Internships help techies refine career goals and grow professionally

Recruiters predict that more summer internships will be available in 2010

Some students are turning to university research and volunteer work for experience

By Claire Swedberg
Contributing Editor

In good economic times or bad, companies look for experience when hiring new college grads. Co-ops
and internships have traditionally provided the best opportunity for students to get that experience. But where do students turn when those opportunities are
not available?

“There was definitely a decline in the number of companies offering internships in 2009,” says Ann
Gates, AVP for research and sponsored projects
at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP).

“Recruiters are predicting that the 2010 summer internship programs will be considerably stronger,” she says. But in case 2010 is still slow, she’s encouraging students to take advantage of University research opportunities .

She believes that a lot of students, at least those at UTEP, have chosen to delay going after early internships. Instead they’re waiting until the summer between their junior and senior years. Nevertheless, Gates continues to urge students to apply early for programs that interest them. “The smaller pool of employers need not discourage them,” she says.

Gates encourages students to take advantage of programs and organizations that connect them with potential employers. For example, UTEP is one of ten institutions that are members of the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI).

“Within the alliance we promote students’ involvement in research projects during the school year,” she says. “That lets them develop a deeper knowledge than they’re likely to get in the classroom.”

She even suggests that students who can, consider unpaid research or internship assignments. Experience is experience, whether or not you’re getting paid, she says. “It’s all about building your resume and building your skills.”

Nyote Oliver: 3M internship refines career goals
A GEM fellowship led Nyote Oliver to 3M (St Paul, MN) where she was a corporate research analytical intern during the summer of 2009.

The National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc (GEM) connects students with corporate sponsors who pay
for graduate studies and provide internships.

Oliver is in a PhD program at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA) and expects to earn her doctorate in analytical chemistry in 2013. In her studies, she’s combining chemical sciences with engineering and IT. “I want to work with data and instrumentation related to chemistry,” she says.

She was inspired to pursue a bachelors in chemistry by a high school chemistry teacher.
“I expected to eventually become a medical doctor,” she says.

But a 2005 summer internship at Procter & Gamble (Cincinnati, OH) changed her course. Oliver was given chemistry-related projects, was mentored in the lab and was encouraged to give presentations about her work. “Being part of a company of that magnitude at an early age was very exciting for me,” she says. “I loved chemistry and felt that if I pursued an MD I would no longer have the opportunity to do chemistry.”

After the internship, Oliver returned to school at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. Then Hurricane Katrina hit, closing her school and many others in the area for most of the year. Oliver joined her brother in Minnesota and began teaching and tutoring chemistry at a local community college.

When the school re-opened, Oliver went on to earn her 2007 BS in chemistry and math. She then earned her 2009 MS in analytical chemistry at the Cincinnati campus of Ohio University (Athens, OH).

As a student at Xavier, Oliver was part of the National Institutes of Health-sponsored Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) scholars program, which helps underrepresented groups earn advanced degrees in the sciences.

During her internship at 3M, Oliver finally got the technical hands-on experience she wanted. The study included analyzing the consistency of testing instrumentation in multiple uses, as well as evaluating the permeation of gases on films in the instruments and the effects they had on test results.

She then worked on the manipulation of data related to the tests and instrument use. “I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge in this position,” she says.

The experience has helped Oliver refine her career goals. “I’ve found that I like the technical work and using the fundamental elements of chemistry,” she says. “But I also like working for a corporation like 3M.”

Ultimately she wants to move up in the ranks by leveraging her combined technical background and chemistry knowledge. “Some engineers might not know the science and theory,” she explains, “and others are so immersed in theory it’s hard to be innovative the way an engineer would be.”

Oliver advises students not to shy away from failure. “Success won’t occur without some failures along the way,” she says. “Failure can be your best teacher.”

Poorna Ramakrishnan: prepared for work at WellPoint
Poorna Ramakrishnan is a technical business systems advisor at WellPoint (Indianapolis, IN). She’s a fulltime employee and a part-time MBA student at the Indianapolis, IN campus of Indiana University. She expects to earn her masters in 2011 with a focus in marketing.

