Intern Spotlight: Blake Carlson

Blake Carlson, a 2016 Spencer High School Graduate, is a marketing and operations intern for Community Insurance this summer. A junior at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, Carlson studies public relations with a double minor in theatre and entrepreneurship.

“I became interested in this position after an opportunity fell in my lap,” Carlson explained. “I was interested in learning more about business, and it also gave me an opportunity to return to the area and enjoy everything that Northwest Iowa has to offer.”

He hopes to gain a deeper understanding of professional development, noting, “If nothing else, it is more about developing skills as a well-rounded young professional. Learning the unofficial ins and outs of office culture and relating to other adults in a workforce and how that flows. It's been really great getting to learn those skills on a small scale."

“It’s really interesting to see the steps that Scott [Simpson] has taken to make this agency successful as an agent because it’s an entrepreneurship venture,” Carlson said. “What has also interested me is learning how Scott interacts with the community, how he interacts with his clients and makes it in the day to day as a small business owner.”

“We have enjoyed having Blake on our team this summer,” said Scott Simpson, President of Community Insurance. “His energy and creativity have been an asset with our rebranding as well as helping establish a stronger social media presence.”

Carlson’s advice to students applying for internships was to dream big, saying, “When I’m applying for an internship, I always look for a position that would be my ideal job. I might not ever end up doing exactly what I want to do, but college is a time of exploration. When looking for internships, be confident in what your dream job is.” Additionally, he added, “Connections are so important. Don’t consider any internship below you. You never know what opportunities are going to come from it. “

About the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is the regional economic development agency for Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. The Iowa Lakes Corridor’s mission is to foster, encourage, promote, aid or otherwise assist in the economic development growth and development of the four-county region.