BY MEGAN FIELDS `17

Embarking on a new job at a new company, never mind an internship, is scary. But being an intern with little-to-no prior experience and with the expectation that you’re going to be amazing right away?

Now that’s even scarier.

My internship with Draper, a Cambridge, Mass.-based nonprofit engineering and technology firm, was the first real position I held where I was focusing on marketing. Although I had worked for Draper before in various administrative roles, being hired as a “plans intern” (as we were called) was the next step toward my future in the marketing field.

As a rising senior at Nichols College—and a marketing major—my internship couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. I was able to fully appreciate the theoretical aspect of my Nichols classroom experience while applying the education to my job. As one of three interns at Draper, I worked with the plans team and the Strategic Communications Department to cover all manner of projects: press releases, event planning, a technical exposition, and the company’s first television commercial broadcast.

Being the new hire in the group was initially nerve-wracking. But after familiarizing myself with every employee and realizing how friendly and accepting everyone was, I relaxed and began to focus on my role within the department. Even though I didn’t have as much experience as the full-time employees, I never lost the feeling that I was an equal to these professionals, and that they saw me in that light.

The personal exposure to the various facets of marketing has made more difficult my efforts to narrow which aspect of the field I want to concentrate in. Having had the opportunity to experience so many new paths to take, however, is worth my temporary indecision. Not only did I walk away from Draper with valid industry experience, I learned more about myself and garnered profound life advice from my coworkers that will guide me to make the decision about to where I should take my next step.

Megan Fields is a Nichols College senior marketing major and psychology minor. She interns for the Nichols College Office of Marketing and Communication.

• Learn more about Nichols College’s marketing programs:
  • Integrated Marketing Communication degree program
  • Communication degree program

BY MEGAN FIELDS `17

As college seniors, we don’t like to think about the world after graduation until someone tells us we’re running out of time. Fears like student loans, paying rent, and saving for retirement all seem like they’re off in a distant future that isn’t ours yet.

That’s, unfortunately, not the case. To help we seniors prepare for the world we aren’t ready to accept yet, the Nichols College Career and Professional Development Center and Student Financial Services collaborated to give students a leg up on these issues. During their Oct. 14, 2016, “Finding Easy Street” program, various presenters from within Nichols, as well as outside contributors, delivered informational sessions to increase our understanding as to what the world will demand of us after Commencement in May.

Lindsay Louis, Nichols assistant director of financial assistance, presented on “Loans After Graduation,” a wake-up call on what we need to know about our student loans, when we need to start paying them, and what happens if we can’t.

Considering 98 percent of students enrolled at Nichols for the 2016-2017 year received some form of financial aid, this is a topic that is applicable to nearly everyone. Of course, none of us want to think about paying off debt to the government and private lenders when we get our first paycheck, but six months down the line from graduation, it’s going to start being a pretty big deal.

Another presentation addressing issues relevant to nearly every student was “Getting Off on the Right Foot,” which was given by Ingrid Adade of Leominster Credit Union. Her session answered the questions: “What bank has the accounts I want?”, “What kind of fees and rates does this bank offer?”, and—perhaps most importantly—“Is my money safe?”

Although most seniors probably dreaded attending these finance-related sessions—especially if you’re like me and have Fridays off—there is no doubt the information provided is useful to anyone about to jump headfirst into the “real world” like we are about to.

Personally, I’m not looking forward to starting to pay off my student loans next year, but since I have to, I want to know what I’m doing. Thanks to this program, I have learned the first steps to take to get in front of my loans, and what I should be looking for in a bank account. These are some of the most important lessons we can learn this close to Commencement.

Megan Fields is a Nichols College senior marketing major and psychology minor. She interns for the Nichols College Office of Marketing and Communications.