At Nelnet, working on teams that empower you to do what you love is a top priority. Throughout the years, we’ve seen associates and interns make strides in the company through understanding and utilizing their strengths from the CliftonStrengths® assessment. The CliftonStrengths® assessment is an hour-long assessment that asks over 170 questions specifically about your talents, thinking, and behavior. Through your response to the questions, you are assigned your Top 5 CliftonStrengths® out of a pool of 34 strengths.

The Clifton Strengths Institute and Nelnet

Through the Clifton Strengths Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (the Institute), students have the opportunity to make an impact among their peers. We spoke to Reilly Wiley,a former Nelnet intern (and current Marketing Associate at Gallup), and Collin Fink, a Pathway Program intern, about their experience at the Institute and how it shaped their time at Nelnet. As student strengths coaches at the Institute, Reilly and Collin were able to mentor incoming college students to help them better understand their strengths, and how knowledge of  personal strengths can lead them to find unique value in their identity.

Get to know Reilly and her journey with strengths.

Reilly grew up in a family that incorporated the language of strengths into every conversation. Her father, having been tasked with implementing the Clifton Strengths Institute at UNL, had big dreams for creating a world where everyone knew their strengths. Once Reilly got to college, it was a no-brainer to get involved with the Institute. Reilly once dreamed about working for Gallup, and now leads marketing initiatives for CliftonStrengths® regularly in her first full-time role. At Nelnet, Reilly was encouraged by mentors such as Jessica Schumacher, who made it a priority to give her projects that utilized her strengths.

“Jessica was able to recognize what I was good at, and wanted me to be a part of roles where I was able to use my strengths. She set me up for a lot of success at Nelnet through her mentorship, leadership, guidance, and how she cared about me as a person.”

With her Top 5 CliftonStrengths® of Woo, Communication, Positivity, Adaptability, and Developer, Reilly thrived under the direction of a mentor who knew her need for daily change-of-pace while working alongside collaborative teams. She shared the main reason why she believes strengths can be so valuable.

“The biggest value in knowing your strengths is that you have a more positive outlook on yourself, the world, and your co-workers. When you’re viewing others through the lens of your strengths, there is greater opportunity for understanding and productive collaboration. Encouraging people to dive deeper into their own natural talents and have a strong sense of self-awareness will exponentially contribute to their future career and could even shift their career goals.”

Get to know Collin and his journey with strengths.

Having his Top 5 CliftonStrengths® of Responsibility, Ideation, Relator, Significance, and Harmony, Collin finds himself most driven by being able to brainstorm countless ideas and work on projects that bring value to the company. As a Pathway intern, Collin has been able to more deeply understand how he stays energized during the work day through capitalizing on his strengths. Collin shared with us the kind of conversations he has with his pathway mentors while using his ideation strength.

“My mentors give me the space to ideate. In my first rotation of the Pathway Program with Nelnet Payment Services, Jillian Walker would give me creative freedom to brainstorm with her. We would get to throw ideas back and forth a lot, and that was just more of a bucket filler to me than most things. I loved it.”

Additionally, Collin found great worth in getting involved with the Clifton Strengths Institute. He shared that it launched his success in college, as well as in his internship.

“Finding a community that cares about growth and well-being is so huge. People who not only support you, but on the same level that you support others, are ones that who truly know their strengths. Through strengths, we have this way to communicate with one another that gives us a deeper knowledge and understanding of one another. This brings depth to relationships that are different and more interesting.”

Four reasons why it’s time for you to get curious about your strengths.

1. CliftonStrengths® give you the language to talk about yourself to others.

   Not only does CliftonStrengths® give you the vocabulary to accurately share your passions with others, it also gives you the tools to explore your emotions and problem-solve more efficiently.

2. CliftonStrengths® equips you with the tools to pursue a career that energizes you.

   Knowing your strengths helps to pinpoint how you most naturally achieve success. Being able to communicate what energizes you and how you work best to your manager may help you receive projects that cater to your strengths.

