TGIF: June's Already Over?

June was hot (today's high is 106!), but we did some cool things

I can't believe June is already over! The past six weeks have surely flown by! I keep telling myself, "Oh you still have all of July," but before I know it, I'll be back in College Station. 

In June, the interns: 

- mixed n mingled at the Alumni Mixer at Third Base. With our school pride on, we chatted over chips n queso and burgers. I sat at a table with undergrads and grad students from UNC, UT, Rutgers, UMich and ASU and there were some alumni from UT and Texas A&M. It was a lot of fun to have a casual mixer.

 

 - had a 'typical work day' at Volente Beach. We loaded up two buses and ventured into the hills to enjoy a bright and sunny day at a water park. What I really liked about the event was the managerial support to go; my team insisted that I go have fun with other interns. Dell expects you to be productive, but not at the expense of having fun during your internship. The slides were popular and they kept losing the volleyball, but overall, we had a cool time just hanging out. 

   

- went to a segment networking expo. This was a great opportunity to meet leaders in other segments within marketing and learn more about what they do. A lot of interns got useful information and connections for their projects and it was nice to finally meet people you've only talked to through email. Also, it was a neat opportunity to connect with people we might want to work with in the future.

 

- attended talks from executives and Dell experts. It's been great having the opportunity to learn more about Dell through experts from the different BUs and executives. Nearly every week there has been a speaker session or a webcast to listen to, which sure beats going through a lot of slidedecks without any help or context. The audience is always engaged, which turns the presentation into an interesting conversation, and the questions are great. And sometimes, they go the extra mile to set up really cool displays! 

Now that I think about it, this post should really be titled "Reasons why you should intern at Dell!" Happy Friday y'all!

#dellinterns13

The Friendly Fitness Intern: Will Abbott

He helped me do my first (modified) push-up!

What's the worst part about a fitness assessment? When they pinch your body fat. Ugh, can't we just agree that it exists? No need for details. I will admit the fitness intern made that a painless experience, but I don't know if I can forgive him for convincing me to go on the treadmill at 3 mph on Level 10 incline. We shared a few laughs throughout the assessment and I realized I knew nothing about the guy who learned so much about me in just 30 minutes. So I fixed that.

Will Abbott graduates in August from Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) with a degree in exercise physiology. Coming from a military family, he's lived all over the US and he was surrounded by athletes in high school. After his experience with personal trainers during his high school track career, he wanted to work with athletes. But after a few classes at SEMO, he realized that corporate fitness provided more stability than relying on a client base. So he applied for an internship with Medifit, a fitness and wellness management and consulting company, and landed at Dell.

Dell is actually the biggest Medifit site in the US with fitness centers in both Round Rock and Parmer as well as the Dell site in Nashville. "I like corporate; everyone's so nice. It's great!" he said while working on his new project. He launched a BFF Program where you and a buddy make a fitness commitment and you can earn prizes for your workouts. If you're not a member, but your buddy is a member, then this is a great opportunity to try out the Well at Dell fitness center for free!


In addition to the fitness assessment, Will also designed an exercise program for me and he has always been supportive. "I've gotta be a fitness role model. I can't smoke and tell someone not to smoke. If I don't run, then they won't listen to me when I coach them on how to run," Will said about his fitness philosophy. Will's brother, who has completed multiple Ironman Triathlons, is his fitness role model, "He's always been a runner and he got me into cross country."

Will is an intern at Dell, but not for Dell. He hasn't even gone past the cafeteria. But when I asked for any last comments, he said, "I want to say thanks to everyone for being so nice and welcoming. All of the Dell members have been super friendly."

So you know what the worst part about a fitness assessment is, but what's the best part? Finding out I'm healthy with room for improvement and making a new friend. Congratulations on graduating in August and good luck, Will! 

#dellinterns13

Sorry!

Sorry! I didn't have time to write a blog this morning; I was a little too distracted by the SCOTUS Blog. Regardless of your opinion, I hope the past few days have encouraged you to be an active and vocal citizen!

Let's Talk About This: Austin

Discovering Austin

Let's talk about this city that likes to keep things weird. Here are five interesting things I've noticed:

1. Reusable bags

Austin established an ordinance that 'regulates the types of bags that can be provided to customers at checkout'; basically, bring your own bag. Geaux Austin for reducing waste!

