About the author: My name is Kaylee. I am from Bartlesville, Okla., and I’m an intern in Williams’ Corporate Audit department this summer. I am also a recent Accounting graduate, and soon-to-be Masters student, at Oklahoma State University (GO POKES!). My time at OSU has given me some great teachers, mentors, and fellow classmates that have helped to mold me into the young professional that I am today. Although, within the first week of becoming an intern with Williams I realized that I have much more room to grow as a young professional than I previously realized.

Interning with Williams has already taught me five essential lessons: (1) how to be independent, (2) how to have confidence, (3) how to be resourceful, (4) how to listen more than you speak, and (5) to ask questions.

Before the internship started, I was nervous for my first day and even more nervous for my first assignment. However, after a bit of training, I dove headfirst into it. A little bit of trial and error taught me that if I am unsure that I am completing tasks well and timely, I can turn to other interns or experienced co-workers for guidance.

My experience during my first week gave me confidence in the work I was doing, showed me how to use my resources and to always ask questions when I am unsure of an answer. People tend to be our best resource, which confirmed to me that good teamwork skills and listening more than you speak are key tendencies to have as a professional throughout your entire career.

Lastly, all of these lessons have taught me the most important thing: Be confident! In a few short weeks I have learned to be confident in myself, my work, my education, and my abilities. I am excited to engage in the many more lessons that I will learn as an intern with Williams.