3. CliftonStrengths® helps you holistically understand peers and coworkers.

   How you interact with and understand others, both at work and in your personal life, is huge. Knowing other people’s strengths gives you the tools to empower others, as well as better understand the way they operate.

4. CliftonStrengths® helps you to thrive in teams.

   When you and your teammates know one another’s strengths, greater collaboration and productivity is all but inevitable. You are able to call on individuals to participate in conversations based upon their specific strengths.

Take the Assessment

Understanding who we are gives us insight into what we love to do and how we can be engaged at work, leading to a more satisfied and energized life. Do you know your strengths? If you have never taken the CliftonStrengths® Top 5 Strengths test, check it out and see how your strengths come to life.

The post The Power of Knowing Your Strengths: Featuring Reilly Wiley & Collin Fink appeared first on Nelnet Inc.

Lauren Hoag, a former Pathway and FUSE marketing intern, and Kenzie Leblanc, a current campus recruiting intern, have perfected the art of creating and scheduling social media content. While Lauren’s focus is now on customer success at Flywheel, she has found that her time at Nelnet honing her marketing craft set her up to thrive post-graduation.

Whether you manage social media accounts for a brand, or are simply curious about how brands consider their audience in social media strategy – check out these five easy tips to create a successful social media presence below:

1. Create a content calendar and have posts ready to be shared.

Behind every great social media presence is a well thought-out strategy. Whether you create a fancy calendar online or a physical one, the content calendar is essential to an impactful and successful social brand. You’d be surprised how easily ideas can come once you put pen to paper. Some questions to think about as you decide what to post:

• Who is your target audience and what do they care about?
• If I didn’t know what this brand was, what would I want to see or learn about from them?

Next thing you know, you’ll have an entire month’s worth of content ready to go, and all you have to do now is create engaging posts.

2. Create a plan of how often you want to post and be consistent.

You want to stay top of mind with your followers, but you don’t want to overdo it. How often you post on each platform is dependent on your audience. Keep in mind there are different ways to post, whether that is a story highlight or standard post on the feed.

Once your content calendar is ready, you should create for future release dates. A helpful tip is to keep a few posts ready to go at all times. This is always helpful on days when you don’t get a chance to think a single thought, let alone take time to spin up a post for social media. There are also apps like Mailchimp and Sprout that will schedule posts to go out at designated times you set.

3. Curate different content for each platform.

Dreaming up content to post can take time – and thinking about doing this multiple times to create content for each platform may seem daunting.

Take a deep breath – you can do it. Remember that the audience of each social media platform is different. People who are scrolling through Instagram after a long day of work don’t expect to see the same content they’d seek out on LinkedIn. Create content that engages your audience in the ways they desire most based on their social media preference.

This could include changing up the tone of the same caption or creating different graphics to change up what your audience is sees on each platform. Ask yourself: If I didn’t know anything about the topic of this post, how would I want the information presented to me based on the platform I’m on? Asking this question can ensure you’re considering the preferences of your audience in the process.

4. Captions are everything, so don’t ruin them with grammar or spelling errors.

If you manage posting content that includes words, make sure your spelling and grammar are correct before sending it out into the virtual universe. Everyone makes these mistakes from time to time, but taking an extra step can make all the difference and save you the pain of having someone call it out afterward. Downloading extensions like Grammarly can help alleviate this problem too.

Additionally, of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram is the only platform where links in captions don’t actually work – so it’s best to just avoid including them in posts. If you want to lead your audience to a link, try putting it in your profile’s bio and direct your audience there.

5. Mix up your content.

Gone are the days when you could post stock photos with a formal caption and call it good. To grab someone’s attention, you need to make your posts look more fun and engaging. Since you’re already taking the time to plan out your content, you might as well get creative with it.

Try using motion graphics, videos, or carousels to mix up your feed. When looking at your platform as a whole, it should catch the attention of your audience and make them curious about what you have to say. Remember, your posts should make sense on their own, but also work together to tell a holistic story about your brand. Try changing up the visuals and topics of your posts as much as you can to make sure you’re producing diverse content.

