Wilson Purcell ’15 had the great opportunity to intern with Coleman Research Group in Raleigh, NC. The internship was shared by Ali Gores ’10. Read on for an overview of Wilson’s experience.
Q: What originally drew your interest to this particular position?
A: I was drawn to the internship by the opportunity to speak with accomplished professionals from various backgrounds / industries. I figured that I would get to hear some interesting stories and learn about career paths that I wouldn’t have thought to research.
Q: How did the experience impact your career goals and your next steps?
A: This may not be the answer you’re looking for, but the experience didn’t really change my career goals all that much. I am still interested in finance and consulting work. Working at Coleman, though, showed me just how much working in an open and friendly office environment makes the work more enjoyable. If anything, working at Coleman shifted my focus in that I am now looking to work for smaller, more intimate companies.
Q: Can you share one brief story about a specific project, moment, etc. that was particularly impactful?
A: The executive officers of the company are mostly based in the New York office with one of them in London and two in Raleigh, but I got to meet each of them over the summer. They all met in Raleigh for a few days, and the CEO and founder Kevin Coleman came another time by himself. On his solo trip, he sat at the cubicle next to me to get some work done. He seemed busy, so I didn’t bother him. Once he had some free time, though, he introduced himself and talked to me for a bit. I thought it was really cool that he spent some of his limited time in the Raleigh getting to know the summer intern.
Current students can view postings for summer internships and entry-level positions presented by Davidson alumni and families for the 2014-2015 Internship & Job Challenge on WildcatLink.