What are some good practices to succeed as a summer intern at a Silicon Valley company?
-
Hello! I was recently offered a summer internship position as a software engineer at a large Silicon Valley company. I have previously worked as a software intern at an east coast start-up, where I had a lot of flexibility regarding the kind of technologies to work with and I felt there was less pressure exerted on me. I would like to know what kind of technical tasks, assignments, or challenges that I can expect during my internship. I just want to get an idea of the intensity involved in working in the valley? I would really appreciate your insights. If you've interned in the valley before, I would love to read your experiences and advice. Thanks!
-
Answer:
(Caveat: I don't mean to generalize anything in this answer, my opinions are just based on my personal experiences interning at both start-ups as well as larger technology companies) Going through some of the keywords in your question: Flexibility - You will have less flexibility when it comes to choosing workstations and technologies. In the 5 person start-up I interned at, I joined the team in the sixth month of their inception - there were no large license deals for servers or simulation software or workstations and the company bought these licenses on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, if someone wanted a Mac and someone else wanted a Linux box and someone else wanted a PC, all these requests could be accommodated. In constrast, I have found that in the larger companies, these things are more regulated in order to scale and allow for uniformity in code base and project design. This extends to not only the workstations employees are provided, but also the "preferred" linux systems, simulation software and compiling software. Challenges relating to work - Kind of relating to the earlier point on flexibility, in larger companies there are often tried and trusted procedures for non-engineering workflow i.e presentations, technical and progress reports. Transitioning from a 5 person company to a 800 person company, I found myself behind on turning in technical reports that adhered to specifications and rules. In addition, due to the function of complexity which comes with larger team sizes and more teams interacting with each other, there is just more busy work in general. Kind of work - My role at the start up was multi-functional, whereas my role at the larger company was clearly defined and specified. On one hand, this gave me the structure and discipline to learn everything I needed about my role and have clear pathways towards people who could provide support and guidance, but on the other, I sometimes miss the excitement of transitioning between very different roles on a day-to-day basis and the aspect of self-learning and discovery. Again, this is a function of larger companies having more compartmentalized domain expertise among their employees, therefore eliminating the need for multi-function roles. Intensity - This varies in every level of abstraction - from company to company, project to project, week to week. More so for interns than full-time folks, larger companies tend to really nail down the interns' expected projects and so I find it's much easier to sit down with a manager/supervisor and chalk out an accurate timeline. At small companies, goals and deadlines change faster than in large companies and so a lot of internships at start-ups are self-designed and therefore end up sometimes being more work for the 3 months. In conclusion, there are pros and cons to both sets of experiences. I think that experiencing many sizes of companies and different company cultures is the best way to decide what kind of place is good for you. In terms of advice, the following points are worth keeping in mind, regardless of what kind of company you work at: Keep learning: Wherever you are, there will be people who can teach you something. Whether this is sitting down with someone from another division at lunch and learning something new, or borrowing someone's textbook to expand to try something different in your project, explore the resources around you and discover new sources of education. Be open to new roles: More and more I'm seeing companies hiring people based on core fundamentals, and focusing on training them to do specific things on the job. Case in point - at my current job, I am doing something completely different from any of my previous technical internships, but after 6 months, I am almost certain I want to make this new role my career. Try to identify broad areas of interest and then look more carefully into things you know nothing about and see if it interests you. Back to the previous point (Keep learning!) you will have people and resources around you to help out with logistics. Work your a** off - A 3-4 month internship goes by blazingly fast. You will be amazed (yet again) how much time you have on your hands even after you work a full work-week. So work the full week. Push yourself, don't slack. That being said, cherish your time in the break room making friends and connections. After all that is said and done, you will end up home no later than 8pm on a weekday with nothing to do - so you will have plenty of time to get non-work fun things done. Go to a hackathon - Find a hackathon one weekend and network, even if you don't actually want to. Software engineering is brilliant because the fundamental tools are common across hundreds of industries and consumer bases. The best way to learn about other companies and cultures is by meeting interns and other employees working elsewhere. Have fun - At the very end of it, an internship is more valuable to the intern than it is to the company. This is your chance to learn about an industry, get some real-world experience and expand (or re-direct) your intellectual interests. If you're miserable at your job, it won't be worth it and you still get to go back to school in 3 months. So stay happy and healthy and don't let bureaucratic BS get you down. (Believe me, it happens from time to time). Best of luck!
