My name is Jai Primer and I am a rising junior in the College of Arts & Sciences. I am double majoring in East Asian Studies and International Studies. It’s undeniable that the pandemic has made changes in every facet of life, student internships are no different. I was paired with korédé, a handbag startup founded by Ronke Faleti. Coming in, I was nervous about the online dynamic, specifically how I would manage my own time and sanity. While there was a significant adjustment period, I eventually got used to working online, and I’ve even started to like it. It’s not what I imagined for my first internship, but it is an unprecedented learning experience. 

Working online leaves you with a lot of alone time. This time may force you to draw into yourself and go through a period of introspection. This happened to me. I realized that my job gave independence and accountability a whole new definition. I, a 20-year-old college student with no office experience, was thrown into complete independence and accountability. I would either sink or drown, but that outcome was based solely on my maturity and ability to work without constant oversight. As you can imagine, this was something new. I had never had a work environment that was almost completely without rules or oversight. Going to class and doing your homework on time is one thing, developing marketing content and collecting data for a start-up is another. I think that this time was invaluable. I realized how mature and responsible I could be. I saw that when I am determined, I don’t need someone looking over my shoulder. I know that in the absence of others, I am still clear and level-headed, trustworthy, and capable. I learned a lot about myself. And I am really proud of what this process has revealed so far. 

On the professional side, working at korédé has been everything I expected and more. My ultimate goal of working with a start-up was based on my intentions to explore different fields and roles. I’m not quite sure what I want to do professionally, and I was hoping that this internship may help push me in the right direction. After working on product development sketches, Ronke was impressed by my creativity and decided to put me in charge of content creation. This meant that I would focus on creating all of our social media and pr content for outreach and community engagement. I poured all of my energy into creating aesthetically pleasing posts with SEO optimized captions, as well as developing a plan for engaging with customers. Throughout the process, I’ve been focused on the goal of making korédé a resource, not just a brand. These tasks included social media management, writing blog posts, crafting emails, and creating a survey to understand what our “tribe” really wants from us. I’ve really enjoyed my job, even though it was something I’ve never imagined myself doing. It is something that I could see myself pursuing more in the future, whether it be for another start-up or my own. 

Working at korédé has been great. It has been an opportunity for personal and professional growth, despite the obstacles that the broader situation has presented. I’m excited to continue working with the brand, and hopefully contribute to its growth in the near future.

Here is an example of one of the emails I’ve designed for korédé!