Contact: Sameera Jordan
Media Relations Manager
Sameera.Jordan@BankWithUnited.com

Learn About United Bank’s Approach to Internships and the Woman Driving the Strategy This National Intern Day

As a young college student, Erin Fowler had a bit of a different career path in mind than the one she followed. While studying pre-pharmacy at West Virginia University, Erin took a part-time job at Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa in Morgantown, West Virginia, supporting different functions. It was when she was offered a role on the events side of the business and began wedding planning that she’d unknowingly altered her career trajectory.

Event coordination at Lakeview came with a slew of project and “crisis” management tasks, which Erin became more than adept at handling. In fact, one Lakeview bride was so impressed with Erin’s talents for handling high-pressure situations and managing people and their problems that she instantly tried to recruit the college junior to come work for her. And although Erin admits she was flattered by the offer, she had her sights set on a pharmacy career. “I was set on my path,” she said. “I’d already scheduled to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) at that point. In my mind, there was no turning back.”

It wasn’t until a professor encouraged her to seek practical experience with a pharmacy internship that she fully understood what she’d signed up for. That summer, she was brought on as a volunteer at a family friend’s pharmacy back home. “Long story short, within a week, I realized I had no desire to work in a pharmacy,” said Erin. That following semester, she switched her major and returned to WVU as a biology student, and following graduation, she took that Lakeview bride up on her offer and joined United Bank.

This experience not only changed Erin’s career trajectory, but it was also a major influence on what would later become her own internship philosophy.

Fast forward to today, and Erin Fowler is now the VP and Director of Talent Selection and Recruitment at United Bank. With almost 20 years of experience with the Bank across different lines of business, including Retail Banking, Mortgage, and HR, Erin has a unique perspective on finding the right role for employees.

Erin and her team play a crucial role in finding the best people to fill talent gaps at the Bank, rather than just filling positions – a hiring practice that sets United apart from other companies. “We consider, ‘What is this person really looking for?’ It’s not about a job title, but what does this person actually want to do? We look at what they’re good at, their background, the skills and experience that they already possess, and we try to assess that, since a lot of times these skills can translate across industries,” said Erin.

The recruitment side of the Bank comprises both hiring and college recruitment, as well as the Bank’s summer internship program. An 8-week rotational program, United Bank’s internship exposes rising college juniors and seniors to the different business functions across the Bank in a series of one-week themed rotations. Students learn about different teams, hear from employees, and work on projects related to eight functions: Retail Banking, Commercial Credit, Commercial Lending, Wealth Management, Operations, Brand Marketing, and Digital Strategy.

Designed to attract talent across United’s full footprint, interns work from offices located in the Bank’s four regional hubs: Morgantown, WV; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte, NC; and Charleston, SC.

Students leave their summer at United with a better understanding of the many different roles available at the Bank and a sense of not only what they like and dislike, but also what other options are available to them within the organization. “Our interns have the benefit of seeing so many different sides of the Bank, which really opens their eyes to different possibilities,” said Erin. “Maybe they change their minds and don’t want to pursue the role they originally planned on. We want them to be able to experiment – to try something new and say, ‘Oh wow, that is something I never really thought about that I actually enjoy and might want to do,’” said Erin.

She credits her own experience as a pharmacy volunteer and the limited access she had to other opportunities once she realized what she didn’t want to do as a reason for the Bank’s rotational internship structure. “There’s a delicate balance of not being too broad that the interns lack an in-depth understanding of the business and not being too specific that they’re only learning about one of the many aspects of the Bank and have no knowledge of the other opportunities we offer.”

Erin’s understanding of what job seekers need to make decisions about their careers has led not only to her successful career today but has also contributed to the Bank’s success in hiring former interns. Erin has helped develop United’s internship program to the place it is today – a well-rounded experience for students, giving them a taste of what their careers at United could be, from Retail Banking to Wealth Management or Marketing, and staying competitive with the largest programs offered in the industry.

What would you say to people who say internships are for figuring out what you don’t want to do?

I’d argue that it’s almost the exact opposite at United. No intern has a full understanding of banking when they first step through the door. I think the United Bank internship helped me, and other former interns, understand what we wanted to do because it opened our eyes to banking and showed us that it’s not just counting cash behind a counter.

Imagine you’re an accounting major interning at an accounting firm. That’s it for you. Your experience either reinforces what you already knew or maybe it gives you a more in-depth view of what your life would look like working there. What happens if you realize that it’s not what you want to do? Then what? How do you figure out what you do want to do if you’re not given a chance to experience anything different? The United Bank internship stands out in this respect. It shows you so many different possibilities so that you can make an informed decision about the work you want to do when you start your career.

 - Hannah Gurtis, Commercial Banker, AVP (Internship Class of 2017)

What made United Bank’s internship stand out to you?

The leaders we interacted with during the program. Everyone I met was so well-rounded, which I found very impressive. Specifically, during the Credit rotation, I met several employees who I could see as future mentors for myself. They were intelligent and driven – but also very personable and approachable. I remember being 21 and hoping that I would be viewed that way one day.

 - Michael Dul, Senior Credit Department Manager, VP (Internship Class of 2017)

What advice do you have for current interns on how to make the most out of their internships?

Be a sponge. Soak up as much information as possible and never stop learning. If there’s a team or a project that interests you, don’t hesitate to reach out to people in that department. Internships are the one opportunity where you’re granted a front-row seat to the inner-workings of an organization and access to different employees and teams. Ask questions and pick their brain – you’ll learn so much by being curious. When your internship ends, you should be able to confidently say that you took advantage of every opportunity that was offered to you.

 - Ariane Dolby, Investment Analyst (Internship Class of 2023)