Applying to be an intern at Chesapeake Bank was probably the best opportunity I took upon myself. Being as nervous as I was, I spent my entire junior year of college pacing the floor about how I would make it on my first day, what to wear, was I prepared enough, and even if my department would like me.
When I arrived at the Kilmarnock office, I was greeted with smiles, handshakes, and the warmth of love from a community. Almost immediately, my nerves and fear went away. I spent my summer in the marketing department with my mentors; Paula Milsted, Christian Kent, Melanie Wynkoop, Reggie Rossignol, and Eric Pesola.
For the first few weeks, I was entertained with meetings on compliance, Flexent, product development, payment systems, ad agencies, and social media developments. Once my third week rolled around, I was ready to take on my role as an intern in my department. I created social media posts, updated calendars, and blogs on the chesbank.com website, handled ordering promotional items, and worked closely with my mentors to assist in helping out with their tasks.
After two months went by, I began to settle in each location nicely. I often traveled between Kilmarnock, Gloucester, and Norge throughout the week, so I had the chance to work with each member of my department. Along the way, I realized four aspects of Chesapeake Bank that made my experience unforgettable.
Four Highlights of Internship
- Don’t be scared to reach out for help. Every employee I came across at Chesapeake Bank extended their hand to help if I needed it. I didn’t want to seem incapable of doing a task so I never reached out. I later ran into some issues which caused my laptop to shut down. When I reached over to IT for help, everyone was so friendly and informative in case I needed help again! I didn’t feel helpless for asking- I felt appreciated for asking. An employee in another department explained, “It’s better to ask for help from a department! That’s why we’re here, it’s our job! We get asked questions and we help each other.”
- Working at Chesapeake Bank is FUN. Coming into this job, I imagined working a regular 9-5 Monday through Friday. Within the first few days, my entire perspective was changed. Working for this organization has been so much fun. Everyone is highly involved and passionate about meetings, working together, and completing any task to boost the well-being of Chesapeake Bank. Everything that the departments do is what makes the atmosphere exciting to work in! For example, multiple departments have teamed up to create “Fun Days” in the workplace, so employees can wear matching themed attire to work or even have a group lunch to engage in creativity and innovation!
- Chesapeake Bank is A LOT of moving parts. When you first think of a bank, you simply think of the tellers that help you with a transaction, or you think a bank just handles money. Getting to meet almost everyone, and especially working alongside other departments, truly made me take a step back and think, “Wow, a bank is full of moving parts.” Whether you’re interested in technology, marketing, sales, risk, human resources, or even data, here at Chesapeake Bank, there is a department that helps the bank function daily.
- Chesapeake Bank is a family. If one word could represent Chesapeake Bank, it would be family. I truly learned here that you’re not just a client, a number, or a user of the bank’s services, but a valued person. Everyone that walked through the doors of each location was greeted with warm smiles by people that really do care about you. I realized here at Chesapeake Bank that the community that surrounds the bank is part of what makes this organization feel like home.
Throughout my entire time here at the bank, I couldn’t imagine interning anywhere else. I am extremely appreciative of this program and thank everyone that stopped to say hello! I know leaving this internship, I feel more prepared and confident to take a step into the world. If there is one key takeaway, it would be that Chesapeake Bank isn’t just a place to do banking; it’s a community, a family, and a supporter of everyone.
MacKenzie Osborne
Marketing Intern summer 22’
By the way, we're hiring.
Typically, we have three to six interns each year. We'll hire one intern to work with a specific department that has identified a need for the coming year, such as marketing, compliance, human resources, operations, and others, as indicated. We're accepting applications now through March 19 for our intern program. APPLY NOW