6. Track analytics and change your strategy accordingly.

One of the most crucial tips you should know is to track the analytics of your posts. If you are continually posting content without stopping to think about which posts are performing better than others, you’re wasting time. You can use analytics tools on Sprout, Hootsuite, or the social media apps themselves to do this. Make sure you have a business account for Instagram in order to benefit from their analytics features.

If certain posts have low engagement or didn’t reach a large audience, think about why this may be. Factors such as the time of day you post, how long your caption is, or the topic of the post could be the reason it isn’t doing as well as others. Once you understand which posts are doing well and which ones are not, adapt accordingly. Use these insights to help brainstorm effective content for next month!

The post Tips to Build a Successful Social Media Brand appeared first on Nelnet Inc.

Before the Virtual Interview

The best place to start with any interview is your preparation before it’s time to meet with the organization.

Set up your space.

The first thing you should figure out is where you’re going to have this virtual interview. After almost a year of virtual classes, we’re certain most students have a dedicated space for this, but take a step back and review your space critically, including your desk, background, noises, etc. Test your space by hopping onto a practice video call a few days before your interview.

Test technology.

Another important aspect of your preparation is testing the technology ahead of time. We’ve all been in those meetings or classes where you forgot to unmute yourself, your camera wasn’t working, or a computer update happened in the middle of a call. Take the time to test the video interview program, or even watch a YouTube video from the company to get a sense of how the platform works ahead of time.

Research the company ahead of time.

Like in-person interviewing, it’s always a good idea to do research on the organization ahead of time. But why is this important? Taking time before you meet to do research can show initiative, that you’re invested in the process, and that you are serious about your interest in the role. Here are a few key areas we believe are important to review before interviewing:

• An organization’s mission, core values, and vision.
• Recent news, articles, and awards the company has been recognized for.
• Employees and leaders on LinkedIn.
• If they are a public company, make sure to review their most recent financial statements.

Prepare (relevant) questions.

You can easily Google a list of standard questions to ask during an interview, but we highly encourage you to prepare questions that are going to be most relevant to you. For example, if you value work-life balance, you may ask an interviewer if they feel like they can step away from their work and focus on other priorities. Or, if you are interested in progressing your career, you could ask how the organization best prepares employees to reach their goals. Whatever your questions are, make sure that you first think about what’s important to you, and write them down before you go into an interview.

Have a backup plan if your connection goes down.

We all know there are times when technology fails, a connection drops, or a fire alarm in an apartment building goes off. It can be helpful to have a backup plan ready so that if something does happen, you can transition seamlessly. A few recommendations to think about:

• Do you have contact information for both the interviewer and the recruiter you’ve been working with?
• Is there an alternate space you can transition to easily?
• If the internet drops, do you know how to call into a virtual meeting from your phone?
• Do you have time after your interview blocked off in case your interview starts late?

During the Virtual Interview

A few hiring managers shared what they thought was most important to focus on during a virtual interview:

Tara, IT development manager: Just like in any interview, be yourself. Be ready to talk about all the awesome things you’ve done and have a pitch prepared that showcases your positive attributes and experiences. When someone says “Tell me about yourself,” this is your chance to differentiate yourself from the crowd and share information the interviewer might not know to ask about.

Chem, IT director: Students should have a portfolio of work they’ve completed to demonstrate competence –  especially if they have no real-world experience. Do research about the company you’re interviewing for, and be ready to talk about this when talking to hiring managers. The research you’ve done can come through in your answers, or questions you’ve prepared ahead of time.

Raquel, online help & communications specialist: Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. Sometimes interview questions can have multiple parts and seem a little overwhelming. It’s totally fine to repeat the question to the interviewer to make sure you are correctly addressing all parts of the question. This also shows your attention to detail and gives you a chance to make sure your answer is thorough and accurate.

