology experts in promoting software development best practices, promulgating standards and processes, and engaging in large, complex proposals.
WHERE: McLean, Virginia (Washington, DC suburb)
WHAT: Provide problem solving and analytical skills within a team environment on a variety of projects supporting the delivery of consulting services to public sector clients. January interns will work in support of the office of a Booz Allen Hamilton Executive Vice President and will be tasked to conduct data gathering and analysis activities. Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading strategy and technology consulting firm, works with clients to deliver results that endure. Every day, government agencies, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations rely on Booz Allen’s expertise and objectivity, and on the combined capabilities and dedication of our exceptional people to find solutions and seize opportunities. They combine a consultant’s unique problem-solving orientation with deep technical knowledge and strong execution to help clients achieve success in their most critical missions.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Resume, cover letter, transcript. All majors are welcome to apply and students studying Mathematics and/or Computer Science are strongly encouraged to apply.
3. INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
WHO: Robin Lorsch Wildfang ‘86
Robin is international projektleder and an English and Latin teacher at Studenterkurset i Sønderjylland, a private high school in Toftlund Denmark.
WHERE: Studenterkurset i Sønderjylland ( Toftlund Denmark (a small town in rural Southern Jutland about 25 miles north of the German border and 3 hours by train from Copenhagen).
WHAT: You will have an opportunity to observe all aspects of a private, internationally oriented school in Denmark. Under the supervision of Robin you will be able to try your hand at teaching English to foreign language students in 8th, 9th and 10th grade as well as participating in other normal school activities including teacher meetings, school field trips, grading written work, etc. If a successful applicant has a major other than English or is interested in teaching a subject other than English, it will be possible to arrange a chance to try teaching that subject in English to our international 9th and 10th grade classes. The school can offer free room and board to the right applicant.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:Resume, letter of interest (400-500 words) and a description of a possible teaching unit.
4. MARKETING/HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
WHO: Perry Kalmus ’03, Founder and CEO of DrinkCity
75 and sunny in the middle of Winter Study?!?!?! Come work in one of the coolest (and warmest!) cities in the country, LA. DrinkCity is a new tech startup in California started by Perry Kalmus '03. A revolutionary marketing concept for big alcohol brands and bars, DrinkCity is pushing the nightlife envelope by merging online marketing techniques with on-site experiential marketing initiatives to give consumers the greatest exposure to great bars and brands in their alcohol preference. On the surface, DrinkCity is like a Groupon for bars, but a lot cooler. DrinkCity is like the DailyCandy of drinking high-end alcohol, combining the power of social media with the power of social gathering to maximize the number of people who see a logo, taste a product, and try out a venue. A few times a month, we pick a cool bar and pair it with a high-end spirit, wine or beer, and then lower the price on all drinks with that brand to $4, all night. This entices consumers to come out and try both the brand and the bar in a great social setting. Behind the scenes, however, the marketing initiatives taking place have literally never been done in the alcohol space. Come join this innovative new tech start-up as we prepare to fundraise and expand into new territories.
Perry Kalmus grew up in Princeton, NJ. He graduated from The Lawrenceville School in 1999. He was a member of the Region 1 soccer team for the U.S. Olympic Development Program, and played Varsity soccer at Williams. He was an Economics major and studied abroad in Italy and Australia. After graduating from Williams in 2003 he founded an educational consulting firm based out of Princeton, NJ ( Then in 2005, he moved out to Los Angeles and started working in the entertainment business.
WHERE: Offices are located in Los Angeles. Interns must be 21+ years old and be able to find their own housing in Los Angeles.
WHAT: Winter Study students will get to work directly with Perry and Ori, the two heads of the company and play an active role in the expansion process of an up-and-coming start-up in the social media space. You also get to attend the parties.