Editor’s note: Hannah Sethi, the author of this article, is part of the internship program and a senior at the University of Wisconsin. She is working with our talent acquisition team this summer.
This summer, 115 Best Buy interns are gaining valuable professional experience while making a lasting impact on their teams.
This is the first time our interns have worked in a hybrid model, spending some time on site and remote, similar to many of our corporate employees.
The interns also come from a diverse range of backgrounds:
- More than 50% BIPOC
- More than 50% female
- 10% internal, including store employees
- More than 40 colleges and universities
Throughout the program, our interns have received opportunities for professional development, networking and some unforgettable fun with their teams and fellow interns. They’ve also participated in a variety of Best Buy inclusion groups, fully immersing themselves in the company’s culture.
“I love being here,” said Rachel, a store shift lead from South Dakota, who is interning for our information records management and enterprise risk compliance teams. “Everyone is really supportive and interested in helping me grow.”
Meaningful work
Our interns have been able to dive into a variety of exciting projects this summer. They’re gaining valuable, hands-on experience and contributing meaningful work to their teams.
Jose, who’s from Texas, has been working on the Best Buy app, creating a visual element to show the progress of customer membership savings. Safiya from Minnesota is helping our inclusion, diversity and equity team, and Brandon from Texas has been learning about supply chain operations while working at a distribution center.
Jordan, a legal intern from Minnesota, is proud of her project on the company’s new pregnancy and lactation policy for employees who work in our stores.
“It’s really cool to just be a part of that experience and put out something that’s going to affect the company as a whole,” Jordan said.
Purposeful development
In addition to the work they’re doing for their teams, the interns have participated in numerous events designed to enhance their growth and development. That includes training sessions on topics such as psychological safety, imposter syndrome and Best Buy’s inclusive behaviors.
We’ve also hosted a speaker series, featuring several top Best Buy executives and other leaders from across the company.
JT, a technology intern from Virginia, said the executive speaker events have been really impactful.
“When you see someone who is at that high of a level and have them kind of relate to your struggles right now, it really helps to know that they were there at one point in time,” he said.
Lots of fun
Of course, our interns have had time to connect and have fun together, too.
This year, we created a new, collaborative workspace for interns at the corporate campus in Minnesota. The space has created more opportunities for them to interact and see the projects their peers are working on.
“It’s helped me stay engaged and kind of get a new feel for different parts of the company every day,” Jordan said.
They’ve also had some fun outings to the Minnesota Vikings practice facility and attending a Minnesota Twins game. They even got to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” on the jumbotron during the seventh-inning stretch.
Click here to learn more about our internship programs and how to apply.