Name: Jake Spence
Major: Journalism
Emphasis: Advertising
Internship Title: E-Commerce Developer Intern
Company: CleanFreak
Current Involvement: I am not currently involved in anything extracurricular besides work and school. In my free time I enjoy tinkering with my camera and computer, doing photography, videography, graphic design, and web design. I love the power of technology and the unlimited potential of the internet.
Why you chose UW Oshkosh: I chose this school because I had initially planned on majoring in Business and UWO is known for having a very well respected Business program. The new business building (Sage Hall) was scheduled to open as I would be an incoming freshman, which pretty much sealed the deal for me. I looked forward to learning in a new facility with access to some of the latest technology.
Typical work day at CleanFreak in your role: At CleanFreak, I do a variety of things. Every week I create, design, and send out a weekly email newsletter. Some days I will take new photos of our products and cut them out for our website. When I’m not doing either of those things, I do general website maintenance like updating prices, adding new products, SEO, etc.
Interesting and rewarding things you are learning at your internship For the first time, I feel like I play a vital role to the company I work for. In return, I am gaining a ton of real-world experience that cannot be taught in school. I learn firsthand how an online business functions, behind the scenes.
How has the Business Success Center prepared you for the work force? If it wasn’t for the BSC, I would never be working at my current position. Knowing my skills and strengths, they set me up with this awesome opportunity. With guidance the whole way, I never felt uncomfortable throughout the whole process.
What are your career plans after UW Oshkosh? I hope to find a career with a company that is always on top of the latest trends. I love technology so it would be great to work with computers and cameras, no matter what I am doing. I have a job offer from my current internship after graduation, but would also love to see what else is out there. I am a firm believer that a happy employee is a productive employee.
What was the best part of this experience? This whole opportunity has been amazing because of the connections I’ve made and the real-world experience I’ve gained. I found a job that I enjoy with long-term potential!