Summer Interns Reflect on their Experiences at Houzz
This summer, our Orange County and Nashville offices welcomed interns to support our Marketplace, Industry Solutions and Trade teams. Here is what a few of them had to say about their experience at Houzz.
Yao Lin: (Marketplace) What I Learned: Over the past few months, I’ve gotten a behind-the-scenes look at the Houzz Shop. There are so many components that go into maintaining the quality of not only the products sold on Houzz, but more importantly, the quality of relationships between Houzz, its vendors and its customers.
Favorite Thing About Houzz: One thing I love about Houzz is that, even though Houzz has definitely grown from its initial stage as a startup company to the established one it is today, it has not lost sight of its startup roots — that is the value of continuously questioning, learning and adapting. At Houzz, everyone is open to new suggestions and recommendations. It is evident that Houzz does not settle with its success and as a company, is always seeking a better way to go about its day-to-day business.
Leah Gilchrist: (Marketplace) What I Learned: I learned time management and communication skills as part of the Houzz team. There were always different tasks that needed to be completed, so it was important to allocate time wisely. Working as part of the Marketplace team requires daily communication with external sellers and effective communication leads to more efficient problem solving.
Favorite Thing About Houzz: My favorite thing about Houzz was the company culture. There was always something going on in the office, and it was refreshing to work with such enthusiastic people. I also really liked getting to look at home decor and furniture daily!
Lauren Gusikoski (Industry Solutions) What I Learned: Through shadowing nearly every department, I saw the importance of each and every team member at Houzz. Each department is truly crucial to the daily operations and widespread success of Houzz.
Favorite Thing About Houzz: My favorite thing about Houzz was how incredibly smart, kind, and well rounded the employees here were. I learned so much just from hearing employees converse with one another on how to more efficiently complete a task or make a customer’s experience better. Every Houzzer wanted me to be successful this summer and let me schedule meetings with them to learn about their career or just answer any of the thousands of questions I had! Our leaders at Houzz want us to thrive and are willing to sacrifice their time to make sure we flourish.
Maggie Lakeman: (Trade) What I Learned: Working with the Trade team taught me how important diction is in communicating the value of a service to your customers.
Favorite Thing About Houzz: My favorite thing was definitely the people as well as the overall company culture. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and it made falling in love with this company very easy! Being the first interns in the Nashville office was intimidating, but everyone here was eager to assist on projects and give us great feedback when we needed it. The atmosphere in the office really feels like a family dynamic and I was always excited to come to work in the mornings!