Internship with T-Mobile opened career options for WSU student

When Truc Nguyen interviewed for her internship with T-Mobile For Business, she highlighted her experiences with Barton International Group at Wichita State University.

“I came into the interview with T-Mobile with tangible projects I had already worked on,” Nguyen said. “That was one of the very first things they asked ‘Tell me more about Barton International Group. What projects did you take on?’”

Those projects and interview preparation from her Barton International Group advisor Kate Kung-McIntyre paid off. A few months later, Nguyen stood next to T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert at corporate headquarters for a picture during an event for interns.

Nguyen, a senior majoring in marketing and international business, spent the summer as a segment base marketing intern for T-Mobile For Business. She worked remotely most of the time and spent a week at corporate headquarters in Bellevue, Washington.

She assisted a team of six marketing managers on campaigns for T-Mobile For Business services and products, such as phone upgrades. The projects she worked on helped her learn the importance of communication and collaboration.

“Getting to work in a big corporation in America is really fascinating,” she said. “I really had to step out of my comfort zone. I was working with, not only internal departments all across the company, but I also had to collaborate with third-party agencies to assist with the programs.”

Nguyen, who attended Wichita East High School, learned to ask questions and research to prepare for virtual marketing meetings she led. That responsibility pushed her to expand her communication and organization skills. She asked her manager for information she could study to familiarize herself with the language and background of the telecommunications world.

“I had to lead a meeting to start a new marketing campaign,” she said. “Not only did I have to lead the meeting for my team, but there were also third-party agencies involved. It was really intimidating to step into as a student and an intern. I grew a lot from that experience.”

While her background is in creative areas, her understanding of data analytics grew and she considers that area part of her career plans.

“My internship was very well-rounded,” she said. “I got to play a part in the creatives, in terms of visualizing what I would like my campaigns to be and communicating that to the agency. I also had to go through the process of determining who the campaigns were targeting and how I can improve future campaigns, and that was through data.”