Meet the Team | Simone Timen
We’re excited to welcome our new marketing intern Simone to the Bee Team. Here Simone introduces herself and shares her insight for students interested in pursuing a career in blockchain.
Some people feel a career calling to them from an early age. They enter high school well aware of the fact that they will be applying to law school during their senior year of college, or they will follow in their parents’ footsteps and go on to be ER doctors. I had no such calling; no sudden realization that I was destined for any particular path.
My parents came to the United States from Ukraine the year before I was born. There was no blueprint or legacy for me to follow as I trekked through my teens. All I knew was that I had to become successful (which I would go on to figure out was completely subjective). I had three very important cards that, by happenstance, worked in my favor: an interest in bettering people’s lives, a brother in marketing, and access to a career services platform at my university.
Yes, these are seemingly unrelated! But as the brilliant Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho put it: everything is connected, all roads meet, and all rivers flow into the same sea. My road was transferring into UC Berkeley as a sociology major (an expression of my enthusiasm for helping others). Intersecting this road was that of my brother’s. At this intersection, I received invaluable guidance which sparked my curiosity in marketing. And parallel to this intersection ran a river by the name of Handshake, a career platform connecting college students with potential employers. Utilizing Handshake, I sailed on a long arduous search for a marketing internship. Through these interconnected rivers and roads, my relationship with Bee Token and cryptocurrency began.
In preparation for my interview here at Bee Token, I was asked to craft a pitch. Armed with creative freedom and a knack for Google Slides, I performed some independent research and prepared a Bee-themed presentation. The day of my final interview approached quickly and I was exceptionally nervous. Other than the fact that I chose to present my slides without speaker notes; my comprehension of blockchain and crypto was in its infancy. I was a one-week-old in the blockchain world.
I went on to learn that my position was not unusual. The blockchain and crypto communities are relatively new and still growing. My unease dissipated, and excitement filled its place. I was about to enter a progressive and innovative environment, with the unique opportunity of contributing to the future of Internet 3.0. As exhilarating as this was, I do wish that past Simone had access to the wisdom that I have today. Since my DeLorean is currently in the shop and I cannot contact past Simone, I believe this wisdom may be more useful to aspiring interns in a similar position now.
First and foremost, ask questions… lots of them. Regardless of whether you are still in the interviewing process, or have just been hired, you are in the midst of a novel and (at times) confusing experience. Asking questions will clarify your uncertainty and, most importantly, communicate your desire to learn. What’s that old Chinese proverb? “He who asks a question is a fool for a minute; he who does not remains a fool forever.”
In conjunction with asking questions, do your research! Independently researching the product or services offered by your potential employer is significantly important for two reasons: you will sound like you know what’s going on and when you don’t actually know, at least you will have the ability to ask informed questions.
And last, but most certainly not least: do not be afraid to express your creativity authentically. Applying to an internship grants you a rare opportunity to show your engagement with and interest in a brand. There is nothing more impressive than going above and beyond expectations; be it with a striking cover letter, or with a sensational presentation at your interview.
You are now armed with valuable wisdom that will hopefully assist you on your quest into the blockchain/crypto/internship world. Remember, the journey may not always be easy, but nothing worth having in life comes easy (cliche, I know). Don’t let the rejections stop you! And, since we are already in the spirit of old Chinese proverbs: “Failure is not falling down, but refusing to get up.”
-Simone Timen
