An Inside Look at Dyverse’s Evolving Internship Program

Looking back, I would have never thought that social media would be the catalyst that would ultimately lead me to my current role as Programs Manager at Dyverse. My trajectory from starting as a digital media department intern to now running the internship program has been an eye-opening experience for me, and in doing so, I have aided Dyverse in finding young talent and providing real-world experience and career opportunities to a diverse group of individuals. As we focus on growing our internship program at Dyverse, we follow what we like to call the “Dyverse Path”, from internship to part-time to full-time. This path is one of our contributions to make a difference in the world by opening opportunities to young professionals. In fact, 44% of all full-time staff at Dyverse started their careers as interns. With my new role, I have also gained insight into how involved not only students are in finding employment, but also how hard employers are working to find the right candidates to join their team.

Dyverse has dedicated the last 15 years to refining our understanding and execution of multifamily websites. Our approach is rooted in a deep commitment to research and development, consistently evolving with market trends and tenant expectations. Our upcoming launch of new, enhanced conversion optimization tools – including innovative website templates, interactive chatbots, and engaging modules – aims to redefine the standard for multifamily websites. We believe in pushing beyond the ordinary, striving for greatness where others settle for good, and our forthcoming solutions reflect this philosophy.

I remember while I was in college, academic advisors would recommend completing an internship during undergrad. In today’s competitive job market, acquiring work experience is key for boosting your employability, and for many college students, your internship is how you get a foot in the door to your future career.

Back in the summer of 2019, I was on the hunt for my fourth internship and I was looking for something specific. Prior to my time at Dyverse, I had experience with marketing internships; however, they usually entailed creating social media copy and graphics. I was curious to dip my toes into other areas of marketing in the digital space and hone in on a niche that I was excited about, with opportunities for growth and improvement in an environment that valued diversity and inclusion.

I went into my job search with these things in mind and, lo and behold, one afternoon in August 2019, I saw a post on a Facebook group promoting Dyverse’s internship program; right from the start, I knew that working at Dyverse would be an experience with a lot of learning and growth. Starting that internship was my first ever introduction to the world of search engine marketing and how that translates into the world of apartments. Although I encountered moments of trepidation that came with this new territory, the feeling was also met with excitement. I was eager to embrace change and to integrate myself into the company’s DNA to continuously improve by adhering to kaizen — the Japanese philosophy that Dyverse has adopted into its business model, and even inspired the creation of our in-house analytics software. Kaizen in Japanese translates to “change for the better” or “continuous improvement”, and relates to the process of continuously enhancing operations and the collaboration of all employees.

As a Dominican-American woman, not only was it was refreshing to find an employer that embraces multiple passions and interests of mine, but I also found a place where I saw myself and other backgrounds, talents, personalities, and cultures represented. Seeing diversity being put at the forefront of the company’s mission and integrated into the name of the business was admirable as well.

During my time as an intern, I had the opportunity to work with a diverse set of clients under various account managers and was able to witness different styles of digital media and account management. I remember creating my first text ad and writing my own ad copy, in awe at the thought that my ads could be shown not only on Google, Facebook, and Instagram but millions of other partner websites as well. Later on, hearing how some of my influence on these ads converted to campaign success and leases on client calls boggled my mind, to say the least. However, what impressed me the most was how I witnessed a work environment that was so innovative and community-oriented. Dyverse took the notion of having a workplace that radiates positive vibes and found ways to expand it past the walls of the office. Whether it was having weekly yoga classes prior to lockdown or extending a helping hand to our local community with social awareness initiatives such as donating to Parramore Kidz Zone, I felt that I was stepping into a business where I could truly find passions in numerous areas of my work.

As a full-time staff member, I have now fully embraced my role as Programs Manager and have assisted Dyverse in finding new ways to expand our internship program, including making it more financially accessible for students that may otherwise be unable to afford an unpaid internship. With collaboration from our team, we recently started the Dyverse Financial Assistance Grant. This grant is part of our future aspirations of continuing to scale the program so that we can make a greater impact on our community and the multifamily industry. Additionally, the grant serves as a form of financial support for selected applicants as well as a way to widen our intern pool to more students; we currently hold our largest intern class yet, with nine interns for the Spring 2021 semester across all departments with continued plans to grow in the future.

Our hope is that this is just the beginning and that we will be able to have more and more interns follow the Dyverse Path to become permanent members of our team or be able to join other companies as they launch their careers. With that in mind, I go into these interviews looking forward to getting to know the new, diverse team members of Dyverse.