by Julianne Couch
Ahrey Smith (BA ’98) knows it isn’t easy to get a job after graduation. He learned from experience that the surest way up the ladder is to do work that will inspire someone to reach out a hand. Smith was working as a consultant for a computer company when he was noticed by someone at eBay. Now he’s the director of partner integrations, with an office in Austin, Texas, and a workforce and client base around the world.
UW graduates often do not get the kind of exposure in the corporate workforce that their skills and talent deserve, Smith says. He’d like see UW students represented among applicants to eBay’s summer internship program. The internships usually consist of a 12-week period that includes orientation to the business and networking with peers and others further up the corporate ladder.
Smith says eBay chose 450 students for internships out of approximately 1,500 applicants. These internships are well-paying, he explains, and the majority of students are offered jobs when they complete their internships. “These internships are not science projects,” he says. “We put them into ‘impact’ projects with delivery of actual products to customers who are buying them.”
Smith remembers the frustration of trying to break into the marketplace without experience, but having trouble gaining experience without having a job. He says the solution is for a business to find the right candidates while they are students and help them mature in their first jobs. He believes that after students complete internships, they approach their final year of college classes with a more pragmatic and savvy eye. They realize the importance of collaborating across tight timelines, knowing they are accountable to teams and shareholders.
“Our goal is to recruit a large number of our hires directly from universities,” Smith says. “The life-blood of a technology company is innovation, driven by the new, fresh perspective of talented young minds.”