Akshay Gopalan at Quora Visit the source
Other answers
I recently wrote a blog post about how to succeed in your summer internship. Check out the full article here: http://www.tintup.com/blog/how-to-succeed-in-an-internship-startup-edition/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So youâve made it. You got that startup internship that you hustled your way into. Youâre probably feeling pretty good about yourself. After all, youâre employed now, and youâve got a whole summer in front of you. Time to pat yourself on the back and relax, right? Wrong. In fact, hereâs where you really put the pedal to the metal. That chip on your shoulder is what allowed you to be here in the first place. The process of getting this job was the qualifier, actually performing in your internship position is the Tour de France. That means youâve got to keep up that chip-on-the-shoulder attitude. Scrap scrap scrap. Your mission is to prove to your new employers that youâre worth every bit of their time, energy, and (sometimes) money, and more. Your mission is to make sure that your employers feel that the decision to bring you on was the best decision theyâve ever made. Your mission is to make the other members of your team feel like every day is Christmas and the gift from Santa is having you around. Sounds daunting. Christmas is pretty awesome. Well you will be too, if you follow some key pointers. Here are some tips that will have you shining so brightly, your boss will want to stick you on top of his Christmas tree. Hereâs How to succeed in an internship: Startup Edition. Donât let anyone beat you to the office. Youâre the least proven and (usually) the one with the least to offer in terms of experience and skills. So what you lack in the former youâll have to make up with effort. Find out when everyone usually shows up in the office before your employment period begins. Plan to get there 30-45 minutes before that time. That way, you can usually have a decent chunk of work done before anyone else even shows up. Most people hate waking up early in the morning. Therefore, respect is afforded to those who do it and take advantage of their additional time to be productive. Be Proactive: Better to ask for Forgiveness than to ask for Permission. That quote comes from something my boss said to me on my very first day of work (actually he just said those exact words), that I have taken to heart during my time in the office as well as in my life in general. Oftentimes in the work environment, individuals in lower positions are paralyzed by their fear of failure. Especially new team members. Theyâre just trying not to screw anything up on one of their first days at work. The problem is, this severely handicaps how productive a person can be. Obviously, being handed a token of faith made it far easier for me to embrace this attitude of being proactive and accountable, but I believe that adopting this mindset is highly conducive to innovation and delivering impact. After all, employers want to see that theyâve hired an independent, creatively-thinking A player, not an instruction-following zombie. If they just wanted someone to follow instructions, they wouldâve gotten a dog. Donât get me wrong, Iâm not suggesting that you go gung-ho, rebel against the company, and carve out your own agenda. But itâs always nice (I imagine) as an employer to be able to count on your intern for the designated intern work with a couple unexpected gems on top. Be Flexible. Donât go into this opportunity with any preconceptions on what youâre going to be doing at work. Why? Simply because this will limit the possibilities. One unique trait of the startup space is that team members are often asked to complete tasks that donât exactly comply with their âjob description.â That being as it is, youâre going to need an open mind and a whole lot of enthusiasm. Business development intern being asked to try your hand at web development? Letâs do it. Engineer having to fill in on some sales calls? Fake it âtil you make it. Sorry to let the cat out of the bag. Youâre going to be learning way moreâin both depth and breadthâthan you probably originally anticipated. Buckle up. Confronted by the specter of having to take on a project in which you have absolutely no idea of where to begin? Donât let that slow you down. Another wise nugget that Iâve picked up from one of my coworkers during my employment is the idea that youâre ânever ready.