Internship Spotlight – Maya Holbert, PetSmart

Maya Holbert is a Business Management major set to graduate in the Spring of 2020.  This summer she interned for PetSmart as a HR Intern in Phoenix, Arizona. 

How did you get this internship?

I first met employees from PetSmart at the Eller career fair and from there, I kept in touch with them and had two rounds of interviews before the offer.

What was a typical day like?

A typical day would be tagging along to meetings with various areas of the business and working on my project that I had to present at the end of the 10 weeks. I set up a lot of meet and greets with various employees to get a more broadened look at the business.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part of the experience was being able to gain exposure to other parts of the company, not just the team I was a part of. I felt like everyone was willing to sit down with me and chat which I felt was super special.

If you worked on a big project, please describe it below:

I worked on a project about how we could improve employees’ exposure to the benefits that PetSmart offers and my ideas of what I think would work best for the company in the short term and the long term, especially highlighting why it would be beneficial for not only the employees but the company as a whole.

What did you find most challenging about your internship?

I found it most challenging to work in an area I knew nothing about. My exposure to benefits before this internship was slim to none so I didn’t know how I’d be able to suggest ideas on how to improve something I didn’t know anything about.

What advice do you have for other students looking for a similar internship?

Look for a place that makes you feel comfortable and find leaders that want you to grow. I connected with PetSmart very early on and I was very persistent. Persistence is key when trying to find an internship because there are so many.

How did Eller prepare you for your internship?

Eller prepared me for my internship with the resume checks and the biggest thing that helped me was taking BCOM 314. We had to present all the time, so I felt very comfortable when I had my presentation in front of many leaders of the company at the end of my 10 weeks.

Anything else you would like to share about your internship experience?

I loved it! I learned so much this summer and I couldn’t have asked for a better internship. What I learned this summer I will take with me wherever I end up working in the future.