Verizon Program Immerses Potential Interns in Its Culture, Fosters a Sense of Belonging

Launched in 2024, “V Teamer for a Day” is an in-person experience at several key Verizon hub locations designed to immerse potential interns in the company’s culture and develop a sense of belonging at Verizon.

“V Teamer for a Day is designed to be much more than an office tour. It’s an immersive cultural experience designed to build excitement among students, broaden their professional networks, and build connections between classroom and industry experience,” says Liz Langemak, Ph.D., who leads U.S. university relations at Verizon.

“It can be challenging for early ID talent in their first and second years of college to develop a genuine sense of comfort and belonging at a company. Verizon’s V Teamer for a Day program seeks to reinvent office tours as a unique way to build meaningful relationships with students and universities.”

Rather than simply providing a tour of building amenities, Verizon immerses students fully in what it calls “V Team Life.”

“We offer them opportunities to not only explore our campuses, but to understand what it is about Verizon that drives happiness, work-life balance, and career advancement for our team members,” Dr. Langemak says.

Adds Kayla Foy, a university relations manager at Verizon who leads program execution at four major hubs: “In addition to tech demonstrations, training courses, and panel discussions, a key element of our V Teamer for a Day event is the wide array of opportunities to meet and talk with real people who work at the company, who all share their experiences.”

The day begins with a welcome from a leader on Verizon’s Culture & Community team, followed by a panel presentation that serves as a casual information session, covering both career pathways and Verizon’s culture. During this panel, leaders from across the business speak about their own career journeys and skill development, and offer advice for students as they navigate their own journeys.

Students continue to learn about Verizon’s benefits and culture on a hub exploration tour before experiencing firsthand the many emerging technologies that Verizon is working on.

After lunch, students are paired with Verizon team members to shadow. These Verizon employees cover their experiences, career journeys, and their current roles. Team members may introduce students to their teams, sharing their team’s major objectives and the skills needed to do their jobs.

Students also have the opportunity to meet even more V Teamers at a networking mixer. The day concludes with career development workshops and community volunteer events, exposing students to key elements of the Verizon experience.

“By joining our V Teamer for a Day events, students leave with a deeper understanding of Verizon’s mission, culture, and the potential career paths available to them, all while gaining a clearer vision of how they could personally grow and contribute to the future of the company,” Dr. Langemak says

Some of the key measurements of the effectiveness of the program include the rate of application for every program seat, post-event internship application rates, and direct feedback from students. In 2024, 92.5% of students said they were more interested in Verizon as a result of this event.

Dr. Langemak explains that the success of V Teamer for a Day has not only increased positive brand awareness of Verizon among students, but it’s also increased understanding of campus team work among Verizon employees. 

“Verizon’s university relations program remains very committed to not only continuing but also growing this program,” she says.

“At Verizon, we believe that this work is transferable to the transition between college and the workplace. People will persist, achieve, and, on the whole, feel more mentally balanced in a place where they’ve already built connections and feel at home.”