Ramakrishnan earned her 2006 BSCS with a minor in math at the University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY). “I always had a passion for technology,” she says, “but I knew I didn’t want to write computer programs all day.”

Ramakrishnan interned at Kindred Healthcare (Louisville, KY) for three consecutive college summers. She worked in the tech department of the company’s project management office implementing new tools and software in other Kindred facilities. “We worked in a team to understand the scope of the implementations and keep them under budget,” she says.

The experience taught Ramakrishnan how to prioritize tasks and work with clients. “I also learned how the corporate environment works,” she says.

As an intern at Lexmark (Lexington, KY), Ramakrishnan worked in supply base management. She provided support to the logistics area that managed the availability of product lines. “I got to see how different industries operate,” she says. “And I learned about global companies.”

Ramakrishnan joined WellPoint after graduation. She was invited to join the company’s three-year Health Insurance Professional rotation program. She worked in the underwriting department for Anthem clients in Kentucky, then in business support, which focused on nationwide sales.

In her third rotation she moved to IT. “The learning curve in this position was a lot shorter because of my internships,” she says. “I can’t imagine coming into a company the size of WellPoint without experience.”

Ramakrishnan advises students to select internships that offer work they feel passionate about. “You may find that it’s not at all what you want,” she says. “But it’s better to know that before you graduate!”

“Always be open to new things,” she adds. “You never know when that knowledge might come in handy.”

Justin Fitzgerald: El Paso intern in automation engineering
Justin Fitzgerald interned at El Paso Corp (Houston, TX) during the summer of 2009. After earning his 2007 associates at Houston Community College he transferred to Texas A & M (College Station, TX) for a bachelors in MIS.

Fitzgerald’s decision to focus on technology was part enjoyment of the field and part practicality. “Technology is where the jobs are,” he observes with
a smile. “I don’t see us going back to the stone ages any time soon.”

Fitzgerald was attracted to El Paso during the company’s recruitment process. “They showed me that they really cared,” he says.

As an intern he worked in the automation engineering group with seven other engineers, programming Web-based applications connected to the company’s SQL database.

The entire summer program was a learning experience for Fitzgerald. He was taken around the plant and given opportunities to speak with leadership and take company-sponsored courses. “I’ve learned how to interact with people, and how to apply what I’m learning in school to the real world,” he says. “I can see myself looking back five years from now and thinking, ‘I learned that at El Paso.’”

The company has benefited from Fitzgerald’s contributions as well. For example, he’s shared information about automation that he’s been learning in school.

All interns, including those with diverse backgrounds, bring new ideas and fresh perspectives, says Oscar Gonzalez, VP of corporate IT. “We highly value diversity,” he states firmly. “We live in a city that is incredibly diverse. The only way to embrace this diversity is to hire a staff that reflects it.”

Xin Wang: work at BP matches PhD research
Xin Wang interned at BP (Houston, TX) during the summer of 2009. He worked in the high-performance computing group in the company’s information technology and services organization.

Wang earned his 2007 BSCS and MSCA at Peking University. He’s currently
at Rice University and on track for a PhD in 2011.

He’s working towards becoming an applied mathematician and geophysicist. He has a special interest in seismic imaging, a data process that reveals pictures of the earth’s subsurface geology for locating oil and gas.

Wang had to give a presentation on his research to the group he’d be working with before being assigned the internship at BP. During the internship he found a project that matches his research perfectly.

He’s trying to solve seismic wave equations using a method known as the “discontinuous Galerkin method.” He’s also exploring the advantages of this method over others. The objective is to help BP increase the speed of seismic imaging data processing and save computing resources.

Wang says the internship has helped him learn more about the energy industry and it’s given him the chance to improve his communication skills. A side benefit has been the network he started building of the people he worked with at BP.

It’s pretty well understood that students who want an internship in IT or CS should have basic computer science knowledge and skills, he says. “And in my field, geophysics and/or mathematics are necessary skills,” he adds. “Interns should be able to apply their skills to solve practical problems.”

New York Life’s interns: a pool of entry-level hires
At New York Life Insurance Company (New York, NY), intern assignments are project-based, providing both educational and challenging experiences for interns.

