The Intern Perspective – My First Tradeshow

Last week I took part in my first business trip and trade show event: FabTech in Chicago. I am still very much in the processing phase of this event but I know it has had a large influence on my life.

On Sunday, Paulina (a Balluff colleague) and I left the Cincinnati area around 9:00 AM. We arrived around 1:30 or 2:00 and checked into the Hyatt. We then went over to the McCormick building to finish setting up the Balluff booth. The vastness of the building itself was inspiring. Carpets were rolled up, displays were being manipulated in several booths, and I was experiencing slight sensory overload.

After a few hours running around, cleaning, wiring, and finishing up all the final touches, the power was cut and we called it a day. The evening brought some slight exposure toChicago.

The Intern Perspective

I went walking into a job fair, hosted by my university, expecting only to gather information about companies and their expectations of employment. This mere investigation of the credibility of my competencies led me to meeting Tom and Jenny.  Their enthusiasm for Balluff was infiltrating my front of being a cool, calm, collected young adult ready to take on responsibilities within the world of engineering.  The conversation came to close but I was so enthused by my new acquaintances that I couldn’t stop smiling the remainder of the day.

It wasn’t long until I got a phone call, an interview, and a job as a marketing intern. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s my first ‘big girl’ job or otherwise, but it was semi-difficult keeping my “cool” when I saw my name on a cubicle and business cards. I still tend to get giddy over it all.