I was in my third year of university, nearing completion of a four-year degree in economics and tourism. I had started a digital travel company on the side, and I planned to learn from the internship and apply the new skills to my own company. The internship came with a steep learning curve. Back then, the company had about 50 employees, many of whom were interns. I had a lot of responsibility and room to grow.
In June, I hopped on a call with the head of operations to talk about compensation. I might have asked a little too much, but I left room to negotiate.
What's really important to firm leadership is ensuring that we always have our eyes on up-and-coming talent and that we're identifying and developing those who have the potential to be on the team.