After the Virtual Interview

You’ve just finished your interview! Now what should you do?

Thank them for their time.

We always recommend that students send a short thank you email to the team that interviewed them. Although this would not be the only deciding factor for a manager, this shows that you are willing to take initiative. Customer service is a top priority at Nelnet and taking the time to send a quick thank you is a great way to exemplify this before you get the job.

Connect or follow up with them on LinkedIn.

If you have not connected with the recruiter and hiring manager yet, now is a perfect time. Even if this opportunity does not work out, this will be an excellent way for them to stay up to date with you and you with them. We also recommend following the company on LinkedIn.

Give them space.

Following up with your recruiter is important, but don’t overdo it. Most of the time, a recruiter will give you a timeline of when you should hear back from them. Unless you have another deadline or offer come up, we recommend waiting to reach out until the date you expect to hear back from them.

Trust the process.

After accepting an offer, you might feel nervous about working remotely. Trust that the company has your best interest in mind and will follow up to make sure all relevant information about the specifics of your role are clearly defined and communicated. If you haven’t heard from them, it never hurts to reach out to a campus recruiter or program manager. Keep in mind that our world is still constantly changing, and logistics may not be finalized until there is more certainty.

Now that you know the tips and tricks to make you feel more confident after a virtual interview, be sure to check out Nelnet’s available internship opportunities at nelnetinc.com/careers/internships/.

The post Expert Advice on Virtual Interviewing appeared first on Nelnet Inc.

Through our Fun Fact Friday series, Nelnet interns receive the opportunity to sit down (virtually, of course) with executives to have candid conversations about hobbies, interests, advice, and anywhere in between. Here’s some fun facts we’ve discovered about three of our fearless leaders:

Jeff Noordhoek, Nelnet Chief Executive Officer

1. You might be surprised – but Jeff’s favorite movie is a western oldie. The original “True Grit” is his favorite movie of all time.
2. What do alternative and rap music have in common? They’re both Jeff’s current favorite genres of music. Today, he listens to more rap than anything else. If you have any good old-school rap playlists, send them his way!
3. While Jeff is pivotal to Nelnet – he does have a life outside of it. Jeff loves the outdoors – specifically hunting, fishing, skiing, and waterskiing.
4. Have you ever dreamed of scuba diving? Jeff and his whole family are scuba-certified! Talk about an incredible outdoor adventure.

DeeAnn Wenger, President of Nelnet Business Solutions

1. Anyone else a fan of Zesto? DeeAnn worked her first job at the walk-up Zesto ice cream shop in Lincoln as a 15-year-old. She says Zesto is a Lincoln icon – so working there was a dream for this self-proclaimed ice cream fanatic.
2. If you need a travel suggestion (post-pandemic), DeeAnn’s favorite destination to go to is France. More specifically, a picturesque lunch setting at an inn from the 1500s in Normandy – like straight out of a movie!
3. Cooking classes take up some of DeeAnn’s free time – and throughout the pandemic she’s attended online sessions. From puff pastry to southern dishes, DeeAnn keeps her love for cooking and baking alive through this hobby.
4. If you’re a coffee lover, you might want to hold tight. While DeeAnn is not a coffee drinker, she loves tea. But – not just any tea. Her all-time favorite is chocolate coconut tea from Australia. Sounds pretty good, right?

Terry Heimes, Nelnet Chief Operating Officer

1. Arguably, one of the biggest debates is whether you’re a cat or dog lover. Don’t worry – Terry is both, slightly leaning towards dogs.
2. There’s nothing like playing a classic tune on a jukebox. If Terry had to play only one song from a jukebox, he would pick “Werewolves Of London” by Warren Zevon. Give it a listen!
3. Do we have any Brad Paisley, Luke Combs, or Kenny Chesney fans? Terry is a country music fan and especially loves listening to these artists.
4. Some moments in life are so incredible that you might just want to experience them all over again for the first time. Terry says he would relive big family and career moments in a heartbeat if he could.

