As an intern at Winvale for the past two months, I have not been delivering coffee around the office. In fact, I have not run any mindless errands! Instead, I have been exposed to the business like an employee; working closely with people in multiple departments to the point where I feel invested in what I am doing. As a result, I understand that Winvale is both a consultant and a contractor that helps businesses expand sales to the government market.
When I started here, I did not know what GSA stood for (General Services Administration, for those wondering) or what a GSA Schedule is and why it is important for businesses to utilize it but I get it now. Throughout my experience working with the business development team, I learned that there are a lot of opportunities for companies to succeed in the government marketplace. Especially when you consider all of the different goods and services they need.
I have also learned that many businesses find entering the government sector fearful and daunting. The people I have worked with are well versed and have considerable experience selling to federal, state, and local governments, making it less of a burden. They also don’t treat the venture of entering the market as a process; rather, they look at it as an opportunity to educate and clarify what doing business with the government can provide. With this view, they know the value of being straightforward and they make every attempt to simplify things.
With the summer coming to an end, I can reflect positively on my time here and know how fortunate I am to have worked with such a great group of people. Most interns can’t say that they had an experience where they felt they were a valuable part of the company. Believe me, my Twitter feed is filled with college peers venting about useless internships. However, during my time at Winvale I have been able to work in a professional setting on projects and tasks that truly make a difference.