According to senior recruiters Fe Azores and Joan Rose-Palacios, summer interns get the opportunity to contribute to the business while exploring career opportunities.

“Each summer internship is designed to benefit both the student and our technology department, since the primary goal of the program is to help New York Life identify, evaluate and develop future employees,” says Azores. “Our intern pool is viewed as a primary source for entry-level hiring.”

The company uses a three-prong approach to hiring interns: recruiting at college campuses, soliciting employee referrals and posting internship opportunities on the corporate website.

“Late in the year, a communication is issued to all employees announcing the following year’s summer internship program objectives, criteria and referral submission procedure,” says
Rose-Palacios.

For example, prospective 2009 interns were required to have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and have held a leadership role. Assignments ranged from programming to creating technical documentation, website content management to program testing, and from project management to asset management.

“Diversity is important,” says Rose-Palacios, “since our internship program is the pipeline for future hiring. At New York Life, we believe that diversity in culture, education, physical abilities and thought is necessary to keep our business thriving in an ever-changing business environment.”

Azores adds that diversity is critical for innovation, which is the key to the company’s success. “One of our best approaches is to hire a diverse pool of interns, who we then target as potential future employees.”

Beverly Tow: a second internship at New York Life
Beverly Tow was referred to New York Life’s internship program by her father. Even though it was an employee referral, Tow still had to go through the usual interview process.

After a preliminary screening by a company recruiter, phone interviews were scheduled with four managers and Tow was accepted into the twelve-week program. She worked in three-week intervals with each of the four managers.

In early 2009, Tow received an e-mail from the same recruiter asking if she was interested in returning for another summer. “I was more than happy to do so,” she says.

This time she was prepared for the interviews. “I anticipated being asked about my academic achievements as well as obstacles, extracurricular activities and my future goals and plans,” she says.

Tow expects to earn her BS in CIS and business administration at Towson University (Towson, MD) in May 2010.

Following graduation, she hopes to work in an IT-related field. But she’s also considering graduate school because she wants a position where she can lead and direct. “I hope to work my way up to information systems manager or something similar,” she says.

During her internship, Tow was on the team that develops and tests portal applications for more than 11,000 New York Life agents. This team works from two locations, the Clinton, NJ data center and the Westchester County, NY site. She was glad for the chance to experience work in different environments within the same company. “It was very worthwhile,” she says.

In addition to their daily work, New York Life interns are assigned an “action learning project.” Interns work in groups to develop business plans designed to reach a specific company-related goal. At the end of the internship, each group presents its ideas to the other interns and to a senior executive-level panel of judges.

“This internship has undoubtedly contributed to my professional growth,” Tow says. “I’ve learned just how important both teamwork and communication are in a corporate setting.”

Tow has taken every opportunity to network during her internship. Reaching out to other employees has helped her learn more about the company and she’s gained confidence. “Having a network should also help when I begin my job search,” she says with a smile.

“It doesn’t hurt to branch out to fields other than your major,” she says. “Many employers look for flexibility and adaptability in candidates, and who knows, you may find a new interest.”

Randall Caudillo: Highmark internship narrows interests
Randall Caudillo’s 2009 summer internship at Highmark Inc (Pittsburgh, PA) helped narrow his interests. “I want to do database analysis and development,” he says.

Caudillo expects to earn his BS/CIS in 2011 at California University (California, PA). He got the internship through an Inroads referral.

After multiple interviews on the same day, Caudillo was chosen for the internship. “You need
to be fully prepared, willing and flexible during an interview,” he advises. “Interviewers are people and there’s no predicting exactly what they’ll want.”

Caudillo worked as a database analyst on the data quality and control team. His job was to gauge the severity of system defects, document and track them and make recommendations. He also created management reports about the database. “I was the only intern on the team,” he says. “I learned some new applications and fragments of SQL.”

His team members learned from him as well. “They found out from me what students are learning now,” he says. “This will help them make their legacy systems more understandable for current and future users.”

