My 2022 Summer Internship Experience

If you have been reading these blog posts for some time, then you already know me a little bit. My name is Lily Renga. More about me is I go to Villanova University and I’m majoring in business (I haven’t quite figured that out yet) and am minoring in Creative Writing. Food holds a special place in my heart and I indulge my summer weekends with trying new restaurants and desserts near my home in Glen Rock, NJ. 

A picture of me so you guys can finally put a name to a face!

I came into this internship with no idea what to expect. The summer of 2022 was the summer after my first year at Villanova, and oftentimes internships your first year are uncommon. I was lucky enough that P1 Exotics saw my potential. P1 Exotics is a very small company (only about one year officially in business), so it is beneficial to those who prefer a small workplace environment or are seeing if it is right for them. I appreciated that during my interview, Antonio Unanue, founder of P1 Exotics, was on the call interviewing me. It made me feel prioritized and showed how he was going to take a stand in leading this internship program. 

I knew nothing about cars. I drive a ten year old Nissan Murano that was my dad’s and have been perfectly fine with this arrangement. This meant that luxury cars went right over my head. Antonio was never judgemental about this and was more than willing to teach me about the differences between car makes and models (Porsche Targas, Carreras, etc threw me for a loop). He even taught me how to drive stick shift, which was a lot more difficult than I thought. I can confidently say that this internship has helped me grow an appreciation of luxury cars.

Towards the end of my internship, Antonio asked me to give him a real and honest review of how the internship went. I gave some suggestions regarding structure and organization, and these suggestions were well received. We even brainstormed together how to make the internship program for next year even better. Some of these ideas include the first week being an ‘intern bonding week’, where interns are taken go-karting on their first day, around the storage facilities to see cool inventory, and given a chance to get to know each other and the company better. This makes me greatly look forward to what is in store for next year and how these ideas will be implemented. Antonio also suggested that each intern be tasked with planning one activity for all the interns to partake in, which would further bond the group. Creating a positive workplace environment is essential and a priority for P1 Exotics.

Now, as for my tasks, I was tasked with Business Development. This meant reaching out to other small business related to cars (car washes, detailers, etc.) and forming partnerships. On top of this, I edited our website to maximize SEO and got to share my creative writing skills by writing blogs posts. Something to note is that I suggested writing the blog posts, which Antonio approved and allowed me to capitalize on. This internship is what you make of it and will be tailored to what you want to do.

This was probably the coolest car I got to see in our inventory. It was an Italdesign Aztec and there are only 25 of them in the world!

One thing I appreciated was that if I ever needed direction or suggestions, I knew that I could call or text Antonio and he would respond right away. Having an open line of communication helped me be more clear of tasks and directions. I would suggest those who are independent and already highly motivated individuals to apply for this internship, as it is very hands-on and you will not have a supervisor looking over your shoulder 24/7. This means that you have a lot of freedom to do what you want, but must also do tasks that would benefit the company. On many occasions, Antonio and I would have a morning meeting and he would ask me what I was planning on doing for the day. Being able to have control over your own schedule is liberating, but also requires you to stay organized and on task. 

My internship schedule was part time, which I appreciated as I worked a second job as well as a waitress at Tori Ramen and Chicken in Ridgewood, NJ. From the beginning, I was promised I would never have to work on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, and that promise has been kept. My part time schedule was as follows:

Monday: 10 am- 6 pm (in person)

Tuesday: 10 am-6 pm (in person)

Wednesday: 10 am- 6 pm (in person)

Thursday: 10 am- 2 pm (virtual)

This schedule was influenced by my own preferences, as I mentioned in my interview that I would rather start at 10 am instead of 9 am. I’m a college girl, and I like my beauty sleep! If this schedule did not work with something I had that week, Antonio was very receptive of this and would make adjustments accordingly. 

Overall…

I would suggest that if you have an interest in luxury cars, want to intern at a small business, and are independent and motivated, this internship is the right fit for you. By no means at any point did I feel overworked or underappreciated during my internship. On that note, good luck to those applying for summer 2023!

A picture of me at the Final Four in New Orleans in March 2022 (no, I will probably never shut up about it)