RUNNING HEAD: FINAL REORT

Senior Internship Final Report

Rachel Howell
GRA 4900
Appalachian State University

FINAL REPORT

I have to admit that I am slightly incredulous that my final internship is complete and I am
technically an alumna of Appalachian State University. In fact I recently spoke with another intern about
completing his internship and we both feel like we ought to head back to Katherine Harper Hall in
August. My academic career with Appalachian, thanks to the vastly knowledgeable and helpful professors
in the GAIT and Business Departments, provided me with the skills and experience I needed to be
successful during this internship. I will always be thankful for my career at Appalachian State and I will
carry the knowledge and memories with me through my new career and the rest of my life. Aside from
the sentimental aspects of completing this internship I can confidently say I had a wonderful experience. I
can declare that I am wiser, more confident, and better prepared to begin my career in the industry, all of
which were part of my objectives this summer. Throughout the rest of my report I will describe in detail
how my internship with BP Solution Group in Asheville, North Carolina has prepared me for my career,
reflections on how my coursework helped me succeed as a Customer Service Representative, how I met
my objectives, and what my goals are for the near and distant future.
I had my sights set on a management position as I completed my coursework and began
interviewing with various prospective companies in the spring. Keeping my management goal in mind, I
sought an internship that would help me build the skills I would need since I recognized that it was highly
unlikely to go directly into management. I needed a position that included leadership skills, scheduling,
job management experience, estimating, and customer interaction. These are the areas which I have
determined I need the most experience and personal growth. My position as a Customer Service
Representative at BP has filled all of those requirements. When I began in May I anxiously anticipated
working with David Morgan, the Production Manager, and Charles Emrick, the Purchasing and
Estimating Manager because I knew they would impart to me as much information and experience as they
could. They have recognized my ambition to learn and to play a significant part in the success of the
company.

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During my first weeks at BP I started out slow, thankfully it was a fairly slow time for the
company so the learning curve was not quite as severe. I began entering jobs and becoming acquainted
with Hagen as well as running through basic estimates with Charles. I had been apprehensive about
estimating because I do admit that the estimating course at Appalachian was challenging for me. I was
pleasantly surprised that the majority of the estimating at BP is done through Hagen and as long as the
details plugged into the software are accurate, the resulting price should be as well. This is a blessing and
a curse because that means that if one setting is entered incorrectly, whether its a mistyped number or a
finishing option left out, it will produce an incorrect quote. My first trial runs were exactly that, trial and
error, with quite a bit of error. The more I had to revise estimates and work through errors on my own the
more familiar I became with the software. I am constantly making mental notes of the gotchas in the
system. For instance, when entering envelopes the working piece size must be entered as slightly smaller
than the actual envelope because Hagen accounts for bleed and gripper margins. I am now able to
complete estimates and enter new jobs confidently on my own.
I have not been responsible for deciding on the final price however because the final decision
requires a bit of guesswork and familiarity of the customers. Some customers do not require steep
discounts while others, such as nonprofit organizations are more comfortable with very low prices. I
suspect that I will only be asked to make the final call on a quote if there is no one else in the office to
complete it. I have attempted to recreate an existing quote with a different quantity to no avail; there was
so much ball parking conditional assumptions the first time that my final price came out twice as much as
the original. I am gaining a fair amount of experience with Hagen because the new work we gained from
the acquisition requires revaluation of previous prices. It seems I have completed my internship in the
perfect window of time to get the most valuable experience with Hagen.
My leadership skills are developing in the form of taking responsibility for my mistakes as well
as my successes, taking initiative to lend a hand to complete rush jobs, and ensuring that proofs are
approved in a timely manner. When I discover an error I have made I quickly work to correct it and sort

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out any miscommunication. I know that a mark of a valuable leader is to resist pointing the finger of
blame elsewhere, even when other parties are involved. I double and triple check myself and make notes
of any challenge or detail I must remember. When a project must be completed quickly and requires more
hand work, I am quick to volunteer my help, barring completing any pressing work of my own. When I
am not busy in the office I have often found myself in the mailroom or bindery and I know that my
assistance has made the difference in completing and shipping an order on time. I have seen immediate
results with my status logs which encouraged me to be more involved with production workflow. I strive
to pay attention to the general workflow and stay aware of potential issues in scheduling and mechanical
issues in the pressroom. I have found that keeping up with such information and completing logs has
helped me make more educated decisions about due dates, decide when it is appropriate to be concerned
about a rush project, and even catch delays that others have missed. I recently noticed a job jacket in the
outgoing workflow box that was a month overdue; once I enquired about it we determined the only
holdup was calling the customer to ask which substrate they chose. Simple oversight can be avoided when
observations like the one I made are made regularly. The customers also benefit from this process because
their orders are not unnecessarily delayed. I was ecstatic to hear commendations of my efforts from the
customers who had previously encountered recurring scheduling issues.
Customer interaction is an area that I had an inkling I would be good at because I am a people
pleaser, a positive and negative attribute at times. I have had a minimal amount of experience working
with the public before this summer. I have not had to have a tough conversation yet as a CSR, but I am
prepared to not take conversations with disgruntled customers personally. I know that my best effort and
dedication is all I can offer and if I have done everything in my power to have a successful relationship
with the client, I must leave it at that. My relationships with customers have been quite pleasant thus far,
and Bob Williams told me about a conversation with a new customer who was very pleased with my
correspondence and my conveyed interest in her project. I have always tried to operate under the
assumption that anyone I have had contact with might not be having the best day and I make sure to let

