Although my time at Impel was relatively short, a mere 3½ months, I found that I was very emotional when it all came to an end. I journeyed 13,688 km from Washington, D.C. to work for Impel during my summer leave from school, not knowing what to expect when I got here. What I feared the most was the uncertainty of the office environment, I was unsure of how I would fit in. Would they like me? Would I feel awkward? Looking back at the feelings of butterflies fluttering in my stomach, I realize just how wrong I was.

It took me all one five minutes to dispel my initial fears, I knew from the first people I met that I would be welcomed here. The next three months that followed I believed I learned more information than I had ever learned before.  I suspect that what I learned from the Impel team will be an invaluable resource throughout the rest of my professional career and my personal relationships. To convey just what I mean, I have broken my experience down into three stages; acceptance, teamwork, and performance.

Acceptance by the Impel team is what led me to my first realization about the community I had entered. Everyone was here to work and make the company stronger, and instead of seeing me as an outsider they saw me as an asset.  The professionalism with which my arrival was handled was remarkable, and helped me greatly to fit in with my fellow co-workers. We were all here to do a job, and it was up to us to work together to achieve our goals.

This brings me to teamwork. The degree of open collaboration and communication that I experienced working in the office is something I hope to find in future teams. The way the office community collaborated as a team, gave them the ability to work through difficult situations quickly, handle customer concerns efficiently, and provide outstanding service.  Everyone in the office understood that whether you were a part of the development team, marketing team, or support team, we were all a part of the Impel team.

That kind of goal oriented mentality increased the company’s performance and drove the business forward. When pressure reared its ugly head, everyone was ready to take on the tasks set before them, even if it wasn’t their department.  To give a specific example, during Impel’s recent shift to the New User Interface, our support team became bogged down with queries from various users. To provide the customer with the best service possible, the support team went out of their job description and began answering emails and taking phone calls. Needless to say, our customers appreciated that kind of service, “In addition to the product, I would commend the high quality of response to queries/issues and the emphasis placed by the team to solve issues at the earliest.” said Venkataramanan Mandalam from EduSports.

Being part of such a terrific team at Impel was truly a once in lifetime experienced. As I head back to the United States I hope to apply the lessons I have learned from the Impel team to the pursuit of both my education and my future career.