Stories from an Extern: A Tale in Two Parts

The following article was written by Josie, Marian University student and week-long extern with the geeks & creatives of wisnet. She collected her thoughts over her time experiencing various aspects of the business and how we do work. The team here will definitely miss her and can’t wait until our paths cross again.

Wednesday, January 17

I’m not quite sure what to write for this so I’ll give it my best shot. When I first came to wisnet I had a no idea of what to expect. I started right out with a tour and introducing myself to everyone, I could tell this was going to be a really awesome place to work and learn. The staff welcomed me right away and Joe Truesdale got me involved right away observing.

I am currently a freshman at Marian who’s undecided major-wise, but interested in the fields of Marketing, Graphic Design, and IT. This externship opportunity has given me some great insight into possible future careers, as well as provided me hands-on learning for programs I may encounter such as WordPress, Google Analytics, and Trello.

Being here, I’ve learned a lot. I came in with very basic, limited knowledge of what goes into creating and developing websites. New concepts to me like SSL, SEO, wireframes, and the difference between things like static and dynamic content are examples of just a few of the things I’ve gotten to learn about during the last few days.

I had the opportunity to work on an actual current project, doing work behind the scenes inputting and transferring data, which I thought was a blast. I’ve sat in on many meetings between Joe and companies where they discussed the websites being designed, and then companies had the chance to offer suggestions for possible edits.

My experiences here have been nothing but great. Whether it was sitting in on a conference call, creating forms in WordPress, or going out for tacos, everything I’ve done here at wisnet I can honestly say has been a wonderful time for me. Educationally and enjoyably.

Friday, January 19

Today is the last day of my externship, and having been here at wisnet a full week I can say I’ve encountered a lot of new possibilities. Like I said in the write up I did a few days ago, the opportunities and things I’ve gotten to work on have really given me an idea of what I may do in my future career; should I choose to follow a path in an IT, marketing, or graphic design field.

The processes in regards to designing websites, as well as developing the layout to promotional materials like catalogs, are much more of an undertaking then I ever would have known if I had not taken this externship. Learning what goes on behind the scenes has really made me think more about what and how much work goes into things like websites.

This has been an unforgettable chance for me, and I’m so glad I was placed at wisnet. I’m going to miss everyone I’ve had the pleasure of meeting over the last five days, and look forward to hopefully getting to work with them in the future.