Why I Loved Interning at Soofa: Product, Dogs, and People

 
Henry McDonough, marketing inter, presenting

Henry McDonough, Marketing Intern

Here goes…*sniffles and wipes tears*

As I sit at my Soofa desk for the final time (at least for this summer), I can’t help but reflect on my experience over the past few months. Interning with such an exciting and rapidly growing startup certainly has its challenges, but it also allowed me to manage a variety of projects and take on responsibilities that I would never have had the chance to work on otherwise. Having to pick a single favorite aspect of my summer experience would be like having to choose a favorite pizza topping—impossible. Instead I’ve come up with my Five Favorite Things About Interning with Soofa.

In no particular order:

  1. Our Product (and all those who believe in it): Let’s face it, if the product or service that your company offers doesn’t fill you with excitement and optimism every time you think about it, what’s the point of working on it? Luckily, mine did. The neighborhood news feed has the potential to create smarter and more connected communities that everyone can benefit from. My optimism was only reaffirmed when I got the chance to speak with local businesses and community members about the platform. Everyone is so excited to see the next steps in Soofa’s journey. 

  2. Real, Engaging Work: Soofa’s work culture was great for a number of reasons. I was able to have a hand in everything from marketing and sales to operations and design. Most importantly, I was doing impactful work on a daily basis. Even as an intern, I was given the freedom to build my own schedule and the trust to speak directly with clients and partners.

  3. Dog Friendly Office: Even the dreariest Mondays were filled with energy and smiles thanks to our furry Soofa mascots! Shoutout to Sadie, Gordito, Lila, Frankie, and Frank the Tank.

  4. All the Drinks and Snacks You Could Ask For: A burrito at 9am? Some popcorn at noon? A PB&J at 4? Need I go on? 

  5. The People: Call it boring or call it predictable—this is the only way that this list could end. The Soofa family is amazing for so many reasons. Everyone is witty, everyone is ambitious, and everyone is fun! People genuinely care about one another, and I think that that really comes through in our Soofa Signs. I felt comfortable being myself from the moment I walked into the office on my first day. I formed connections (literally thanks to Linkedin) with my peers that I truly believe will be lifelong. Thank you to everyone who made this summer so special!

Okay...summer intern signing off—

 
CareersSandra Richter