Insight on Gathering Data for the Business Climate Report

The Greater Des Moines Partnership does an annual Business Climate Report to get an insight from business leaders in Downtown Des Moines (DSM). Every summer The Partnership chooses an intern to conduct interviews and collect data for the report. This past summer, I had the pleasure of taking on this role and leading this project. In this blog, I will be sharing my experiences and some of the benefits of working on the report.

The Business Climate Report

The Annual Business Climate is a report that requires combing through and compiling a list of business leaders to find a candidate for interviews. After narrowing down the list, I contacted my chosen candidates and set up interviews. Once the interviews were complete, I focused on analyzing and interpreting the data to construct the report.

As a business student, this internship helped me in multiple ways and became very beneficial for my professional development. It improved my communication skills, fine-tuned my time management abilities and allowed me to understand the business world a little differently. I also benefited from and enjoyed working on the report itself, networking and familiarizing myself with the Downtown DSM environment. 

The Project 

Working on the report was a profound experience for me in the sense that it enhanced my interest in the business field. I sent many letters and emails and had to do a lot of scheduling and make many phone calls. Because of this, I improved my time management skills, learned to organize my thoughts and prioritized better. I am now able to use these newly improved skills in my day-to-day life.

Although I did a lot of things working on the report, my favorite parts were conducting the interviews. Interviewing a multitude of business leaders in Downtown DSM gave me a chance to understand the business perspective on certain situations that I wouldn’t normally pick up on as a layman. For example, I did not realize the negative impact that low unemployment rates have on businesses. It is difficult for businesses to find a workforce if there are not experienced people searching for employment.

Another reason I really enjoyed conducting the interviews was having the opportunity to network and interact with leaders. I’m a quiet person but I love a good conversation and sometimes I let my nerves get the best of me, especially when I talk to people I’ve never met. Having a conversation with very influential people took me out of my comfort zone and led me to become a more confident speaker, which I found to be very beneficial for my professional development. This internship was also an opportunity to become familiar with Downtown DSM businesses by name and get an insight as to what they do and their roles and involvement in the community. As I researched the companies where I conducted the interview, I explored the environment that I would like to work in after graduation.

The Partnership 

Aside from working on the report, I really valued my experience with the organization itself. At The Partnership, I got to work side by side with some amazing professionals who made me feels as though I was part of the team. Compared to my other internship opportunities, I experienced the office environment and having a nine-to-five job at The Partnership. I also became involved in Seize the City, a series that brings together interns from different organizations in Downtown DSM to network and develop as professionals. This gave me a chance to interact with other interns as wells as community and business leaders through Executive Leadership panels and workshops. Aside from professional events, I got a chance to be part of the community by volunteering at the Des Moines Arts Festival.

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My experience working on the annual Business Climate Report and being at The Partnership was very valuable and the icing on the cake was understanding the Downtown DSM system. For someone who was not very familiar and occasionally got lost in Downtown DSM before, I am thankful that working on this project meant that I had to drive and walk up and down the streets of the city. I learned so much about getting around, restaurants and other opportunities that I didn’t realize Downtown DSM had before.

I am very grateful for Tim Leach and The Partnership for giving me the opportunity to explore and expand my knowledge. This experience was unforgettable, and I enjoyed every minute and everything I’ve learned.

Are you interested in moving to Greater Des Moines (DSM)? Relocation Packets offer information on everything from neighborhoods and shopping to parks and local attractions. Or, kick start your career by checking out the DSM USA Career Center. It has over 10,000 jobs listed!