20 Nov Inside My Internship Experience at Fluent Research
This June, for the second summer in a row, I returned to Fluent for a summer internship. Excited by the opportunity to learn from such a talented group of researchers once again, I was eager to continue building on what I learned the previous summer, while also challenging myself in new ways.
From my first day back, I hit the ground running. As always, the team at Fluent Research was incredibly welcoming and supportive, which made it easy to find my rhythm and dive right in. I joined project teams across different studies, and after brushing up on certain skills and tools, I was able to take on new responsibilities. These new assignments allowed me to see how all the pieces of a research project fit together—from project proposals to polished reports.
Extending the Internship Into My Gap Year
Originally, my internship was set to be just six weeks long; however, since I had deferred my college enrollment to take a gap year, I was thrilled when I found out I would be able to extend my time at Fluent by three months. I took a short break after my initial six week summer internship, and in that time, packed up my life and moved to Sweden, where I would live and work remotely for the next 3 months. Having found a steady rhythm in the first six weeks of the internship, I was excited to continue making strides on various projects and learning how to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research.
Despite being (at least) six hours ahead of the rest of the Fluent team, the extension in my internship made all the difference. Given the length of time, I was able to attend client meetings, manage participants in various studies, conduct in-depth interviews, analyze data, and contribute to reports in ways that I could have never imagined. While I may have had the opportunity to do similar tasks and learn similar skills the previous summer and in my initial six weeks, this portion of the internship unlocked a whole new dimension of the work Fluent does. It opened my eyes to all that goes into the research process.
Seeing the Full Lifecycle of Research
As a member of several research teams that worked on more fast-paced projects with quick turnarounds as well as long-term studies that evolved over months, I was able to see how research unfolds over time. Through it all, I began to appreciate just how much thought, care, and collaboration goes into every study Fluent conducts as well as the impact and difference all of those things can have on any type of project or work. Whether it was learning not to put quotation marks around italicized text, refining the tone of a topline summary, or keeping participant data clean and organized, I realized that small choices add up to clarity, credibility, and quality. These tangible lessons will stay with me far beyond this internship.
Lessons in Leadership and Collaboration
Another important lesson I’m taking away is what good leadership looks like in action. Throughout the course of my internship, I saw firsthand that leadership isn’t just about leading meetings or making decisions, it’s about how people listen, communicate, and build trust with one another in a team in ways that may even seem mundane.
Watching my colleagues balance professionalism with empathy showed me how leadership can be practiced every day, in both big and small moments, and how that cultivates a positive and enjoyable work environment.
Growing as a Researcher
While I may not have realized it in the moment, when I think about the past few months, what stands out most is how much I’ve grown not just in my skills, but in my confidence as a researcher. I’ve learned how to manage multiple responsibilities, communicate effectively, and approach challenges with curiosity rather than hesitation.
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Fluent for their patience, trust, and encouragement. This internship gave me the chance to truly see myself as part of a research team, and to understand what thoughtful, human-centered work looks like in practice. What began as a short summer experience turned out to be a formative start to my gap year, and I am grateful it happened here at Fluent Research.
By Paul Jakob.