Final IKP

Project Description:

I choose to do my project with Volunteers For Peace, which is a non-profit international volunteer corporation. My research task was to figure out how people hear about Volunteers For Peace and how they could use past volunteer experiences to better market themselves. I accomplished this task by creating a survey and distributing it among past volunteers. 

Final IKP Question #1 Did you hit a wall somewhere and find a way around it?

The biggest brick during the project was the very beginning. This was the first time I did paperwork for a company, so I didn’t really know how to present myself with potential clients. Luckily I was already interning at an international business, so I was to able to have multiple attempts at presenting a feasible project. I was able to do this by asking them what kind of research they needed done and what resources they had at their disposal. 

Final IKP Question #2 What were some of the biggest challenges that you overcame, or roadblocks that sent you back on a different path? 

One major challenge I encountered was putting my report together. My research task required me to make a survey and send them out and my class required me to perform and create a lit review. It took a long time for the survey results to come back, so while that was happening I did my own background information. The information I learned from my lit review was helpful, but the data from the surveys is what my clients were interested in. This created problems when creating my report. I had all this data, which was useful, but not really needed for me to answer my research question. 

Final IKP Question #3 Were there particular challenges in working with the client?

The only challenge I encountered working with my client was rather dumb. This was my first time producing research results for someone other than a teacher. I didn’t really feel comfortable producing and showing my work to them and I still don’t feel comfortable. I over came this phobia by ignoring the fear and going for the gold.

The only Champlain College class I took, which benefitted me during this project were the marketing classes. The research project only required marketing knowledge, by knowing how to pool data and what channels of communication to use.