enJOY it

The interns: My favorite people to ever wear red and khaki.

Every week for the past nine weeks, I filled out a form about how my internship was going.  The first question was "Has the internship program met your expectations?"  And every week I wondered if I should check "Yes" or "No."  And it was not because I doubted that my expectations had been met, but because I could never get a clear idea of what my expectations had been.  Because going into the program, aside from the red and khaki, I did not know what to expect. 

Regardless, this is what I know now:

Target has set the bar.  As an employer.  As a brand.  As a great company to work for.  They are a perfect example of how a company can go from mediocre to fabulous by creating values and then sticking to them.  They are constantly working to be better.  To be best.  And it was very cool to be a part of that.  I know that drive and clear vision are two things that my future employer must possess.

Target challenged me.  As a leader.  As a communicator.  As a go-getter.  They allowed me to break down and then rebuild.  They put me in uncomfortable situations and I learned to get comfortable.  They encouraged me to seriously evaluate my strengths and weaknesses.  They helped me find ways to resolve problems.  Pretty scary, but also pretty awesome.

Target connected me to different people.  People who are passionate about what they do.  People who I would want to follow.  People who impress me with their intelligence.  People, like Betty and Katie, who make me laugh.  People who I want to someday be like. 

After ten weeks, I have decided I am not going to be a store executive with Target.  But my experience lead me closer to finding my passion.  It developed me as a leader and a person.  It was a good time. 

There is absolutely nothing more I could expect from an internship.  It was exactly how I should have spent my summer.