Tell us about your teams
Summer internship
I was part of the Partner Success team in Austin, Texas. However, this was a very large team, so there were three smaller teams that made up Partner Success floor at the Austin office. Thus, there was the Property Owner (PO) team, Platform Property Management (PPM) team, and Integrated Property Management team. Each one of the smaller teams included their own Account Managers, Senior Account Managers, Area Managers, and so on.
Graduate role
I am so grateful I was able to rejoin the Vrbo Partner Success team in Austin, Texas for my new grad position. Since my internship, the Partner Success team has changed its different team names. Furthermore, Vrbo’s Partner Success is divided into 4 different teams; there is the Small-Medium-Business, Mid-Market, Enterprise, and Acquisition team. I am part of the Small-Medium-Business team.
Tell us about your roles?
Summer internship
I was lucky enough to work with each of the three smaller teams on the Partner Success floor. However, in particular, I worked a lot with the PO team. So, as an Account Manager Intern (commercial sales intern in Austin, TX), I was given a list of accounts that I got to manage. I was in charge of optimizing property owner accounts by speaking with them over the phone, on zoom, via email, etc. Additionally, I was given a project halfway through the internship to work on with my fellow coworker interns. Our project was to make the integration from PPM to IPM smoother for partners and our internal teams.
Graduate role
Since starting my New Grad program back in August, I have worked with a lot of familiar faces and am doing similar tasks. Hence, my position as a New Grad is in Account Management. Furthermore, I have a portfolio with 1,700 accounts that I talk to on the daily basis via phone, zoom, and email. The goal is to optimize as many listings as possible to make the partner more successful on the Vrbo platform.
What skillsets do you think are required to be successful in your role?
Summer internship
To be successful, you need to have a welcoming and open personality. You will be on the phone, in meetings, and networking throughout the day, so it is important that you are a great communicator and have customer service/hospitality experience. Additionally, you will be using Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint on a daily basis, so having these skills in your toolbox will be very helpful as well.
Graduate role
In order to be successful in Account Management, you need to have an outgoing personality and enjoy pitching product. Moreover, over 80% of your day will be spent on the phone, in zoom meetings, or presenting, so it is important to be an excellent communicator and enjoy talking. Additionally, it would be helpful if you also enjoy working in the hospitality industry because you will be needing some of those skills and knowledge as well. However, the most important skills to have are flexibility and adaptability. The industry and traveler trends are forever changing so it’s important to be flexible.
What technologies/tools do you work with?
On a daily basis, we work with Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce, Slack, Zoom, Workday, and Tableau.
What’s your favorite thing about working at Expedia Group?
Summer internship
When I tell you I love this company, and that I have had a wonderful experience since interning here, I mean it. Everyone is so open and welcoming and wants to hear what you have to say. They are not annoyed with silly questions or act like you are inferior because you are an intern. Additionally, I have loved that the Early Careers Team encouraged fun by having intern socials and my own Partner Success Team encouraged networking by having what seemed like bi-weekly office socials. Therefore, my favorite thing about working at Expedia Group is the office culture.
Graduate role
Since starting back as a New Grad, I have reexperienced the wonderful atmosphere Expedia Group offers. Everyone is so welcoming and open to questions. Additionally, in my experience, even your boss’, boss’, boss wants to hear what you have to say and welcomes feedback. This is rare to find in a corporate setting and I am very appreciative of the inclusivity here. Thus, my favorite thing about working at Expedia Group is still the office culture.