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them know that we value their business and that I am personally involved in making sure they are
satisfied. When someone shows that they are truly listening to concerns and follow through with their
agreements, it makes all the difference in the world. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far in
Customer Service.
During my first internship with BP Solutions Group I could already see the correlation between
the coursework at Appalachian State and the production workflow. My first internship mainly consisted of
shadowing in each department but now that I have a position with the company I am applying the
knowledge I have gained. The first area of newfound knowledge I applied was estimation. Charles began
going through estimates with me on my first week. After completing the course at App I had a better
grasp of how intricate an estimate is, in order to be as accurate as possible. I had previously mused that
perhaps once a particular kind of job is completed, a standard price could be set, but now I can see why
BP does not operate that way. With a plethora of projects that require various stocks, quantities, quality
requirements, and finishing options, it would be nearly impossible to formulate a standard price sheet.
Studying the mathematical logic behind estimating helped me to spot errors that I had made while
entering information into Hagen. As tedious and time consuming as the hand- calculated method is, I
would recommend that students continue to learn it.
Because I am not doing any outright creative work during my internship I have not put the skills I
have gained from the Photoshop, InDesign, and Web Development courses to use. I do however complete
projects in my free time using the Adobe Suite to keep my skills sharp. I decided early on that I would
rather not be a part of the creative department, contrary to my adolescent dream of becoming a
professional artist. While I do not use my artistic training directly in my position, my understanding of
design concepts helps me review proofs and anticipate the finishing steps necessary during production.
Two of the topics we covered during our senior seminar this past spring have been particularly
influential during my internship. The first topic that struck a chord with me was Paiges presentation on

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physical fitness. The information and statistics about decline in health were shocking, and I have taken
her warnings to heart. The first few weeks out of school I did not participate in any physical exercise and
I felt perpetually tired and each day would drag on. I began walking the neighborhood around BP with
some of my coworkers and started attending a Zumba class after work. I truly do feel more energized and
alert at work now. I have also embraced the tips that Jessica gave about personal finance, creating a
budget and keeping finances in mind when planning out what my options are for the next six months.
I was the Assistant Plant Manager for half of the last spring semester of Mountaineer Printing and
have benefited greatly from that experience. I was responsible for keeping track of a schedule of student
shifts and relaying important information about the status of projects. I also communicated regularly with
the other lead team members, as well as the class as a whole. I communicated to them the schedule,
complications, and updates on tasks that needed to be completed. As I am attempting to grow as a leader
and reach my management goals I have continued to use what I learned while completing the
aforementioned tasks. During my stint as the Assistant Plant Manager I learned that communication is
key. I have persisted in communicating regularly with practically everyone at BP. I check in on a regular
basis with staff involved with my current log projects, seek counsel from Bob Williams about new client
work, and try to maintain correspondence with customers regarding proof approval. Through my previous
experience I also learned that patience truly is a virtue and a little may go a long way, but it may take a lot
to get the job done. I often have to take a step back and remind myself that I must adapt to constant
revision or changes in plans. My only wish is that I had an entire years worth of experience to work with
instead of just half a semester.
One suggestion that I have for the Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology Department would be to
offer a crash course in Microsoft Excel. I know that most students, myself included, have used Excel
previously in other courses but I think it may be beneficial to run over the softwares application in the
print industry. I have used Excel for my logs and the program is fairly easy to troubleshoot. I was told by
another intern that they were required to attend a course that was open to the public on just Excel,