But a while back, Andrew and I went to HEB and I had forgotten my bags. He managed to find an old Kroger plastic bag in his car and he couldn't wait to go into the store. He thought it was hilariously clever that he was using a competitor's plastic bag, especially in the presence of a marketer. The cashier looked confused when we gave her the Kroger bag and Andrew couldn't get that smug look off of his face for hours after leaving the store. After living in Portland when they also introduced the plastic bag ban, he has religiously used reusable bags back home in Pasadena, TX, but there's something about being in the city of his rival university that brought out the rebel in him. Aggies... So, when we got food to cook for lunch the next day, he was an acquiescent LSU fan.

2. Deer

 

I always see a herd of deer across my apartment complex around dusk. It's pretty awesome.

3. Tolls/service roads

via Wikipedia

What is it with Texas and its tolls??? I'll occasionally pay the $2-$3 fee for the Beltway in Houston, but I have no desire to get a TxTag. I've heard it costs commuters ~$600 a year to use the tollways. I've found a few free exits for my commute to/from work, but avoiding the 290 Toll is tricky. I do think Texas got the service roads right, especially with the Texas U-turns, wish more states had those. My only problem with the service roads are the parts where you have to cross the other lane of traffic to get onto the highway. Am I the only one freaked out by that?

4. Food Scene (and their lines)

This ain't Maruchan!

mm al dente pasta + bolognese

The food scene in Austin is AMAZING! The lines not so much. My friends have taken me to at least three places that had ridiculous lines: HopDoddy, Amy's Ice Cream and Ramen Tatsu-Ya, but it was worth the wait! They've also taken me to 360 Uno Trattoria, which is recognized for its authentic Italian cuisine. It makes me sad that I won't be able to try everything Austin has to offer before I leave.

5. Stand Up Paddleboarding 

Andrew and I enjoy kayaking, so we go to the Rowing Dock as often as possible, but I finally dared to try the popular Stand Up Paddleboarding. Conclusion: ehh. Perfect for folks who have dogs, want to do yoga (we saw a guy do a headstand on his board, pretty impressive!), or want to increase their chances of getting wet, but I think I'll stick to kayaking. I love the rush I get while kayaking, but it takes so much more effort to feel 'productive' while standup paddleboarding. The water activities in Austin are great. Can't wait to go tubing or to Barton Springs! 

Austin, you amaze me! #dellinterns13

Lesson #3: Can I Have It All...Please?

Do I have to choose between career or family?

Today marks 2 years of dating a nerdy engineer and we're getting married in January! :) Without him, I wouldn't be here, but not in the typical sense of the phrase. It is because of our future together that I sought out a company that allows its employees to put family first. No company is perfect, but a month into this 'informative interview' with Dell and I think I picked well. 

Andrew and I come from different backgrounds. My parents emigrated from the Philippines to the US and his family is rooted in Baton Rouge, LA. Whereas my mom was the breadwinner, his mom was a homemaker and as we approach our wedding date, I think about the differences between those lifestyles. 

Mrs. Samantha is quite dedicated to her family and church while my mom has spent over 20 years conducting bee research; sometimes she dissected bees on the dinner table! Andrew's mother was always there for his three younger sisters and him, but the twins and I were usually the last kids to be picked up from daycare. With the support of loving husbands, both of our mothers did their best to give their children everything; it's just that one picked availability and the other picked financial security. I respect and love both women for the choices they made, but as I get closer to making mine, I find myself frustrated that I have to choose. 

There are times when I'm exhausted from work and school and I ask myself, "Why am I doing this when I just want to be a mom?" It's feasible. Andrew and I are blessed to be in a situation where I don't have to work to support our family. When I see how intimately involved Mrs. Samantha is with her kids as they've grown, I think I want that; I admire her for what she instilled in her son: to listen, to be patient and to forgive. Additionally, after my personal experience with babysitters and daycares, I know I want to be the main person raising our kids.

But in those moments of weakness, I think of my mom. We would still be in the Philippines if she didn't put her career first early on. She left her family and my dad behind to pursue her Master's at Oregon State University (my dad later joined her) and then went to LSU to get her PhD. Plus, she didn't put her career on hold for kids; she had me while getting her Master's and then the twins during her PhD.

I also think about a difficult time when my mom was laid off around 9/11 and she joked about being a stay-at-home mom. Joke or not, I was angry with her. I looked up to her as a woman who worked hard to earn everything we had. I've never told her this, but I needed her to continue working hard to show me what I need to be for my family someday. She has since been recognized for her decades of productive research, which includes over 75 publications, and I couldn't be more proud. My mother showed me it's possible to raise a family and have a great career, but I'm still trying to figure out how to make it work for Andrew and me.

