Summer Spotlight: Gabrielle Andiario ’24

By: Shannon Bunn ’24, student correspondent

As a marketing intern on the Healthcare & Life Sciences team for Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, Gabrielle Andiario ’24, gained experience working for a multinational provider of consulting and technology services for Global 2000 companies.

Andiario, a rising senior, lives in Wyoming, Pennsylvania. The marketing major with a minor in business leadership discusses her eight-week internship.

Describe a typical day at work.

"Since my internship is fully remote, I spend most of my day at my desk, besides moving to my kitchen for snacks or coffee. To start, I usually begin working on the project I‘m currently assigned, which can range from in-depth research on industry competitors to organizing materials for the company’s internal website.

Then, I usually sit in on about two to three meetings each day. These meetings discuss the next steps of current campaigns, periodic updates on various projects from different members of the team, data from recent events to determine successes and areas for improvement, and more. A couple days a week, I have a one-on-one meet-and-greet with a Cognizant employee to learn more about their role in the company. After meetings wrap up for the day, I continue working on current projects or watch an online training course.

What is the time frame for your internship?

"My internship is remote, full-time for eight weeks. It started on June 9 and ends August 4."

What are some skills you have learned?

"My first project was to research competitors’ uses of generative AI. This helped me understand that awareness of a company’s position in relation to competitors is key when determining how to market new ideas, products or services.

I’ve also learned a lot about communication. When I sat in on my first meeting, I was overwhelmed with unfamiliar words and abbreviations related to marketing and the health sciences industry. Understanding these key terms is just the base layer to following along in meetings, so I quickly learned the importance of asking questions, taking notes and researching."

What do you enjoy most about your job?

"Most of all, I enjoy the people. Everyone I’ve met so far at Cognizant has been realistic, personable and helpful. Everyone has a great sense of humor, but still stays professional and knowledgeable. I’ve also been appreciative of connecting with the other interns. We meet at least once a week to share experiences and concerns, and to get to know each other. Making connections at a personal level really helped me feel comfortable and eased the nervousness that comes with starting a new role."

Does the job match your expectations? 

"Before I started the internship, I was super nervous that I was going to get assigned tasks that I would have no idea how to do. This was definitely not the reality. Of course, at first things can seem confusing. However, everyone I’ve been working with has been answering questions and making extra time to meet with me if there are any issues."

How do you feel that this job has prepared you for the real world?

"Communication. It may sound like I’m repeating myself, but I can’t stress this enough. I’ve learned a lot about how meetings are run within a large company, which will be valuable in any role. I’ve also learned how to ask the right questions, to not hesitate to share ideas, and to take an extra step to connect with those on my team. Each real-world job will require different industry-specific skill sets, but communication will likely be one that stays consistent across them all."