Name: Derek Bobbitt
Hometown: Nashua NH
Class year: Incoming Sophomore 2024
Major: Finance and Information Systems & Business Analytics
Internship Company: Evolvetalent.io
Internship Job Title: Marketing Intern
Tell us the story of how you got this internship.
I got my internship through the Paid Student at a Startup Program out of the ECenter! It's funny, a lot of people told me it would be impossible to get a paid internship as a freshman, so I was actually really motivated to find a great opportunity and prove them wrong. When the ECenter posted that applications were open for a paid student startup internship program, I knew I had to apply! There were so many amazing startups with open positions I couldn’t decide just from the job descriptions so I ended up interviewing 7 startups all in the span of 1 week! It was a lot of work to manage 2-3 interviews a day in between classes, but it was really rewarding to meet with so many amazing emerging companies and talented founders. I was also very excited that, even as a freshman, I was able to leverage my enthusiasm for startups and participation in organizations like the Rines Angel Investment Fund and UNH Entrepreneurship Club to secure an internship with EvolveTalent for the summer.
Why did this internship/company appeal to you?
It appealed to me because of its focus on embedded recruiting for tech companies and startups (an ecosystem I am very interested in), and after speaking with the founder, Jaime Brookes, about his experience working at companies like Uber and Wayfair when they were scaling, I knew he would be a great mentor to work under and immediately was my #1 choice for an internship after my interview!
How do you feel about this internship being remote?
My internship isn’t! I have been able to commute on the Boston Express and join the rest of the staff in the Boston office operating under a 3:2 hybrid work model. I take my Wednesdays and Fridays off, but Evolve is also super flexible as all our work is online so I can work remotely any day I want! However, I would encourage anyone deciding whether to be in-person or remote to go into the office as much as they can. Getting to know the staff and working in the office environment has been such a great experience and I’ve made so many amazing connections that I will definitely foster even after my internship. Plus the fist-bumps from the security guard Lentz before I hop in the elevator always start the day off right!
Derek Bobbitt '24 poses in a reflective building in Boston.
Do you feel prepared for this internship?
Only just finishing my first year in college, I was definitely nervous if I would have the skills and experience necessary to succeed. However, I have a “fall forward into opportunities and learn quickly” mindset so I threw myself into the office, tapping into my social media marketing skill set to grow their social media systems and experience with Microsoft Excel to construct and clean multiple candidate sourcing databases. And you can’t forget the all-star Evolve Team who were always available for questions and to guide me through some of the resources I hadn’t used before. I even got LinkedIn Recruiter certified and gained experience using software like Zoho CRM and GEM!
What have you learned/hope to learn?
I learned a lot about the power of networking. This internship has opened many doors for me in terms of networking with successful founders and experienced leaders in the recruitment space. I even met the HR Director of the Markley Group, a large tech company in Boston, through a chance encounter on the bus and have spent most of my morning walks to work with him talking about the issues he is solving in his day-to-day and how he navigates their corporate structure to get stuff done. He’s been a great connection and the CRM I introduced to Evolve was actually a personal recommendation from him!
What doors do you hope this internship will open for you?
I hope to continue my podcast, Intern x Founder, and continue to network with amazing founders from around the world, and help them share their personal areas of expertise and entrepreneurial experience with other young founders like me!
Why do you think it’s important for students to pursue summer internships?
The main value of an internship is the experience and networking opportunities. When going for a job interview, being able to talk about a project you lead for an internship and the direct impact you were able to have is invaluable and will definitely give you a competitive advantage for entry level jobs. As far as networking, talk to everyone. You never know who may connect you with an amazing opportunity, teach you about something you didn’t know existed before, and who knows maybe the internship will turn into a future employment offer! I am super excited to be invited back to EvolveTalent in the Fall on a part-time basis to continue my work expanding their business development outreach and sourcing capabilities, and social media presence.
How did IOF factor into your ability to take this internship? How do you feel about the program?
IOF made this internship possible. Between taking the bus into Boston every day and getting new equipment so I could conduct virtual business meetings, I incurred a lot of expenses this summer and IOF covered the majority of them. I am so grateful that I was able to receive this assistance and would highly recommend it for anyone taking on an internship in expensive areas like Boston.
