Interning Remotely as a Business Management Major

Stock image of woman hand working on a laptop.

Welcome to our series to give you a glimpse into Rowan University, our campus culture, and the lives of our students, while we’re practicing social distancing to protect society from the spread of COVID-19. Today’s story is from senior Alyssa Marroccoli, who transferred to Rowan after beginning her college career at the University of Rhode Island. Alyssa is a business management major who rents a home off campus and is originally from Newton, NJ (Sussex County).

When looking to complete a second internship before graduating with my bachelor’s of science in Business Management in May, I decided it was the perfect time to get involved in my family’s business. My father is the President and CEO of National Forensic Consultants, a forensic investigation firm that provides expert investigation services for the legal, insurance, product manufacturing and construction industries. I am currently positioned in the South Jersey office in Pennsauken, NJ as a Business Development and Sales Intern for the spring semester, where I have been learning about the company’s structure and how to successfully manage a business.

Alyssa stands armed folded in her living room.
My work-at-home colleague, Dexter.

I have been working under my supervisor, Vice President of Business Development and Sales, Dean Gentner, where I have been developing a business plan to increase messaging between our clients and experts, as well as maintaining our partnerships and client relations.

Our goal has been to grow our bridge of communication via email and through phone conversations, where we inform our clients about our newly added experts, as well as educate them about our other wide range of services that we offer.

Several duties I have as an intern at NFC consist of selecting clients to receive the appropriate messages and put forth content relating toward those receiving them, developing a variety of scripts to appease the particular company or law firm I am offering services to, following up with clients and providing requested information about our experts and services, and working with management to develop different approaches in their business development strategies.

Alyssa stands on a balcony outdoors with sunlight streaming through her hair.As National Forensic Consultants’ first intern, two major takeaways I have gotten from this program are how to professionally connect with people and get an internal perspective of how a business and its employees are managed.

I was lucky enough to be given the responsibility in assisting with the development of the internship program itself when working with my supervisor throughout my time at NFC.

It has been both challenging, as well as rewarding, to have the opportunity to see my plan for the program be considered so seriously. It is a great privilege to be respected so highly, even as an intern, at such an established company.

I truly enjoy my work at NFC, and love to see the results of adding new clients and regaining previous one’s attention, yield such positive effects for the company. I really like the corporate aspect of my job that I didn’t get to experience as much of in my previous internship. My coworkers also made my experience so welcoming and fun.

Working remotely has had its challenges in terms of getting accustomed to such a different routine. I miss being in the office and going to classes during the week, which I always seemed to take for granted when I felt so busy and consumed with responsibilities. I’m very grateful to be in a position where my work can be adapted to being completed remotely, and to not have my program be discontinued, where others are not so lucky. Personally, I like to get ready and dressed as if I was going to the office to feel more motivated to complete my work day. Another aspect I appreciate when working from home is the opportunity to work with my dad each day that I’m ‘in office.’ Where I usually only got to see him once every couple of weeks while working in South Jersey, I now get in-person advice, opinions and assistance during my work day that many cannot.

Alyssa's tidy and bright work space which includes a laptop, notebooks and scented candles.
My internship workspace at home.

National Forensic Consultants offers a service in a range of industries with incidents that do not stop occurring, even during a pandemic. It is truly amazing to see this organization come together so quickly to make themselves available for their customers under these trying circumstances. I believe how a business responds and adapts to a changing environment says a lot about a company’s stability and value it holds. While no one could have predicted such a rapid interruption in our daily lives, one of which most of us have never seen in this lifetime, it really is a privilege to be a part of a company who puts forth the best business practices, while still keeping their employees safe and working, when most cannot be.

I am so appreciative of the opportunities National Forensic Consultants has given me, and look forward to apply all that I have learned in this internship program when I begin my full-time job post-graduation as a Management Trainee at Enterprise Rent-A-Car!

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