By Chad Jeffries
Trilogy Innovations, Inc., an 8(a) certified small business located in Morgantown, WV, kicked off the summer of 2021 with its first Technical Internship Program. The leadership team at Trilogy Innovations started this program with intentions of helping engage and give back to the local community, while also creating an interactive and immersive learning experience through real-world scenarios that are prevalent within the world of IT consulting.
“Our objectives for the internship were to create a hands-on learning experience of modern IT practices to gain practical knowledge before graduation, to hire new talent into our industry and ultimately keep jobs and top-talent in West Virginia,” says Trilogy CEO Brandon Downey. “The best way to do so is by mentoring young technology professionals who are approaching graduation and providing them an opportunity to jump-start a career in IT. Additionally, this internship was a testament and first step in our mission to empower, amplify and grow opportunities for professionals and small-businesses across our beautiful state.”.
From more than 80 application submissions across the tri-state area, only five students were selected. All of them are West Virginia University students and all are native West Virginians, as well. The interns were strategically placed with mentors across the various IT disciplines within the organization During the 10-week internship program, each intern had the opportunity to work with a mentor in a specific expertise where they received coaching and learned about each discipline. Disciplines include software engineering/application development, systems administration, engineer and architecture, cloud services, data analysis, and more, within the agile development methodology.
During the internship, the human resources (HR) leadership team also helped develop its soft-skills through career coaching sessions that included mock-interviews, resume-writing, and communication workshops that it believes are as equally essential to one’s career success. Additionally, the mentors and other members of Trilogy’s staff provided guidance on the latest technology trends and certifications to help boost their resume and marketability, ultimately increasing the likelihood of obtaining a position in their field of choice upon graduation.
Photo by Lindsay Nicole Photography.
In the latter half of the internship, Downey and the mentors decided to elevate their skills and experience by covering the cost of their certifications in Amazon Web Services, which three of the interns obtained before the end of the internship.
“The opportunity I had to work with Trilogy this summer as a technical intern really allowed me to explore the field of technology in ways I hadn’t gotten to in other internships,” says Dalton Westfall. “Many internships—especially during COVID-19—don’t provide the same level of involvement that Trilogy provided for the interns this summer. Not only did we get to meet many of the employees at the company, but we were assigned individual mentors based on our interests. On top of that, the CEO of the company led our team and helped guide us through the development of a real-world application in production today. Having the opportunity to work collaboratively with the other interns on a real-world application was more than I could have hoped for in an internship.”
Westfall especially appreciated the career advice offered throughout the internship, including resume assistance and guidance on security clearance and pursing certifications.
“This internship allowed me to prove to Trilogy and other employers that I can take what I’ve learned and leverage it in today’s job market,” he says. “I can also say that as a guy with two bachelor’s degrees, a company willing to pay its summer interns a living wage is much appreciated. Fostering future employees shouldn’t be looked at as a hassle, and Trilogy really excelled at showing us that we were valued and supported at work.”
Upon the completion of their first internship, the leadership and mentors remain dedicated to each of the intern’s success. With one intern already converted to a full-time employee, Trilogy remains committed to engaging and assisting the rest of the interns through their journey.
“We’re excited to bring as many of our first interns onboard as full-time employees after they graduate, and we’ll continue to make strides towards providing the best internship experience that will blossom into a challenge and rewarding career within our wonderful state,” says HR Manager Stacy Downey.
Trilogy Innovations, Inc. experienced success beyond expectation with their inaugural internship program, and their organization is excited to be able to provide career opportunities to the future of the West Virginia workforce.
Photo by Wild Native Photography.
About the Author
Chad Jeffries graduated from West Virginia University (WVU) in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in strategic and organizational communications. Upon graduating from WVU, he began his career with a national recruiting agency out of Pittsburgh, PA, and learned the fundamentals of technical recruiting and providing staff augmentation services to Fortune 500 companies around the country. In his next role, Jeffries worked as a corporate technical recruiter, staffing technologists for one of the largest sporting goods retailers where he gained expertise in internal recruitment efforts. In 2019, he began freelancing for Trilogy Innovations, helping to staff technologists with security clearances for Trilogy’s growing business efforts. With his proven success and synergy working with Trilogy’s leadership, he was offered a full-time role as the talent acquisition, social media/branding and digital marketer, where he’s been since July 2021.
