“The culture, the people, the building, the role, everything about my time here at Expedia Group has exceeded my expectations. Everyone is super supportive, welcoming, and fun! I knew this was the place for me, I could see myself growing and becoming the person I wanted to be here.”

Sarah Lin, Account Manager Intern in Austin, TX, joined the Small-Medium-Business Partner Success team in June 2024. While on the program, Sarah has been thriving and taking on the chance to be out of her comfort zone, and seeing the rewards it can bring, as well as building some great friendships with other interns along the way. Learn more about the Intern Program here.

Sarah Lin, Account Manager Intern, Austin, TX, USA

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What team have you joined, and what is your role?

As an Account Manager in SMB (Small-Medium-Business) in the Partner Success division, I like to describe my role as property consulting. I work on the Vrbo side, with hosts to help them optimize their listings to the fullest. Most of this involves phone calls or sending emails with potential clients. When I’m on a call, I explain to them what they could be doing to reach more travelers and what they can be doing strategy-wise to improve their number of bookings and revenue, by partnering with us. This could range from marketing and pricing strategies, to amenities and photos.

What does a typical day look like in your role?

I typically start my day around 8:30am. I get in and look through my meetings and the tasks I have for the day. I like to start by sending out emails to hosts to grab their attention. Then I call them one-by-one to help with their strategies. I do this for the morning, then I head off to lunch with my fellow interns. Sometimes there are events during lunch, such as we just had the Inclusion Business Groups Summer Games, in which I joined -winning 3 medals, becoming the most decorated intern! After lunch I finish more calls and consultations. Near the end of the day, I like to section out some time to work on my intern project. When I have meetings, I work around those as well. I like to end my day with a short game of ping pong with my fellow interns.

What is your summer project? And what have you enjoyed about it?

My summer project is to help Vrbo hosts attract modern travelers, such as Gen Z and Millennials. I like this project because I can personally relate to it, I can pull knowledge from my own experiences, and I get to learn more about my own generation’s travel trends. It has also been a great experience to interview colleagues in Partner Success to get a better understanding of how the hosts they interact with view the ‘modern traveler’, as well as meeting new amazing people! Recently we held a webinar for hosts to learn more about attracting the modern traveler, and now we are reviewing the feedback to finalize our strategies.

Why did you want to join the EG Intern Program?

Travel has always been a huge passion of mine. As a kid, I remember watching Expedia commercials with my family that transported me to a part of the world I could only dream of. My younger self said ‘I will travel for my job when I grow up’. Well, that time is now here and where traveling for my job is still a work-in-progress, I knew I had to start somewhere. When I saw that Expedia Group was looking for interns, I quickly jumped at the opportunity. It just made sense! Working for a company that can grant others the gift of travel for everyone, everywhere, hassle-free, seemed like the perfect first step to accomplishing my childhood dream. After hearing countless stories of those who had enjoyed their time at Expedia Group, I decided this was the path for me.

What were your first impressions of EG?

I won’t lie, I thought it was too good to be true. I thought that there was no way a company nowadays would treat their employees and interns this well! The culture, the people, the building, the role, everything about my time here at Expedia Group has exceeded my expectations. I still am in shock when I walk into the office every morning. Everyone is super supportive, welcoming, and fun! I knew this was the place for me, I could see myself growing and becoming the person I wanted to be here.

What surprised you the most about EG?

I was surprised the most by how much trust my manager has in me. She trusts me to get my work done which I really do appreciate – I am put in charge of creating my own schedule. If I need to finish something on time, it’s up to me to make sure it happens. I feel a strong sense of independence, which is very different from college since professors assign homework assignments to make sure you understand the concept. In a professional setting, however, you have to be proactive about reaching out for help. It’s definitely helped me to step outside of my comfort zone!

What are the three main learnings you’ve had while being on the program?

1. Be confident. I know who I am, I want to show people who I am, too. I know my strengths but also my weaknesses and am eager to grow.
2. Ask questions. I didn’t have all the answers, and that’s okay, no one expected me to know everything, but they did expect me to ask for help in areas, if I needed it. Asking thoughtful questions may also sometimes impress the people you talk to.
3. Be eager to grow and learn. Having a learner’s mindset is something that is so important especially coming into the workplace. I may not have the most experience, but I’ve been willing to learn, and that’s what managers and co-workers look for.

What has been the highlight of the summer?

The most underrated aspect, and the highlight of the intern program, is the cohort. The interns and I have become so close to each other, we hang out every day, in and out of the office, we explore Austin together! From the experiences I’ve heard from other internships, that’s not always the case. I’ve made good friends and connections through the intern cohort and I’m very happy with the way it is set up.

Why would you recommend the program to students?

Like I mentioned previously, the cohort setup is such a huge plus for me. I love how there’s a sense of community and connectedness within the group. There’s no competition or awkwardness since we are all the same age and are friends. I also love Expedia Group. The culture, the people, the goals of the company, are three things that have left such a huge impact on me, I couldn’t be happier with the experience I’ve had.

What are some of the ways you have been supported by your mentor?

My mentor and I connect almost daily. She helped me navigate through the internship and the specifics of the role. She advocates for me and gives me suggestions on how to go above and beyond. We became close friends from the program and she’s been there for me every step of this journey.

What is some advice you’d share with future interns about the application process?

Be yourself! Let your passions show and people will quickly see how authentic you are. Do your research, what makes Expedia Group stand out to you from the other companies you applied to? The final piece of advice is something that drastically changed my life, and that is: everything you ever wanted is right outside your comfort zone. I can’t stress this enough. It’s right there! Go ask for that coffee chat, go talk to that person, or colleague, you pass every morning to grab coffee, speak up in that one meeting with 20 people, you never know what you will learn from these conversations and interactions. Good luck!

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