I’m Ashley Gray, a Corporate Marketing Associate at Silverline — but my career at Silverline began with an internship over the last year. I sat down and spoke with Chris Clark and Arianne Sirow. Chris is currently a Delivery Operations Analyst who attended the Loyola University Chicago. Arianne is a Business Analyst who attended the University of Texas, and I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).
When did you start interning at Silverline and for what department?
Arianne: Summer 2015, Delivery
Chris: February 2018, Delivery
Ashley: August 2018, Marketing
When and why did you consider staying at Silverline after college?
Arianne: After my internship, I finished up my last year of college and actually decided not to come back to Silverline. I wanted to stay in Austin and didn’t want to work remotely. Life eventually brought me back to New York and it was a no-brainer for me to reach back out to Silverline.
Chris: After interning for over a year, I saw all of the opportunities Silverline offered in terms of career growth and knew it would be a great place to begin my career. I accepted a full-time offer right before graduation, and it has been an amazing experience so far!
Ashley: I knew right away after interning for a couple of months. I saw how much I could do if I started working full time and the potential career path. Silverline was also a company I gained a lot of respect for because of the way they treated their employees, perks/benefits, and having an HQ in New York was a big plus since I knew I wanted to stay in New York after I graduated.
What was your favorite memory as an intern?
Arianne: My favorite memory as an intern was hanging out with the team after work. Even though I was young, I was not treated any differently. I felt like I was a part of the team and was able to create new friendships. I was really spoiled with the work culture and friendships that people in Silverline have. You don’t see that everywhere.
What was the process of going from intern to FTE?
Ashley: There were several meetings with HR and my managers at the time to discuss roles and responsibilities and the right moment to start full-time to fit with my schedule and Silverline’s plans. Since I was offered a position a few months before I graduated, there was a significant amount of planning involved: who my manager was going to be and what my actual role was going to look like.
How is working full time at Silverline different from interning?
Arianne: When I was an intern, I didn’t have any knowledge of Salesforce when I started. My internship was a lot of learning. I even had the chance to sit in during the first month of the Silverline Academy. Now as a full-time employee I am still always learning, but I have more autonomy as to what I learn. I also get to be on full-time projects and work with our customers firsthand.
What advice would you give any current college/graduate interns?
Ashley: Make sure your manager knows you are interested and don’t be afraid to have those conversations about full-time employment because it’s only going to help you in the long run.
Chris: Start having conversations early on about full-time positions and say yes to every opportunity that presents itself to you. This will really help you understand the different parts of the company and what type of work you are really interested in pursuing.
Overall, we all agreed that interning and moving to full-time employment at Silverline was a great decision and we encourage anyone who is considering an internship here to apply ASAP. We are just a few of the people who have gone from part time (internships) to full time at Silverline!
Interested in working with an amazing team? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page to learn more and for current openings. Be sure to check us out on Glassdoor and LinkedIn too.