â This is an idea that has resonated with me because a large portion of our lives is dedicated to preparing ourselves for what we see as the âbig moments,â the âbig benchmarksâ of life, ie: leaving for college, our first job interviews, applying to graduate school, etc. While preparation is obviously integral to success, this obsession with preparation often permeates other aspects of our lives, encouraging the inhibitive mindset that we canât begin endeavors until weâve reached an imaginary level of preparedness, a preconceived construct of ourselves that is, in reality, nothing more than our mindâs way of avoiding unfamiliar tasks. Instead, by embracing the idea that we can never be as ready as we desire, we can free ourselves from these self imposed inhibitions and unlock the door to growth, learning, and productivity of an unprecedented magnitude. Bring your âAâ game every day. Under-promise and Over-deliver. Act like every day is your first day of employment. Why? On the first day youâre trying the best you can to prove that you belong. Trying to prove that youâre an impact player, not an apathetic email whiz that has somehow conned his way into this position. Never let yourself get comfortable with where youâre at because that line of thought leads to contentment which ultimately devolves into slothful behavior. Under promise on tasks youâre assigned. Then complete them as quickly as possible to the best of your ability.Everybody likes a pleasant surprise. Ask Questions until your employerâs ears fall off. One of the most valuable assets that you can now utilize is the experience and knowledge of your new coworkers. Exploit accordingly. You may possibly never have another opportunity to be around people with their specific skill sets and backgrounds. Therefore itâs up to you to soak up as much information as you humanly can. People love to talk about themselves so your employers will undoubtedly be delighted to share their journey. Ask them questions about anything, from their back story and how they got to where they are today to what kinds of things they like to do with their free time on the weekends. Chances are they are in the place that you would like to be four or five years down the road, and asking them how they got there is one of the best ways to chart out a path for yourself. Even if theyâre not, their perspective will aid greatly in broadening your own. Also donât forget that thereâs no such thing as a âdumb question.â No matter how basic your inquiry seems, ask. Cast aside your fear of looking dumb in front of your employer, because you will look even dumber down the road if you donât ask and your pride leads to a much bigger mistake. Contrary to the image of weakness that many seem to think stems from asking âdumbâ questions, people in the workplace will respect you for acknowledging your weaknesses and working towards eliminating them. Ask for Feedback. This is the single best way you can improve. One of manâs biggest follies is thinking that he somehow knows, within himself, what he needs to do to improve his standing in life. This is absolutely untrue. The ones who know what you can do to get to where you want to be are the ones who have already paved the path and are aware of the obstacles and challenges that lie ahead of you. Whatâs more, these are the people who observe you on a daily basis. Donât be too stubborn or ignorant to accept a vast pool of information that can accelerate your growth curve exponentially. Asking for feedback also further demonstrates your proactive attitude and shows that you are always looking to improve your performance in the work space, which your employer is sure to be grateful for. Ultimately you benefit from the guidance, and your employer reaps the rewards of your improved performance. Mutualism rules the day. Conclusion These tips should have you well on your way to having an awesome intern experience, with happy employers and new professional connections to boot. Just remember, even though this is probably one of your first forays into the working world, that you need to have fun. Many people associate the idea of working with suffering and misery and completely miss the concept that work doesnât necessarily have to be that way. Keep an optimistic mindset, follow my advice, and prepare for a great journey. Want proof that what Iâm saying works? Tim (my boss) hasnât looked back.
Eric Wang
Related Q & A:
- What are some good summer/fall jobs for a responsible 14-year-old teen?Best solution by boostapal.com
- What are some good cards to put in a black magic the gathering deck?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
- What is some good food to take on a hiking trip?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
- What are some good easy christian songs for a teenage girl to sing?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
- What are some good snowboard bindings that are not too expensive for a beginner?Best solution by answers.yahoo.com
Just Added Q & A:
- How many active mobile subscribers are there in China?Best solution by Quora
- How to find the right vacation?Best solution by bookit.com
- How To Make Your Own Primer?Best solution by thekrazycouponlady.com
- How do you get the domain & range?Best solution by ChaCha
- How do you open pop up blockers?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.
-
Got an issue and looking for advice?
-
Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.
-
Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.
Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.