Caudillo hopes to return to Highmark in 2010. For now, his experience as an intern has helped him refine his education. “I’ll build on what I’ve learned working with databases in a real-life organization,” he says, “I’ll be taking courses that will expand that knowledge.”

He urges students to maintain a good relationship with their school’s placement organizations. “Professors can often assist as well,” he says.

Learning from interns at Highmark
“Diversity is very important to us,” says Jessica Brooks, employment specialist at Highmark. Interns create a diversity of experience and background that further enhances the work Highmark does.

Brooks adds that the average age of Highmark employees is the mid 40s, so interns bring age diversity as well as new perspective. “The feedback we’ve gotten from managers is that they are learning from the interns,” she says.

The company typically hires interns going into their sophomore year or higher. There were about sixty interns during the summer of 2009. “Our goal is to use this as a talent pipeline,” says Brooks.

The experience grooms students for a real-world business environment. Management matches interns with mentors and hosts networking opportunities with members of diversity groups. The company also offers social events, etiquette training and communications skills for interns.

Courtney Cotton: professional growth at Cigna
Courtney Cotton interned in Bloomfield, CT for Cigna (Philadelphia, PA) during the summer of 2009. She discovered the opportunity through Indiana University, where she’s a senior.

All internships coordinated by her school are posted on CareerLink, a tool
on the school’s website that links students to each participating company’s website. “Students simply log in to review positions and apply,” she says.

Cotton will get her degree from the School of Informatics & Computing at Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). She’s working on a 2010 BS in informatics with additional work in public
and environmental affairs and a minor in psychology.

She was already familiar with Cigna when she applied. “We have a huge career fair every
fall,” she explains. “I knew that Cigna had been here for that, so I went ahead and applied.”

During her internship, Cotton served as production support developer in Web IT. Using Visual Basic applications, she automated company metrics to increase accuracy and save time.

The internship helped Cotton dive into her profession and “grow exponentially,” she says. She’d never worked in a corporate setting. “I was removed from my safe zone and put into
a completely new environment. I’m very much a techie, so I really needed to do this.”

The experience helped expand Cotton’s technical skills in programming as well. And she learned how to develop ideas and communicate them. “I was part of a team,” she says,
“so I got to see the dynamics of working in a group.”

“Interning was the best decision I have ever made,” she states firmly.

Alissa Hellstrom: QA/QC at Marathon Oil
Alissa Hellstrom spent her 2009 summer internship at the Findlay, OH office
of Marathon Oil (Houston, TX). She’s expecting to earn her BS in business administration with a specialization in MIS from Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH) in May 2010.

As an intern, Hellstrom was part of the IT department’s QA/QC team that tests software used by Marathon clients. “I tested forms and screens related to a specific issue,” she says.

Her job involved investigating random forms and performing tests to identify errors or issues before the system was released into production. She also served as communications director on the company’s newly formed downstream intern/co-op advisory board. “My main role was to create a newsletter each month,” she says. The newsletter is sent out to all interns and co-ops who work in the company’s downstream businesses.

Hellstrom says she’s grown in ways that she feels will advance her career. She improved her leadership and communications skills and gained a better appreciation for the teamwork it takes to accomplish a goal.

“Most notably,” she says, “I’ve learned the importance of business value, and trying to find ways to make faster and better business decisions.”

The school’s fall 2008 career expo provided the forum for Hellstrom to land her internship. “After I’d gotten over my nervousness and talked with a couple companies,” she says, “I finally approached the Marathon reps.” She interviewed with them the next morning and got a phone call a couple of weeks later telling her that she’d been selected.

“Don’t be afraid to talk with people at job fairs or send in your resume,” Hellstrom advises students. “Networking is key.”

Hellstrom’s long-term goal is to secure a job that offers opportunities for advancement and the flexibility to work in different departments. “Since I’m in IT, I would like to start off with a job in this field,” she says, “but I would like to try other areas of business as well.”

Hellstrom believes in keeping experiences broad. “If you are an MIS major, try to take as many CS classes as you can,” she advises. “And CS majors should take business classes as well. It helps to know a little about the business side of the company you work for.”

D/C

Claire Swedberg is a freelance writer who lives in La Conner, WA.

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