The post Nelnet Leaders: Fun Facts You Probably Didn’t Know appeared first on Nelnet Inc.

That’s why we reached out to four previous Nelnet interns taking on their post-graduate endeavors. While transitioning to full-time positions, our intern alumni are making waves wherever they find themselves.

To see how Nelnet has left a lasting impact on our interns, hear from some of our brightest intern alumni:

Mary Woodruff, university recruiter at Microsoft

Derek Mikus, commercial real estate investment analyst at Principal Global Investors

John Lukowski, law student at Nebraska College of Law

Maya Mercer, market analyst trainee at Norfolk Southern Corporation

Where are you working now? Tell us about your position and company!

Mary: I am a university recruiter at Microsoft – a global tech company headquartered in Redmond, Wash., striving to achieve their mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. In my role, I wear many different hats focusing on internal recruiting operations. I work with our current interns as their main point of contact and roll out full-time and internship offers to candidates, answering questions and negotiating when necessary. I am also currently stretching into the Intern Program Team where I am helping run our Global Intern Events and work on operational excellence. As a side project, I am our team’s morale chair.

Derek: I’m at Principal Global Investors. I work on the commercial real estate team as an investment analyst. We analyze real estate investment opportunities for our clients that offer attractive risk-adjusted returns.

Maya: I’m currently a market analyst trainee at Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern is a railroad company that operates in the eastern half of the US. In this role, I create reports and conduct analyses to help sales, marketing, and customer operations make better decisions. On Dec. 1, I started a new role as the assistant manager of asset planning. In this role, I’ll also be conducting analyses, but with a focus on train equipment. Additionally, I’ll get to work with customers to help with equipment issues.

John: I am in my first year of law school at UNL. I am currently preparing for my first round of finals.

How has your life changed since taking on your current position?

Maya: As with most recent grads, going through the transition from a college student to a full-time employee is quite the change! Learning how to adapt to the different schedule, workload, etc., has been challenging yet rewarding. This transition has felt like a wild ride, but it’s been exciting and adulting is pretty fun. To make things crazier, I moved to Atlanta, Ga., without really knowing anyone. Although there are many unknowns in my life today, I’m beyond grateful with how things have turned out.

John: Since I began law school, I have reached a new level of “Zoom fatigue” that I did not know was possible. Beyond that, I have been exposed to a whole new line of academia. I studied finance, accounting, and math in undergrad, which involved concrete solutions to most problems. In the realm of law, however, there is usually no such thing as a clear answer.

Derek: First off, due to COVID-19 I started my full time job remotely which has been an interesting experience. Thankfully, I had previously interned for Principal so I am not a completely new employee, but it has been a lot of work getting up to speed as an analyst while being completely remote. Also, switching from a college life schedule (sleeping in until 10 o’clock) to working 40+ hours a week has definitely been a transition.

Mary: I have grown up quite a bit since taking on my current position. I moved to a new state, started on a new team in which I knew no one, and learned what it is like to manage the recruitment process of top tech talent at a large scale. Overall I am incredibly grateful for the past year and a half since joining Microsoft. I have expanded my skillset and abilities more than I could have imagined all while staying true to myself and meeting some awesome people along the way.

What is one skill that you learned at Nelnet that you currently use in your daily life?

Mary: Empathy. I had this skill fairly developed in my personal life, but once I joined Nelnet I learned how to utilize it in a corporate setting. I want empathy to be at the core of everything I do both in and out of work and I saw that demonstrated over and over again at Nelnet.

Derek: One skill I learned at Nelnet that I used in my daily life is to problem solve and ask questions when you don’t know something. Being a pathway intern taught me this well because rotating through 4 different departments within an organization means there is a lot of new things being thrown your way so you have to get comfortable asking questions and problem solving on your own.

How did Nelnet equip you to thrive in your current position?

