EDCi Internship Experience
Hear from Jared G., Customer Care Intern at EDCi, as he highlights his passions, internship experience at EDCi, and his goals for the future.
“The gratification of seeing your own work resulting in a product is something that I’ve never experienced before and can’t get enough of.” - Jared G.
I have been interning with EDCi since February 2023. I am currently going to Fox Valley Technical College for… well I am not sure yet. Committing to a degree is still a bit daunting, but I am leaning towards getting into the software development program in the Fall. My education and career path has been quite a rocky one for a while now. I lasted a couple of years flippantly pursuing a degree in chemistry, before dropping out from cold feet during the rise of COVID. Ironically, computer-based learning did not sound appetizing at the time. Since then, I have worked held a myriad of positions from building military vehicles, caring for animals, and working at an airport.
I have always been interested in technology and computers, but never really had an outlet to explore them. So, reinventing myself, I got back into school and dove into the world of IT, and I am really enjoying it!
My programming classes are piquing my interest, as I am seeing similarity in the procedural thinking and problem solving necessary in my chemistry background, as well as being able to create something. The gratification of seeing your own work resulting in a product is something that I have never experienced before and cannot get enough of.
Outside Hobbies and Passions:
Outside of school and work, I have many hobbies on rotation. Recently, I picked my skateboard back up to publicly humble myself by injuring my now young adult body attempting to learn a kick flip for the umpteenth time. I also bought everything I need to build my first PC this week (cable management is not my forte, so I welcome any tips optimizing your first PC). I also enjoy staying fit by lifting weights weekly, playing guitar, adding to my never-ending collection of blue rays that I seem to never get through, snowboarding, reading, writing, bowling, billiards, thrifting, visiting art museums… the list goes on.
My Experience at EDCi:
Coming into EDCi I had an extremely limited understanding of what we do here, and “Call Center” is not exactly an exciting understanding to have, so I was skeptical at first. My first few days of onboarding were daunting as a 22-year-old with limited professional experience, but that was soon diminished by the welcoming nature of EDCi’s culture.
Everyone was very happy to introduce themselves to me and make me feel comfortable in my new environment. The longer I have been here the more family oriented EDCi starts to feel. Between company dinners, multiple team building outings, and just the casual ease of communication in day-to-day meetings really shows the bond of our team. I would like to give a big shout out to Steve A. and Mike B. for being exceptional daily intern handlers, being able to communicate and teach effectively, while being flexible with my busy school schedule.
Being able to surround myself with experienced and passionate people has nurtured my knowledge every day since my introduction.
Admittedly, it has at times felt like an unending trial by fire. When asking what I thought were well thought out bite sized questions, the passion and understanding of my teachers came front and center resulting in hour long seminars with break-neck speed industry lingo and acronyms. Sounds bad at first, but those conversations shed a lot of light onto the abyss of knowledge that call centers hold and brought on an intrigue within me. I have Mike B., Steve A., and Jake B. to thank for that.
Even the Vice President of Experience is not above connecting with the intern, and that says a lot about the culture present. I have always loved small businesses for their down-to-earth values, and the loyalty and respect they give to give to the customer, and that is what EDCi is all about.
My favorite memories in this company are from my earlier days, when I really did not have much base knowledge, but others were not afraid to hand me things to do. I got to hunker down and dive into niche areas of Genesys and come back with helpful information that people still ask me about today. It is very validating. As far as my future goals within EDCi go, I am not sure. I am happy to be here, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity. I will strive to put my best work forward for as long as EDCi will have me.
If you're interested in learning more about internship or co-op opportunities at EDCi, please reach out to careers@edci.com
Pictured above is the Customer Care group at a team dinner.
Meet the Author:
Jared G.
Customer Care Intern