I've made a point to ask many people for their advice on work/life balance because I want to be a good worker and mom (apparently some folks mistakenly took that as a hint that I'm expecting are congratulating me, oops!). I've been told, "You can't have it all without sacrifices." It eerily reminded me of The Atlantic article "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" which came out after I left my first job and was about to start my Master's. For months the article lurked in the back of my head, but then I interviewed with Dell.

While preparing for my interview, I discovered that Dell is one of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies.

"Creating open office spaces, linking everyone in a giant communications network and allowing them to decide how they want to work are the key features of this information technology and services company's Connected Workplace initiative." - Working Mother 2012

After working here for a month, the Connected Workplace and Flexible Work Solutions are big selling points for me, especially when other companies are eliminating their work-from-home option. When I tell coworkers that Andrew and I haven't been in the same city for six years, they always suggest that I could work something out with my manager so that I could live with him in Houston. I've never gotten the impression that I had to choose between Andrew and my job. I've only ever gotten the impression that time with family is valued.

I've already got one part of my all. 

They say you can't have it all, but all I've ever wanted was to make a positive impact on others and raise a family with a man who loves and supports me, so why can't I have it all? Nowhere in my all does it say 'easy life', 'immense wealth', 'fancy title' or even 'perfect attendance"; those would be lovely to have, but it's not all I want out of life. Missed meetings and missed recitals are an understood part of life; it just happens. What would be real sacrifices for me are missing out on things I could never get back such as a great career at Dell or my kids growing up, but I believe Dell actually wants me to have it all.

So, I believe there are two parts to my third lesson from Dell: first part is that a good company will empower its employees to have all they want in life. But the second part is up to you. Andrew and I would appreciate any advice on marriage, raising kids, working, and perhaps dealing with pressure from eager-to-be-grandparents. I've talked the talk about having kids, but much to the future Lola and Mimi's displeasure, we've got a few steps to take first! So, please take a moment to share your wisdom as well as, if you don't mind, your definition of 'all'? Thanks! :)

PS: If you want a good story about Andrew and I, check out our (incomplete) wedding website!

 #dellinterns13

TGIF: Basketball, Blue Bell and Blueberry Crumble

Blue Bell and Blueberry Crumble [RECIPE]

The Spurs lost last night, but I introduced Blue Bell Ice Cream to some of my new friends, so that's gotta be a win for Texas! I can't say that I was really upset because I've learned to save my sports-centric emotions for the LSU Tigers and now TAMU Aggies football seasons. My dear friend Laura who hails from San Antonio was not having a good time, but I can empathize. LSU hasn't won a bowl in the past two seasons and A&M was 5-5 before Heismanziel, so I wouldn't wish that disappointment on anyone (except for maybe Bama fans). But I digress...

It was a lot of fun hanging out with new friends! I've joked before that we'd make the perfect poster for diversity: we've got folks from Italy, China, Argentina (or Canada, I'm not sure where his loyalty lies), Israel, and the Philippines. Occassionally, our lunch table includes folks from Zimbabwe, Mexico, Russia, and Bangladesh. They must all try things that are quintessentially Texan such as BBQ, kolaches, and Tex-Mex, but I couldn't let them leave Texas without trying ice cream from the Little Creamery in Brenham.

After a delicious dinner, I brought out the The Homemade Vanilla to go with my homemade blueberry crumble. Fresh out of the oven, the crunch of the crumble was perfect with every bite of bursting blueberry flavor as if they were bubbles of sweetness popping in your mouth. I have to admit, some of my guilty pleasures are food and alliteration. But, since it's Friday, I'll leave the lessons for next week and share the recipe for my blueberry crumble instead. It was great for our get-together and it could be great for your summer parties. Blueberries are ripe and cheap in Texas right now and kids love making it because they get to destroy the butter to make the crumbs.

Blue Bell is great by itself, I personally love the new Southern Blackberry Cobbler as well as the Rocky Mountain Road, but who says you can't add a little more sweetness? Have a great weekend y'all! :)

Blueberry Crumble adapted from Gourmet Girl's Blueberry Crumb Bars

via 225 Baton Rouge

Ingredients:

Crumble
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
Stick and a half (a little over 1/4 lb) unsalted butter at room temperature (leave out for a couple of hours is best, but in a pinch, carefully heat in microwave for 10 seconds)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg

Blueberry filling
2 cups blueberries (but really, why limit yourself?)
juice of 1 lemon (~2 tbsp)
1/2 cup of sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8"x8" pan.