Maya: Nelnet was my first internship, so I owe them a lot! They helped me learn how to navigate working on teams to produce results. Today, I feel I’m able to tackle challenges independently because of the solid foundations Nelnet helped me develop. Additionally, the people I worked with at Nelnet allowed me to understand the value I can bring to a company. As a young professional who sometimes struggles to find her voice, this means a lot.

John: Law school requires you to stay focused and organized. There is a lot of information overload with all the subjects you need to learn. Working at Nelnet during undergrad allowed me to learn how to stay productive while maintaining a proper balance between my work, school, and personal life.

Derek: Nelnet equipped me to thrive in my current position by helping to teach me the importance of effective communication. I was able to work on my presentation skills and business writing skills, which are all things I use in my current role at Principal.

Mary: Nelnet gave me the confidence to believe in myself and my work. I had incredible mentors like Jessica Schumacher who built me up and allowed me to see what I was capable of accomplishing. My mentors and managers gave me the space I needed to grow. Nelnet also instilled a work ethic in me that I use every day in my current position.

Do you have any advice for current Nelnet interns?

Derek: Ask a lot of questions and make as many connections as possible. You never know where the connections you make during your internships can lead to after college or later in life.

Mary: Push yourself and be kind to yourself. Nelnet is a wonderful, forgiving, and safe place to learn and fail. You will have amazing days and not so great days. Keep your head up and know you are growing which is the best thing you can do. Finally, use your time at Nelnet to find what makes you happy. It’s a huge company full of opportunity so take advantage of that!

Maya: Lean into what interests you. If there’s an area, business problem, or project that sparks any curiosity, ask your team if you can get involved with it. If you’re anything like me, you didn’t know (and still don’t know) exactly what you want to do with the rest of your career. My managers at Nelnet were always very supportive of exposing me to areas that sparked interest.

These associates have taken their first steps towards their dream lives – and we couldn’t be more proud to hear how Nelnet has empowered them to thrive in their current career.

Interested in jumpstarting your career with a Nelnet internship? Check out our available intern opportunities.

The post Nelnet Intern Alumni: Where Are They Now? appeared first on Nelnet Inc.

Classes went remote. Students had to move. And many companies cancelled or postponed summer internship opportunities.

That’s where we came in.

After losing their original summer opportunities, many students reached out to Nelnet’s recruiting team to ask if there were any open roles or ways they could contribute over the summer. Not long after that, Mike Dunlap, Nelnet founder and executive chairman, initiated and prioritized an expansion of Nelnet’s summer intern program.

Once that happened, it was all hands on deck. Hiring managers, leaders, and associates across the company worked together to find places where interns wouldn’t just have a job, but would be able to have a valuable, worthwhile experience. Replacing the students’ summer income (though very important) wasn’t enough – the experience needed to be present.

Nelnet extended 23 additional summer internship offers in an incredibly short timeframe. Managers were on board. Remote workspaces were arranged. Teams expanded – and the new interns were welcomed with open arms.
Service means stepping up when challenges arise. Doing whatever it takes to support those in need. Seeing opportunities, and making the most of every single one.

Curious about the newest group of interns? We asked a few of them to share their thoughts on starting their newest gig.

“Being able to have this internship during these trying times means more to me than you could know. As a junior at UNL this summer may have been one of my last chances to gather real-world programming and tech experience before heading into the industry. I will always be grateful for such an opportunity.” – Zoe Hudson, business analyst intern

“Being able to continue at Nelnet with my position during the current times makes me feel valued, as many of my peers don’t have this opportunity. To me, this proves that Nelnet is not simply looking at their interns as a means to an end, but that they value us as people who want to learn and thrive.” – Thomas Braccia, software engineering intern

“I am extremely grateful for Nelnet giving me the opportunity to work with them this summer. I lost my original internship plans due to the effects of COVID-19 and the fact that I can continue to strengthen my education over the summer is incredible. I know that this is an extremely challenging time for everyone and the fact that Nelnet opened their doors to me means the world.” – Audra Heyne, IT intern

“Nelnet’s efforts to maintain their internships remotely, and maintain flexibility to my living situation and current accommodations, have made me incredibly impressed and satisfied with my internship. It’s shown me that Nelnet is committed to the success of their interns.” – Hunter Godina, software engineering intern

The post Nelnet Hosts Draft for 20+ Additional Interns appeared first on Nelnet Inc.

