Why did you decide to intern at enFocus?
I’m a current MIS major at Indiana University — South Bend, recently transferred from Purdue. My family runs a solar company and freight securement company, Inovateus Solar and Logistick, just north of South Bend. Our family is very invested in the South Bend community, entrepreneurship, and helping new small businesses and ideas grow, which is what got me so interested in the idea of an internship with enFocus, as they share many of our hopes and goals for the region.
I was ecstatic when I heard I got into the Summer 2018 Internship Program, and soon enFocus helped me figure out what projects I would be most interested in for my stay there.
What have you been working on?
I’ve been working on two projects this summer. My primary project is with Metronet Zing, a dark fiber network company. Our goals are to provide a comprehensive review of technological advancements in fiber equipment, an analysis of future fiber markets, and the expansion of existing markets that haven’t yet been fully captured.
I have also worked on a team project with help from INVANTI to explore business opportunities related to advanced directive services. Our team originally set out to create a unique business plan, but we have pivoted to work with a local non-for-profit, Honoring Choices — Indiana North Central, to launch their advanced directive services in the area.
We‘ll be supplying them with market analysis, business planning and other requested help.
What have you gained from this experience?
enFocus is very helpful in growing interns by pushing them into business situations where they have to be real-world problem solvers. Often the client doesn’t know exactly what they want, you have to budget your time and priorities carefully, things are constantly changing and redirecting focus as your work uncovers new discoveries, and the whole while you’re dealing with a lot of different people with different work strategies and priorities.
Is it a challenge? ABSOLUTELY.
But it’s been an amazing experience. I’ve already learned so much detailed information I never thought I’d be experienced with, such as dark fiber network terminology and design in telecom and advance directive application in law and healthcare. I constantly get to talk to important people in different fields and build my professional network, such as the directors of Metronet and Center for Hospice.
I genuinely feel like I have much more expertise and experience in the business field after only a few weeks.
Working with enFocus has been a pretty tough challenge, and it has been an incredibly fun and rewarding one. I want to stay in South Bend and see what enFocus, my family businesses, and other aspiring workers have in store for the future of my home town.