1. Mix dry ingredients and blend well. Add butter and cut in with your hands; you want to make small and huge chunks of crumbs. Whisk the egg in a small bowl until blended and carefully add it into the flour/butter mixture to make sure it's evenly distributed. If it's forming one large mound of dough, add more flour and blend til you get crumbs.

2. Press a little over half of the flour mixture into the pan. Pat down gently, but make sure it's compact so that none of the blueberry filling seeps through.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice. Add blueberries and toss gently. This go-round, I discovered tossing the blueberries in a closed tupperware container instead of a bowl got good results.

4. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. If it's taking too long, turn it up to 400 degrees for a few minutes. Let it cool a bit and then serve with The Homemade Vanilla and enjoy a Texan summer!

#DellInterns13

What 'The Internship' Got Right About My Internship

Fictional Googliness vs Real Dellisms

The Internship starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson got 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, but I'd give it a 3/5 when it comes to depicting what it's like to have an internship in a large tech company. I got the funny idea that some interns should watch The Internship together and I walked away with a few friends and talking points.

3 Points:

• Don't be intimidated. The movie did a great job making the antagonist a huge prick. He strategically creates a team of beautiful people and 'useful' people, which are supposedly separate, and he's a bully the entire time, but the revenge is sweet at the end. 
  
  Although that kind of character is great for movies, you won't find him in the collaborative spirit here at Dell. For the first few weeks, I sat near interns from great schools like UT Austin, University of Michigan, Boston College and Rutgers. Then two new interns from Northwestern joined us. 'Regular' people might say, "Oh cool! New interns!" On the other hand, business school folks say, "Oh wow! New interns from a Top 5 business school? They must be really smart!" Yes, they are smart, but that doesn't take anything away from you or me. We both got internships at Dell that will hopefully lead to promising careers. Collaboration is hindered by being intimidated, which is not Dell-y. 

• You can always help someone. A current Google employee helps the 'Nooglers' with their internship challenges, but Vince and Owen help him with his own personal challenge. Classic geek-gets-the-girl story. 
  
  This internship is a great opportunity to learn about the company, industry, role etc., but don't forget that you're also able to make an impact on your team beyond your project. After going to a few fitness classes with a coworker, she told me she enjoyed having a buddy go with her because it motivates her. Or, maybe your seemingly insignificant discussion about your trip to England could help someone who later has to answer a question about England to win trivia night. Seriously. You never know how you can help someone, but always be open to it. 

• Play to your strengths and work on weaknesses. The point of the movie is that two 'obsolete' salesmen restart their careers in something new. The turning point for Vince is when he realizes he can't just use his strengths, but he actually has to work on his weakness to help his team. 
  
  My strength is I can talk, that's why I'm in marketing. But in my old job, project management (or at least the proof of project management) was my weakness. I couldn't just tell my boss I did a good job managing the project, I had to prove it. So, before starting my internship at Dell, I took a project management class. It kicked my butt, but I started this job feeling more prepared and it has definitely paid off. When a few interns felt unorganized, I shared a few tips I learned from the class and I can see that it helped them. Working on your weakness could help others. 

2 Missed Opportunities:

• It's not the Hunger Games. The movie made it seem like everyone is out to get each other, but even previous Google interns said that isn't the case. Same goes with Dell. You're not competing against each other. In fact, I was surprised when everybody introduced themselves at the Marketing Onboarding session and no one had the same job. You're only competing against yourself. 
• Mentors want to help you. Sergey Brin, one of Google's co-founders, made two quick cameos in the movie, but how cool would it have been if he had actually said something profound? One of the great aspects of my internship is the opportunity to have 1x1s with people from various roles. Maybe not Mr. Dell, but we get to talk to managers, executive directors, and even chief officers who all really want to help us get the most out of our 11 weeks here. 

The Internship was obviously a cheap laugh and not the long-awaited followup to The Wedding Crashers, but I thought it was $7.50 well spent. #DellInterns13

La Fortuna Aiuta Gli Audaci

Lesson #2

I thought I was going to write a story about overcoming the challenge of living with a disability. It turned into a story about overcoming anything instead.

I first met Francesco Tuzzolino at orientation, but we actually had our first conversation after we moved into the same row of cubes. While he was talking, I was shocked to see he didn't have a left hand and it was a distraction for the rest of the conversation; I felt awful for the childish desire to stare when I knew I should be respectful. When people with disabilities are treated as if they're fragile, I've seen them get aggravated. So, the next day I thought I was doing him a favor by asking about the elephant in the room. I've since learned a valuable lesson on tact; it was kinda like that awkward moment in the movie 'Love Actually' when Sarah bluntly asks Mark if he loves Peter in case it was the 'right question' and it was definitely the wrong question. Anyhow, I had to get Francesco's story.

