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It is fair to say I am an active learner and a student of feedback. Both require the ability to be reflective and self-aware.

As I reflect on my experience one month into my summer internship, the history and culture of Toyota are what has stuck with me the most. I have enjoyed learning about the different sectors of Toyota in presentations from Toyota Industries Commercial Finance (TICF), Toyota Material Handling (TMH), and ProLift Toyota Material Handling (a dealership).

In just 30-days, I have learned so much about the Commercial Finance industry. The interns were given an assignment of mapping out the processes in the company that poses a high risk.  Our work allows us to dive deep into various departments across the business, allowing us to formulate a rich understanding of how TICF operates.

I have the opportunity of mapping out processes for the departments of Remarketing and Reserves. From the start, my TICF colleagues have been not only helpful but encouraging. In addition to gaining knowledge about the industry, the interns are attaining corporate experience through leadership advice, mentorship, networking, and shadowing managerial meetings. One of my biggest takeaways is the idea of implementing SMART Goals to ensure completion of a task.

It is surprising that I am enjoying learning about the ins and outs of Commercial Finance as I have a strong passion for the Business of Fashion and Journalism. Since I am a creative person, I am grateful I can use that skill when writing narratives and creating flow charts on Microsoft Visio. Furthermore, I am appreciative of the chance to exercise my love for journalism through these blog posts. Although working in this industry was not expected, there are still opportunities for me to display my interests and skills! Overall, I feel blessed to have an internship during a pandemic, especially after only my freshman year of college.

As this is my first internship, I do not have the luxury of comparing my experience to a “traditional” in-the-office internship. Toyota has done an amazing job with equipping the interns with technology that allows us to complete our assignments stress-free.

Working from home is not something I imagined myself doing but it is fun to see how quickly people can adapt, and that is the sole premise of the Toyota way.