My Summer at North American Transaction Services

As I wrap up my internship at Volvo Financial Services, I find myself reflective, excited, and somewhat somber. This summer, I was blessed to be accepted into an incredible internship program within a department that promotes efficiency, integrity, and fun. The people I worked alongside have become permanent characters in my life’s story. My work environment provided me the tools and flexibility necessary for me to grow. Within this 12-13 week program with Volvo, my growth surpassed my expectations. Upon reflection, I am grateful for the opportunities extended to me. The opportunities and the camaraderie I experienced, make it hard for me to say goodbye.

Background

Since childhood, I have been naturally competitive, as evidenced by my consistent participation in sports, games, and other competitions. Winning has always been a priority of mine. More importantly, I always wanted to see how I ‘stacked’ up to others. I didn’t always win, but I was never afraid of losing. In my 21 years, I have had numerous experiences and self-conflict with this philosophy. 

If winning has always been a priority of mine, why would I not be afraid of losing? My conclusion is that losing is never fun. However, it is a powerful catalyst for learning. When I look back, the only times losing crippled me, was when I didn’t take anything away from the loss. These moments occurred when I gave everything I had and still ended up walking home empty handed. Additionally, there were times where I was too focused on winning and I lost my head. Personally, I love to learn in manners both orthodox and unorthodox. 

The expectations set for me at NATS, constantly pushed me to persevere. I tried. Every single day, from one thing to the next I tried my absolute hardest. There were times when I was totally out of my league and I was not about to let the prospect of failing deter me from putting myself on the line. I truly inspired myself this summer and although it may seem self-dignifying, it’s something I really learned from. Every day I gained more confidence in myself and I found the more confidence I gained, the more I learned. Now, even after a short time with this team, I can genuinely say that I am a better person today than I was day one.

The Dream Team

The day I walked into the NATS department I was fitted up with a laptop, docking station (having 3 screens was legendary), and a cubicle. This was my first experience with the corporate world and as much as I would love to boast about my fearlessness. Truth is, I was shaking in my wingtips. I had a thousand questions like: “What if I say the wrong thing?; What are the expectations?; Is this like Wall Street?; Are all those movies about cutthroat offices true?; Is my boss like Michael Scott?” Thankfully, my fears were not substantiated. This team, from day one constantly let me know that they have my back. When they offered their help, it was never an empty promise.

They were so supportive and congruent with the ideal of a helping hand, that there were times I wanted to yell “I’ve got this!” That’s the kind of teamwork I experienced. People that loved their job and cared for their coworkers with the same passion. The questions they would ask me day-to-day were never superficial. They would ask me about things I told them weeks prior as well as checking on my well-being. Every single morning there was a “Good morning” and every afternoon there was “Goodnight, be safe.” I feel nothing but joy whenever I think about them. We would talk about a variety of things ranging from Marvel movies to discussing the in’s and out’s of Division three football. The gratitude I have for them is unmatched; they were my family this summer and will always hold a special place with me. One thing I will never forget is when I made a mistake my team members did not allow me to beat myself up. I couldn’t possibly find a way to express how much that meant to me, so thank you for never leaving me out to dry.

In addition to the amazing team I worked with, I was a part of an all-star group of interns. They are all so talented and have an inspirational amount of ambition. I wish them all the best and I know for a fact that they will all become leaders of whatever industry they land in.

The Work

The work I was tasked with this summer was straightforward and forced me to answer the question, “What have you got in you?” I came to one realization. Life is like the game of football. I’ve never been the strongest, fastest, biggest, talented player on the field but, I always show up. Even if the person across the line is on a different level than I am, I jump in without any reservations. I found a connection between facing a giant and the work I was tasked with. At times, it was massive and somewhat daunting. Nonetheless, I made it my personal mission to prove I deserved to be here.

To go into the technicalities of some of the work I accomplished, it was mostly submitting disputes between customers and the dealers that work on their vehicles. In addition, my manager privileged me with the opportunity to build a business intelligence dashboard for the annual credit reviews via QlikView. Another opportunity I was able to receive, was to have my coworkers demonstrate the underwriting process. Additionally my manager walked me through credit reviews, and I was even able to complete on my own. Whenever I didn’t have an assigned task to complete, I asked for work from everyone. Whatever anyone needed no matter how involved it was.

No matter the task, I was always prepared to take it in stride. Yet, there were times that I was unsure of my preparation for an assignment. I felt as if some of the tasks I requested were over my head. Submitting disputes and re-configuring invoices to the correct notations was time consuming. On an average day that is only dedicated to these, I was able to handle about 300-400. On top of that, a lot of the assignments I had from my coworkers were time sensitive. They had a full day’s work on their hands and if I was to be of any assistance, I knew that calling them over 10 times to help on something, even though they would never say it, would not have been helpful. So, I made it a priority of mine to listen closely and fixate on exactly what they were asking, how they were asking, and what they needed.

As for QlikView, I have never experienced data analytics or business intelligence dashboards. In addition, I was very new to the information needed to review customer’s crediting needs. So, instead of going to my manager and telling him that I was way over my head, I studied, asked questions, and researched. My manager even requested the services of a financial analyst in the company to help. She guided me through the process and along the way it opened a passion of mine I did not realize I had; data analytics. I am very thankful to her and Mr. Miles for giving me the tools to learn and progress myself toward my goals in the finance industry.

Conclusion

I could speak on NATS and my experience for days, but in conclusion I want to say the internship I held within the North American Transaction Services in Volvo Financial Services has set me on a path to achieving my goals and much more. I am proud of my work and I will forever be in my team member’s debt for the experiences I had this summer.

I want to thank Carlo Gagliardo, for being my mentor through this process and setting the best example Kenyon Football alumni can set. I want to thank Miles Gordon, for taking me to lunch and being the definition of an unbelievable boss and friend. I want to thank Misty and Christen, for being cubicle neighbors and humoring me whenever I asked about something random and keeping a smile on my face. You both are rock stars in my book, so thank you for not requesting a desk change! Thank you, Renee and Angel for including me in some your hilarious conversations, it made my day every time. Thank you, Inno for working with me constantly and actually listening to my ideas and giving my opinions validity. I was honored and proud to be a part of your team. Thank you, Jenifer and Maureen, for legitimately every single day; I cannot express how much you both made coming into work something to look forward to. Thank you Carrie and Richard, for always giving me laughs and showing that work is as much about positivity and thoroughness as it is about productivity. Thank you Mark and Donna, for making an intern feel like a valued member of the team. I felt like a full-time employee during my time, and you both played huge parts in that. Thank you, Tom for letting me know if I was doing a good job, it pushed me to do my work to the best of my abilities day after day. Finally, thank you Nick; Miles told me day one that you’d be the person I could go to with anything and you were my first friend at the office. I appreciate you and everything you do. You gave me a goal to work towards. Every day I wanted to take your spot as the new young genius at the company! For everyone else, thank you for constantly having my back as I went through the days and I will definitely never forget my Summer of 2019 working with NATS.