As a kid, Francesco was eager to help his family's shirt business in Sicily, but when a bad investment failed, he had to find his own way to success. He claims he had no social life while studying business and economics at the University of Palermo. Despite limited funds, he was able to study abroad in Ireland and then three months in Spain after he graduated. "I was resourceful," he explained with a grin. Eventually, he took an opportunity to work for the Italian consulate in Houston where he learned how to be diplomatic. Afterwards, he closed contracts for the world's 2nd largest shipping company, a role that helped him realize his ability to bring business in and make sure everything 'proceeds smoothly' as if he were a guardian angel.

Francesco is now pursuing an MBA at the University of Michigan and he currently works in Social Media Insights and Targeting within Dell. But when he's not a business professional, he is DJ Tuzzo Martini. Known as "Francesco and his Walkman" as a kid, he has since DJ'd for the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Versace, Mini Cooper and private parties. He is also a marathon runner, a long-distance cyclist, a tango-dancer, and a magnificent chef. Francesco joked that in his previous roles, he was three different people: a salesman during the day, a student in the afternoon, and a DJ at night. Yet, he considers himself a normal person. When I asked about his inconvenience he said, "Who cares?"and then continued sipping his famous espresso.

I thought the toughest thing he would face in his life would be dealing with how to live life not completely whole, but it's clear to me that he lives life to the fullest.

So my second lesson from Dell is from Francesco Tuzzolino: ""La fortuna aiuta gli audaci - if you're bold enough and you try, good things are going to come. If you limit yourself without a hand, you're left behind." I'm not the only person who couldn't believe he does so many things, but his story is one of perseverance and refreshing positivity. Grazie, Tuzzo! #DellInterns13

Let's Talk About This

Cool Dell Swag

Let's talk about this notebook that looks like a notebook.

So, 'freebies' I've gotten from companies include: koozies, tumblers, mugs, water bottles, pens/pencils/highlighters (I refuse to buy highlighters because of this), a bullhorn speaker, shirts, first aid kits, college survival kits, ping pong balls, booksacks (or backpacks depending on where you're from), USBs (including one that looks like a valve), headphones, screwdriver set, stuffed animals, foam blocks, frisbees, and stress balls that I can never find when I'm actually stressed.

Despite all of that, this notebook is by far the coolest thing I've ever gotten! High five to the brilliant mind who came up with this idea! My inner geek is so excited about this simple, but creatively witty collection of paper. Sometimes we try so hard to be funny or creative, but we can be amazed by simple things. Smiling and causing someone to smile doesn't take much effort.

That is all. #DellInterns13

Tomorrow: Intern Insights

Pay Attention to the Opportunity, Not the Risk

Lesson #1

At 21, I was scared I would graduate and not get a job. At 23, I was terrified of the huge risk of leaving my first big-girl job. Now at 24, I've learned that taking risks is only a problem for people who don’t try to find opportunities. I hope this means I’m on track to be a wise business professional.

Not all 2010 college grads had the luxury of multiple good job offers, so I took the first one that came disregarding whether or not it was a good fit for me. They say “A job is a job!” but after a few months, I realized I made a big mistake in my naive assumption. 22 was a roller coaster ride of feeling like a rock star to being paralyzed by the feeling of failure over and over again plus a few loops.  No amount of schooling could have prepared me for the politics that caused so much misery; I wanted to work, not play poker.

I bid adieu to the corporate world to pursue a Master’s en route to the PhD. in Marketing that I've wanted since my 2^nd year at LSU. But then life threw a curve ball when my MS-MKTG program at Texas A&M required I do an internship. At career fairs, I steered clear of many big corporations; I wasn't ready to be just another cube in the Tower of Babel again. But, I took a chance on Dell and I've realized that a bad job can haunt you, but a good job can help you heal. I've only been at Dell for about a month, but I've found sweet solace in Dell’s culture and value offering; my team has been so supportive and my work is fulfilling.

Sometimes we go through life wondering if we did the right things. But, it takes courage to acknowledge when you’re in the wrong place and confidence in yourself to know that the risks do not outweigh the opportunities for a better life.

So, I didn't necessarily learn my first lesson at Dell, but on my way here.

Tomorrow's blog: Let's Talk About This. #DellInterns13