Article From Intern to Full-time Teammate: An Interview with Cayla Millar
By Laila Hachem / 23 Aug 2023 / Topics: Culture & careers
From project management intern to marketing specialist, follow Cayla’s journey from Insight’s 360 intern program and beyond.
Cayla Millar has worked at Insight for 4 years. Over that time, she evolved from a Summer 360 Intern to a marketing specialist on the marketing enablement team. In this role she connects the Insight partner community and sales team. Sometimes, it can feel less like work and more like throwing a party (more on this later). Cayla is on a quest for success and believes in rallying change to pursue opportunities that excite her. As a go-getter, Cayla displays an attitude that would fare well for all professionals.
How did you go from intern to full-time Insight teammate?
I applied for my internship after speaking to my friend who worked at Insight. My friend thought I was a cultural fit, so I applied and used them as a reference. I didn’t quite know what I had gotten myself into as the internship was for project management.
I really enjoyed my project management internship and wanted to continue in the role but there just wasn’t an opportunity for that. I remained in contact with my manager and teammates after the summer program ended.
Eventually, my former manager reached out to me on LinkedIn with an opening for an internship on the marketing enablement team. I interned for that team in the last semester of my senior year. Halfway through the internship, they opened a full-time position for a marketing coordinator. I had fallen in love with my job and wanted to continue working on my team, so I applied. After the application and interviews, I got the coordinator job. There really are lots of opportunities for growth at Insight.
What should I know before starting in the Insight 360 Internship program?
Go into the program with an open mind and willingness to learn. I have met various interns this summer and told them my story of how I ended up a full-time teammate. Having the initiative to seek out others that have different things to offer is important to discover what you want to do. Talk with people on your team, in your department, other departments — seek out everything people have to offer. An internship is about completing the workload and seeing what you want out of a career and how to get there.
What was your experience like in the Insight 360 Internship program?
I think my cohort was the last full in-person intern class because now they do them hybrid. We were in the office five days a week. Now the program is only in the office 2 days a week. We would go in and have different seminars. I remember budgeting, public speaking, meeting the CEO, and we did a lot more. We also had a row of interns; it was fun sitting with the group.
In good company: Many Insight interns find opportunities to become full-time teammates — take Brock Jacobs for example.
I really got to see the leadership and culture of Insight. The leaders of the company were prominent during the internship program. The CEO, founders and senior leaders met with the interns; I thought it was awesome that Insight cared about their interns that much.
“I love coming to work. The values aren’t just words — the company really follows through, especially our leadership.”
How would you describe the culture at Insight?
The culture is very welcoming. I’ll be at headquarters and Joyce, our CEO, will just be waiting in line for coffee and chatting with teammates. I mean I don’t know any other company where the CEO goes through the front door and interacts with everyone. It’s refreshing to see.
Also, it’s nice having the opportunity to speak with leadership that is open to helping you get where you want to go in your career. If you want a career change or are looking to pursue leadership roles, they are more than willing to help you find a place at Insight to fulfill that.
I really enjoy my job and coworkers; I love coming to work. The values aren’t just words — the company really follows through, especially our leadership.
“I’ll be at headquarters and Joyce, our CEO, will just be waiting in line for coffee and chatting with teammates. I mean I don’t know any other company where the CEO goes through the front door and interacts with everyone. It’s refreshing to see.”
What is your favorite thing about working at Insight?
My favorite thing about working at Insight is the people. I really love bringing people together. I love having a manager that understands it’s an area of passion and allows me to do work to fit that passion. I talk to friends at other Fortune 500 companies, and they don’t have the ability to figure out how they can implement their ideas. The leadership here wants teammates’ input and lets you follow your aspirations.
What’s the coolest or most rewarding project you’ve worked on at Insight?
The most rewarding project was establishing the enablement experience team. All our activities were in person pre-Covid-19 at the various offices Insight has across North America. We had to quickly flip everything to virtual experiences. And then, once things started to open, we hosted after-hours events for networking, which was a huge undertaking.
In our main offices with hubs of sales teammates, we would host what we called roadshows. We would rent out arcades, mini-golf and entertainment spaces. Our team and partners would have a fun experience and time to connect.
It’s amazing looking at the first event we hosted and now the different events we host after-hours and in the office. It was cool seeing leadership back up our ideas and then see our team execute them.
Insight is about encouraging teammates and clients to ‘be ambitious.’ What’s the most ambitious thing you’ve accomplished?
The most ambitious thing I have done was move away from home. I was from Colorado but left to go to Arizona State University. That move was big and helped me grow a lot. Professionally, the most ambitious thing I have done was pitch the idea of doing events for our sales teams. We have an events team that does client events, but I saw that gap. I asked if I could give it a go, and now, I’m here. Having that hunger is beneficial for your career.
What advice would you give to someone early in their career?
Be open to not going the route you thought you wanted to go. I thought I would work at an ad agency as an account manager and that’s what I had my heart set on. Then I applied for an internship in marketing at Insight and did my internship and realized I loved the company and job. Stepping outside of the expectations you set for yourself and exploring opportunities will help you uncover your passion. If you think something might interest you, go for it.
Let ambition grow. Discover roles at Insight.
Laila Hachem
Summer Marketing Content Intern 2023, Insight