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followed by a competency test. I doubt all companies encourage the use of Excel as heavily, but it would
be a great idea to have a refresher before graduation. Another suggestion I would make is to allow
students to correspond with the University departments that already work with Mountaineer Printing as
customers. Students are required to have two Cradle to Grave projects, and when time and resources run
short their fallback plan is completing personal projects. I feel it would be beneficial for students to work
with an established customer because the workflow is already in place, allowing for a more realistic
Customer Service experience. In my experience trying to find a client, most of my time was spent just
trying to convince a student organization not to go to Staples because it would be easier. At BP I am
communicating with customers who, for the most part, have been working with the company for some
time therefore diminishing the amount of miscommunication. If Mountaineer Printing was a year long
course, I feel students would have more success in acquiring customers; as it stands perhaps working with
established customers would be a better option.
I have managed to use nearly everything I have learned at Appalachian in some form or fashion
since graduation. One of my internship objectives was to accomplish exactly that, and to continue
learning throughout my career as well. I sought an internship that would use my strengths and acquired
knowledge to their fullest, and I have been very pleased with my experience at BP. As I previously
mentioned, I am drawing on the skills I developed while in school and recalling the information I learned
on a daily basis. I was thoroughly prepared and eager to put my degree to use. I was interested to see how
much I didnt know once I entered the industry and I was not surprised that I continue to learn about this
industry on a daily basis. From reading a current print industry publication, to speaking with a print sales
veteran, or overcoming an odd challenge, I gain something every day. I also eagerly anticipated
developing the skills I would need to reach my career goals, another personal objective. I am confident
that the tasks that I am completing and the many challenges that I face are going to prepare me for a
leadership position. Therefore, I have met my objective to find an internship that would set me on the path
to achieving my career goals.

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I have often spoken with my peers at BP about whether I plan to stay with the company when I
have completed my internship. My first short term goal is to finish the year with BP at the very least. I
know they want me to stay, which is reassuring. Many people have asked me if I have officially been
offered a position, and the answer is no. I have been told rather vaguely that nothing will change after my
internship is complete, which I am gathering means that they want me to continue as I have for the last
two months. I have to admit there is a bit of magic lost without the official job offer. I have also set a goal
to meet with Bob after August third to discuss my revised role at BP. Since the sales staff we anticipated
is no longer joining the company, I will be the Customer Service Representative for their accounts. I
would like to flesh out my list of responsibilities to ensure that I am accomplishing everything expected
of me.
Over the next few months my objective is to determine whether I should stay in Asheville, North
Carolina, or pursue a career elsewhere. I will not decide to leave I will stay at BP Solutions Group until I
am absolutely sure that I have a job waiting elsewhere. I have a lot to consider about pros and cons of
moving on. I do feel like my chances of moving into a managerial position at BP are few, because it is a
smaller company with very little employee turnover. I would like to gain a substantial amount of
experience here to use to my advantage later on. I definitely dont want to rush myself by chasing a career
recklessly.
Another short term goal I have set for myself is to maintain the healthy lifestyle and work ethic
that I have adopted this summer. Besides the Pilates class I had taken at Appalachian, I have never
followed an exercise schedule. After noticing what a difference being physically active has made on my
work performance I plan to continue my routine and possibly add to it. I agree with that fact that when
your body is taken care of, the rest of life is much more enjoyable and successful. I might even invite my
coworkers to join me at Zumba; I know one lady has done it before and enjoyed it.

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I have several long term career goals now that I have completed my internship and moved on to
full time employment. My first goal is to work long enough to gather the skills and experience necessary
to move into a management position. I am most interested in project management or perhaps
departmental management. The following goal would be general management. Whether these goals lead
me to stay at BP Solutions Group is entirely up in the air. I am unsure if there will be room for me to
move into such a position here any time soon. As for moving elsewhere, I will have to pay attention to the
opportunities available in my region. I would consider moving within North Carolina if an opportunity
presents itself. For now, I still believe I am gaining the experience I need in my current position as a
Customer Service Representative. I have sent a tentative long term goal of owning my own print shop. I
have contemplated the idea of opening a shop with some variation of a niche market such as specialty
cards and stationary as well as the idea of a full service shop that caters to local businesses in particular.
Western North Carolina has fostered the buy local movement and I feel like a locally focused print and
marketing company would do well, despite that many small shops being recently consolidated. I will
anxiously watch my career path unfold in front of me, and work to make the best decisions I can to stay
on course. I would like to look back on my life and laugh at my mistakes and be in awe of everything Ive
accomplished.
I have had the pleasure of completing both of my internships with BP and I doubt that I would
have had the level of quality experience with any other local shop. I highly recommend BPs staff as
mentors; every single person is willing to share their knowledge and provide assistance. The range of
printed products that BP covers is a valuable asset for a potential intern because they would be exposed to
various challenges regarding each department. The overall work environment is friendly and the
production workflow is clearly outlined and efficient. BP is a smaller company than most of those
represented at Career Connections and may not have another opportunity available to hire in the near
future. I would definitely encourage anyone interested in a future internship here to contact the company
and inquire about the possibility of a part time learning experience.

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10

In closing, there are not enough thank yous and commendations that I could give to both BP
Solutions Group in Asheville North Carolina, and my professors at Appalachian State for all of the
knowledge they have imparted to me. I have been thoroughly prepared for the beginning of my career and
set on a solid path to my near and future goals. Applying what I had learned while in school has helped
me to succeed in my current position and evaluate my future career objectives. My internship objectives
on the other hand have all been completed, and I am proud of my accomplishments this summer.