To learn about the impact internships had on full-time efforts, we asked four of our associates to share their experiences.

Megan Gould, marketing specialist

Aly Faber, recruiter

Josh Jones, data scientist

Michael Predaina, IT software engineer

Q: What was your first (or most impactful) internship experience?

Megan: My first internship was in sales at Sandhills Publishing. I spent a lot of time doing cold calls, researching potential clients, and managing account relationships.

Aly: Development intern at the Lied Center (Lincoln’s largest performing arts theater). I loved it – I worked with high-level Lied Center donors and the development team on donor solicitation, event preparation/execution, and daily upkeep with our donor information/contacts.

Josh: In my first internship, I was part of the first Pathway Program cohort in 2016. I worked in eight different departments at Nelnet, so I was exposed to a lot of different aspects of the company. I interned again in 2018 with the data science team, where I mainly focused on building out machine learning models. My primary project was to model how likely a household was to become an ALLO customer. This helped extrapolate growth of our current markets and predict other communities where ALLO would be well-received.

Michael: I had an internship with Mercury Marine out of Fond Du Lac, WI. I was a software development co-op. I developed software and managed data for the engineers, accountants, sales, and marketing teams designing outboard boat engines. Since coming to Nelnet, I’ve been volunteering as a Nelnet Ambassador attending career fairs and hiring software engineering interns.

Q: What was the most challenging part of being an intern?

 Megan: The most challenging part was wanting to go 100 miles per hour at all times. With it being my first internship ever, I really wanted to prove myself and didn’t understand work-life balance.

Aly: For me, I sometimes had difficulty finding confidence in myself in certain situations. I’d say “oh, I shouldn’t speak up since I’m just an intern” or “I should run this by my boss” before submitting my work on certain tasks. I lacked the confidence to truly be independent and make an impact, whereas in my role as head of theatre recruitment at Nebraska Wesleyan, I felt empowered to make critical decisions directly impacting my coworkers and prospective students.

Q: What was the most rewarding part of being an intern?

Josh: The most rewarding part of being an intern at Nelnet was having a lot of autonomy. The more constraints associated with a project, the more innovation was needed to meet those constraints, so I appreciated that I was able to experiment with new algorithms and models freely. In fact, a lot of programs I wrote as an intern are now part of the data science team’s “best practices” codebase.

Michael: The challenge. Being able to adapt to real-world problems and apply the skills that you learn in school to design and create solutions is extremely satisfying.

Q: How did this internship equip you for your first full-time job?

Michael: Having an internship before interviewing for full-time positions gave me an incomparable lead on other candidates. I was able to give future employers direct examples of problems I had already tackled in a professional setting. My internship experience communicated to employers that I could handle myself in a real work environment.

Aly: My time at the Lied Center gave me the biggest lesson in professionalism. In working with high-level donors throughout Nebraska, it was vital to be on top of my game all the time. It taught me to be a better, more-well rounded professional.

Q: After coming to Nelnet, what part of the culture surprised you?

 Megan: The core value of open and honest communication is truly lived out. A lot of companies have core values written in their handbook or as a decal on their wall but Nelnet actually lives the core values out in every aspect of the business.

Michael: I am always impressed by the amount of care and focus software engineers at Nelnet put into developing and delivering quality products. It is rare that I make it through a meeting without hearing the phrase “so how will that change affect users?”. The other big thing that I take for granted at Nelnet is the robustness of the development process itself. Nearly every aspect of the development lifecycle/infrastructure is automated for me. Things like software quality analysis, repositories, dependency management, deployments, artifact management, approvals, and secure design methodologies are all handled by some existing process.

