As I wrap up my eighth and final week interning at Angie’s List, I have been reflecting on all of the meaningful experiences I’ve had since arriving on June 1. After spending this past spring studying abroad in Spain, I was very nervous about returning home and immediately starting an internship. Those worries were quickly put to rest during my first week because of the culture at Angie’s List, the people in my department, and the variety of my work.
Angie’s List has two locations in Indianapolis. The first of which is called the Landmark building that mainly houses the sales team. The second location, in which I am located, is a campus that is just one mile from the center of Indianapolis. The campus is small and very easy to navigate, much like the campus at Wabash. Each building is unique and houses one or a few different departments within Angie’s List. I work in the Campaign building, which is painted and decorated much like the building of someone running for political office. From the moment I walked in the door, I noticed the difference in culture that Angie’s List has. The dress code at Angie’s List is casual, so I was able to wear khaki shorts and a nice shirt on a daily basis and fit right in. This is much different than the internship I participated in last summer, in which I was required to dress professionally on a daily basis. While the dress code is more relaxed than most big companies, everyone still has to put forth their best effort in the work that they do on a daily basis.
This summer, I was given multiple unique projects that involved licensing for the Service Providers that use Angie’s List. I also ran a Daily Report for the new Scorecard feature that involved me learning some new skills on Microsoft Excel and implementing those skills on a daily basis. The project that I spent the most time on was the creation of a spreadsheet that details the unique requirements for General Contractors in all 50 states. I would go through each state’s General Contractor licensing requirements and determine details such as: how much it costs to receive a license, what educational requirements (if any) there are, and what type of insurance is necessary to obtain before performing and General Contracting work. As I wrap this project up, I am nearing 40 pages of information solely for General Contractors. I also created an Excel sheet that organizes each category and summarizes the requirements. This benefits the company in many ways, but the largest contribution goes towards those that perform audits on General Contractors. They can easily look through the database and know exactly what is required of a General Contractor anywhere in the United States and complete the audit more quickly and efficiently.
While I enjoyed the work culture and the projects that I worked on each day, my experience at Angie’s List wouldn’t have been as positive as it was without the people that surrounded me on a daily basis. The Fulfillment department was extremely friendly and helpful from start to finish. One of these people was Scott Morrison, a 2014 graduate from Wabash, who is working at Angie’s List as an Orr Fellow. Scott, along with my manager Bethany Hart were both great resources and I enjoyed working with them on a daily basis.
As I finish up my last day at Angie’s List, I am thrilled that I was given the opportunity to intern here for eight weeks. I’d like to thank Angie’s List, Wabash College, and the Lilly Endowment for allowing me to participate in this Internship. I will miss the people in my Department and the other interns that I met through the experience, but I am also excited to begin my senior year at Wabash.
