Many highly successful people have an intense desire to be cultured. Some read books, some go to museums, and others LIVE the experience. Natalie Webb has definitely lived the experience! Traveling to 14 countries, leading 7 service trips out of the country, and studying abroad in both Spain and England, makes Natalie the perfect fit for the ultra competitive World Traveler Internship with STA Travel. We had the pleasure of interviewing her to discuss the competitiveness of the application process, her strategy for winning, and plans for the future. We also found out how you can win it next year! Enjoy, The Voice of YOU!
1. How did you first hear about the World Traveler Internship and what made you apply?
I first heard about the World Traveler Internship through my brother’s Facebook status, which asked the Facebook world to vote for one of his friends applying for the internship. I have ALWAYS wanted to work for a company related to travel, in any capacity, so I decided to apply.
2. This internship is very competitive, and you went through 4 rounds before being selected. What round was the hardest and why?
The hardest round was the final round, after making it to the Top 10. You and everyone voting for you had a deeply vested interest in the process and by this time, the applicants I was competing against were highly qualified individuals. I am sure that any of the Top 10 finalists could have done an incredible job. Because of this, I knew I had to bring as much creativity and energy to my final application video as I possibly could.
3. What was your strategy to get votes during round 1?
I sent out e-mails to my friends in my address book on Gmail and encouraged them to express their support for me via their Facebook statuses, Gchat statuses, etc. Several of my friends e-mailed their friends, some made Facebook groups inviting people to join and vote. Others tweeted about it repetitively. Friends and family continuously updated their Facebook statuses with the link to my voting page so that my picture and page would be regularly on people’s news feeds. This stirred a lot of attention. I am a huge advocate of the viral messaging world!
4. What kind of related/unrelated experience did you have, before applying, that really stood out to the judges?
I have traveled to 14 countries, led 7 service trips out of the country, and studied abroad in both Spain and England at Oxford University. These experiences whetted my appetite for travel and studying the ways of international humanity. I have also had a few semesters of marketing experience with various companies and know a bit about PR strategies and campaigns. This experience proved valuable to the judges, because of the way that we will be marketing STA to students.
5. The reader of this interview is jealous, and wants to apply next year. What skills should he/she posses or learn in order to be a viable candidate?
Anybody who has a passion for traveling, skills with a digital camera and production software (i.e. imovie), and a knack for effective communication should absolutely apply! Though the process can be a bit arduous with the multiple rounds, it is worth the effort! I just told myself if you never try, then you will never know how far you can go. I look forward to this journey and cannot wait to keep the media world updated on all of our experiences!
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Find out more about Natalie through her internship profile and:
Follow her around the world, all summer long, @WorldTravelerIntern.com.
