It’s almost second nature for University of Delaware Class of 1986 alumnus Robert Wittig, president of Diamond State Management (DSM), to hire a fellow Blue Hen — he is surrounded by UD alumni in his daily life. He and his wife are “Double Dels” — both UD alumni — and his brother, two children, partners and many on his team are also UD alumni.

“My UD experience taught me self-reliance as well as working with a team structure,” Wittig said. “Both of these traits help me every day. The overall UD experience that really sticks with me is the responsibility it instills in you. You quickly realize that you need to keep all the balls in the air as you move through college and that prepares you as you strike out in the business world.”

Realizing that UD alumni — as well as parents and friends — are often a student’s first connection to internship and full-time opportunities, Wittig extends the company’s internship opportunities to Blue Hens whenever he gets the chance.

This year, working through the Career Center’s Hire a Hen program at UD, he utilized Handshake, a network that connects organizations with college talent across the nation. He posted a DSM social media and marketing internship, which allowed his team to quickly review the many eligible résumés that came through. The candidate who stood out the most was Madison Purvey, a junior media communication major.

“The internship immediately caught my eye as an ideal role for me,” Purvey said. “In addition to applying via Handshake, I also emailed Robert directly in order to express my interest and tell him a little more about myself and my experience. He had me come in for an interview with him and his partner, Tripp, and the three of us almost immediately had a connection. Their friendly and welcoming personalities showed, and it was clear they were happy to have the chance to hire a fellow Blue Hen because many people in the office are UD alumni — it feels like family.”

Purvey, who is working as a spring 2019 intern, is the fourth UD student who has interned at DSM. She manages all of the company’s social network accounts, writes for the company blog, assists in website content design, interviews clients for spotlight articles and supports all departments with a variety of marketing needs.

“Madison interacts with nearly all of our staff as a marketing intern,” Wittig said. “We have a very inclusive group and share ideas, strategies and priorities freely and Madison has become part of that model.”

Purvey said that her internship has not only given her the opportunity to perform large and exciting marketing tasks, but has also provided a unique benefit because of the UD connection.

“It is reassuring to know the value of a UD education and how successful UD graduates can be,” she said. “I highly recommend that other students find internships or jobs with UD alumni because UD graduates are intelligent people and will allow you to create a strong professional network.”

When asked if Wittig would encourage other alumni to post their internship and job opportunities through the Hire a Hen program, he responded, “Absolutely. We have nothing but great experiences and all of the young students that have worked on our team have brought tremendous value.”

For employers

If you are seeking to fill an internship or full-time position, the employer and alumni engagement team at the University of Delaware is available to work with you or the recruiting coordinator as part of the Hire a Hen program to ensure the position is advertised effectively to the UD student body.

Contact Ryan Fuller, Assistant Director, Employer and Alumni Engagement, at rfuller@udel.edu or 302-831-4765.