What makes Nelnet stand out among other companies?

Josh: Not to sound cliché, but we’re a family here. It feels really authentic and I can’t name a single associate who doesn’t have the best interest of others in mind. We truly want to see each other, and Nelnet, grow and succeed.

Aly: Nelnet truly cares about its employees. If something isn’t working right, they try to fix it. If you want to learn and grow in different departments or business lines, your managers support you. It’s really incredible and humbling to be at a company that truly lives their values.

These associates have not only grown immeasurably since their time as interns – but have also contributed greatly to the success and mentorship of Nelnet’s current interns. Looking to be a part of the Nelnet family? Check out our open positions.

The post Learn From Experience – How Internships Helped Nelnet Associates Succeed appeared first on Nelnet Inc.

We talked to three Nelnet interns who are passionate about volunteering and impacting their communities – here’s some of the highlights.

Spencer Tuominen, business intelligence intern

Megan Wright, IT intern

Cole Nelson, IT application security intern

Where do you volunteer?

Spencer: I volunteer at Feed My People, a food bank in Eau Claire. I got involved because I’m a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary (or NRHH). This organization is centered on some pillars or values which are leadership, recognition, scholastics, and service. The emphasis on service is a big reason I joined (and still participate in) NRHH.

Megan: I first got involved with a branch of Girls Who Code that was run by a friend, and we decided we wanted to start our own organization so we could have more freedom of curriculum design and get funding from our university more easily. Thus Girls in Tech was born! We work with Lincoln elementary schools to run after-school clubs for third through fifth grade girls where we teach basic coding concepts and build girls’ confidence in their abilities.

Cole: I’ve been volunteering with Circle K International, the world’s largest student-led community service organization, since I began attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. I heard about them from a friend who saw them at the fall student organization fair, and I knew they were a branch of the Kiwanis Family (like Key Club, which is focused on high schoolers). I enjoyed volunteering with Key Club in high school, so I figured I’d give Circle K a shot. Circle K helps out in a wide variety of ways: soup kitchens, library events, school activities, road cleanups, fundraising operations, and so much more. I’ve had a lot of fun and met several of my college friends through Circle K while also helping out the community.

Why is volunteering important to you and what impact it has had on your life?

Spencer: I have been trying to volunteer as much as I can since high school. I actually first volunteered at Feed My Starving Children in middle school. I still remember it so well – I was a runner and moved large quantities of food to stations where people packed them. At that young age I didn’t fully comprehend the impact of what I was a part of but as I got older I realized, I had this time that others didn’t, and I wanted to use it to help others.

Megan: Closing the gender gap in STEM is something I am very passionate about, and I believe that it all starts with helping children have confidence in their capabilities and intelligence, and providing strong examples of women fearlessly doing what they love. Each week when I help my kids make animations in Scratch (a programming language), or make bracelets that say their initials in binary, I’m doing more than teaching them how to do computer science: I’m teaching them that they can. I’m showing by example that girls can love computers, girls can love math, girls can be smart and nerdy and girly all at the same time and it’s not a contradiction.

Cole: Most obviously, volunteering helps the community. There are a variety of underfunded community projects that would not be possible without the work of volunteers. Furthermore, there are many individuals who need the assistance of volunteers in their own lives. However, volunteering is not just all about altruism. Selfishly, volunteering is good for yourself in two ways: it lets you accomplish something meaningful and engage with others.

Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your volunteer experience?

Spencer: Working with the people that run volunteer operations. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Also, knowing that you can have an impact no matter how small you think it is.

Megan: My main goals are building the kids’ confidence and giving them a basic understanding of computing concepts and logical thinking. Seeing either of those things start to click for a kid is the most rewarding feeling in the world. Teaching is hard, but it’s so worth it to see the results.

Cole: Among many other things, getting to know new people!

It’s easy to believe volunteering is important, but much harder to put it into action. We’re so proud of our interns for choosing to make a long-lasting impact in their communities.

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