Microsoft

In the summer of 2023, I completed my first undergraduate internship with Microsoft! This accomplishment means a lot to me, from a personal and professional perspective. I am excited to share a few things I have learned and some tips and advice to ace your internship experience.

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1. Believe in yourself!

This may sound corny, and you’ve probably heard this a lot, but self-confidence (without it falling into ego) is such a game changer. Going through the application process to conducting the internship, I was sometimes faced with “imposter syndrome” and the urge never to have it wrong. I used to set “perfect” goals for myself (perfect meaning no mistakes allowed), which is most likely detrimental down the line. This whole process has taught me that what is ultimately needed are discipline and a growth mindset. Being on the Microsoft campus and experiencing the company’s culture daily, I felt inspired and decided to prioritize learning it all more than knowing it all. The growth mindset added to self-confidence may constitute an effective recipe for success.

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2.  Have a plan, and connect with people!

Before jumping into my internship and getting started on my project, I had drafted a clear plan of attainable goals for each week. Personally, outside of my project scope, I prioritized networking and learning more about Microsoft. For example, week 8 personal goal would be connecting with an FTE working in data engineering, while week 5 would be centered on connecting with the broader intern community. Having things broken down into weekly goals helped me keep track, and I successfully completed each of those goals.

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3. Talk about your interests, be approachable!

One thing that I tended to omit was, that I would be working with people passionate about the same field as me! And this could easily be the first topic of conversation. Moreover, working in a pod and on-site, I was regularly around my teammates, and talking about hobbies or interests constituted amazing ice-breakers outside of work. For example, I found out that one FTE in my org is an avid tennis player, and we would play tennis outside of work. Connecting and participating in social gatherings quickly helped me feel more included!

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4. Do your job, and ask questions when necessary!

The number 1 goal of your internship experience must be having an impact! And your intern project allows you to do so! In my experience, I was exposed to Kubernetes services for the first time, and the learning curve was steep. Throughout the process, I felt more comfortable with taking on challenges and learning while doing so. An internship at the right company exposes you to a wide array of resources, and it is your responsibility to use those to your advantage and that of the company! Plus the right mentor, manager, and team can set you up for success (shoutout to my manager and mentor!!).

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5. Explore, and get to know your surroundings!

In many cases, the outcome of a successful internship is a full-time return offer! While working in tech could grant you a remote or hybrid opportunity, you should look through your surroundings as a potential next area to relocate to! Explore, get to know the area and suburbs. And it’s all part of the experience.